How to Wash Clothes in Cold Water (and Still Get Them Clean)
Cold-water washing is one of those rare changes that saves money, saves energy, and is actually better for your clothes. A modern washer uses roughly 75–90% of its total energy just heating the water. Skip the heating, and you cut almost the entire bill for that cycle.
For a household running five loads a week, switching from warm to cold saves about $60–$100 a year. Switching from hot to cold saves $100–$150. The clothes come out just as clean in 95% of cases — as long as you do a few things right.
Why cold water works
Modern detergents are formulated to dissolve in cold water. That wasn't true 30 years ago, when detergent needed heat to activate. Today's enzymes break down most stains — food, grass, sweat, body oils — at 60°F (15°C) just as effectively as at 100°F (38°C).
The exceptions are the ones you'd expect: heavy grease from automotive work, certain oily stains, and anything requiring sanitization for medical or hygiene reasons. For those, hot water still has a role. For everything else — your t-shirts, jeans, towels, sheets, workout clothes — cold is fine.
How to do it right
1. Use the right detergent
Look for a label that says "works in cold water" or "cold-water formula." These are widely available now, often at the same price as regular detergent. Powder detergents tend to dissolve better in cold water than they used to, but liquid concentrates are the safest choice.
2. Don't overfill the drum
Cold water is slightly less effective at dissolving dirt, so the machine needs a bit more room to agitate properly. Fill the drum loosely — about three-quarters full. Overloading forces the machine to work harder and can leave detergent residue.
3. Pretreat problem spots
Stains that would have come out in warm water without help — collar grime, cooking oil, coffee — benefit from a 15-minute pretreatment. Apply a stain remover or a dab of liquid detergent directly to the spot, let it sit, then wash as usual.
Trick: Add a half cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. It neutralizes detergent residue, softens fabric, and helps with lingering odors — and it costs pennies.
When you actually need hot water
Cold water handles nearly everything, but there are a few cases where hot is worth it:
- Heavily soiled work clothes — mechanic's shirts, gardening clothes, anything with grease or oil
- Illness in the household — sheets and towels after a stomach bug, flu, or COVID, where sanitizing matters
- Baby items and cloth diapers — sanitization requires heat, though some detergents offer cold-water sanitizing additives
- Musty towels — a one-time hot wash with vinegar kills mildew that cold water won't
Everything else can go cold.
Set the machine properly
Most washing machines have a temperature selection with three parts: wash, rinse, and spin. If your machine offers "cold wash / cold rinse," choose that. If it offers "cold wash / warm rinse," switch to cold rinse too — the rinse cycle doesn't need heat, and rinsing warm undoes some of the savings.
Some machines also have a "tap cold" or "eco cold" setting. Tap cold uses whatever temperature comes out of the pipe — usually 55–65°F depending on season. Eco cold is a compromise: slightly less than fully cold but uses less water overall. Both save energy. Either works.
What about the dryer?
Cold-water washing is only half the savings. The dryer is the other half. If you can air-dry even half your loads, you add another $50–$100 a year in savings. See our full guide on air-drying laundry indoors.
If you do use the dryer, a few tips: clean the lint filter every load, don't over-dry (a damp-dry cycle finishes the job in 5 minutes air-drying), and consider using dryer balls to reduce drying time by 10–25%.
What it saves
Cost comparison for one load of laundry in a typical U.S. home:
- Hot wash / warm rinse: $0.40–$0.55 per load (mostly water heating)
- Warm wash / cold rinse: $0.20–$0.30 per load
- Cold wash / cold rinse: $0.04–$0.08 per load
At five loads a week, that's about $26/year (cold), $65/year (warm), or $120/year (hot). The gap is $60–$90 a year for a change you'll barely notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will cold water shrink my clothes?
No — cold water actually shrinks clothes less than hot water. Heat is what causes cotton and wool to shrink. Cold water is the safest setting for anything you don't want to lose a size.
Will cold water fade colors?
The opposite. Hot water accelerates dye fading, especially on dark denim, cotton, and anything brightly colored. Cold water keeps clothes looking new longer.
Does cold water kill bacteria?
Not reliably. For sanitizing — after illness, for baby items, or for cloth diapers — use hot water or add a laundry sanitizer to the rinse. For everyday clothes, cold water removes bacteria via detergent and agitation, which is enough for normal household use.
Does my washing machine have a cold-water setting?
Almost every machine made in the last 20 years has a cold or tap-cold setting. If you're not sure, look at the temperature dial or the app if it's a smart machine.
Is cold water bad for the washing machine itself?
No. Modern machines are designed to handle cold cycles. If anything, cold water is gentler on hoses and seals than hot.