Tap Cold vs Cold Water: Which is Best for Washing Clothes?

When it comes time to wash your clothes, having cold water is essential for getting out tough stains and preventing fabrics from shrinking. Washing clothes requires sufficient water cooling to activate cleaning agents, protect fabric fibers, and inhibit dye transfer. So when your washer calls for a cold cycle, which should you choose—tap cold or cold? Let’s compare tap cold and refrigerated cold water for washing clothes.

How Cold is Cold Water in the Washing Machine?

Washing clothes with cold water simply means utilizing the “cold” temperature option on a washing machine, which is normally between 60°F and 80°F. Some washing machines may feature a “tap cold” function that uses the cold water directly from your faucet without any heating.

How Cold Is Tap Cold Water in the Washing Machine?

The “tap cold” setting uses cold water as it comes out of the tap. The temperature of tap water varies depending on the water source and length of pipes, but generally reaches 50℉ or lower.

Tap water cools as it travels underground, losing roughly 1°F for every 90 feet of piping. While tap cold suffices for some laundry loads like whites and fast colors, it may not be frigid enough for delicate fabrics and stubborn stains. The lukewarm temperature allows dye bleeding and shrinkage to occur more easily in cycles meant to use cold water.

Difference Between Tap Cold And Cold

The “tap cold” option takes the cold water straight out of the tap. This might be 50℉ or below in colder climes or when your cold water supply is buried underground. The “cold” setting adds hot water to attain a normal temperature.

Meliora Cleaning Products tested cold and tap cold settings in January in Colorado, and neither setting reached the recommended 60 degrees during the wash. Only 54.3 degrees was the tap cold cycle temperature, whereas the cold cycle reached 58.6 degrees. The tap cold is even colder than cold.

How Does Refrigerated Water Enhance Laundry?

The chilling effect of refrigeration produces water cold enough to shock stains and suspend soils from fabric. This prevents dyes from running and enables detergents to penetrate deeper for superior cleaning.

The colder temperature also helps maintain the dimensional stability of fabrics, minimizing shrinkage for items like wool sweaters.

Key Considerations for Washing Clothes

When deciding between tap cold and refrigerated cold water for laundry, keep these factors in mind:

Garment care – Delicates like silks, wools, spandex, and colors wash best in colder water.
Stain removal – Heavy stains release better in colder washes.
Energy efficiency – Warm washes increase energy costs over cold cycles.
Water usage – Cold washes generally require smaller load sizes than hot.
Time investment – Refrigerating water takes advanced planning.
Convenience factor – Tap water is readily available at a turn of the faucet.

Benefits of Washing Clothes in Cold Water

Washing clothes in cold water has several benefits:

Savings on energy: A washing machine uses more than 90% of its energy to heat the water. Indeed, P&G promotes that switching to cold water for the majority of laundry can save the average US household $150 per year.
Prevents fabric fading: Hot water can accelerate the fading of dyes and patterns on materials. Colors stay more bright in cold water.
Reduces shrinking: Many materials shrink when exposed to heat. Cold water washing keeps garments in shape and size.
Stain removal: Cold water is suitable for most clothes and other goods that can be safely washed in the washing machine. It may remove a variety of stains from clothing, including grass on your child’s jeans and mascara smudges on a sweater. Not all stains react to warm water. Blood and perspiration, for example, can become embedded in cloth when exposed to hot water.
Kinder to clothing: Lower temps are gentler on materials. Cold water can help to extend the life of clothing, particularly delicate goods. Delicate fabrics (lace and silk) and dark, colorful fabrics actually do best in cold water.

When to Use Cold Water Washing

Cold water washes are ideal for the following situations:

Washing fading or shrinking darks, brights, or new goods
Delicate textiles such as wool, silk, linen, or rayon
Durable textiles, such as denim pants or casual t-shirts
Items that have only been lightly soiled or worn for a brief period of time
Red wine, coffee, or food stains that must be removed as soon as possible
Handwash only fabrics being cleaned in a washing machine

Tips for Effective Cold Water Washing

Use a cold-water-specific detergent. Look for enzymes or other technology that can be activated in frigid temperatures.
Check fabric care labels and sort laundry loads according to wash temperature.
For best results, pre-treat severely dirty surfaces.
Before washing, soak severely soiled objects in cold water.
Use the mild or delicate cycle to give your clothing extra time to dry.
Add an additional rinse cycle to completely remove the detergent and stains.
Before washing, shake or unroll your clothing to allow the detergent to properly infiltrate the materials.

Does Cold Water Shrink Clothes?

The fear of shrinkage often deters people from using cold water. Cold water, on its own, does not induce shrinkage. The combination of hot water, agitation, and dryer heat causes shrinkage in some materials.

When Cold Water May Not Work

Occasionally, depending on the fabric or the situation, warm or hot water may work better. Take fabric: Warm water is better for washing knits and synthetic blends (including spandex, nylon, polyester, and rayon blends).

To get rid of germs, wash your clothes and blankets in hot water. This is especially helpful if you or someone in your family is sick.

The climate can also play an influence. When the water in the tap gets below 40℉ in the winter, detergents might not work as well in cold states. In these places, you might need warm or hot water to clean your clothes.

When to Use Hot Water

Hot water washing uses the hottest temperature on a washer, which is usually 130°F or higher. It should only be used on products labeled as hot water-washable, such as cotton or other sturdy fibers. Before you wash, check the manufacturer’s guidelines.

White materials – aids in the restoration of dinginess.
Diapers – sanitizes and eliminates stubborn stains
Work garments that have been heavily stained – breaks down thick dirt
Using a sick person’s sheets or towels kills more germs.
Combating strong odors – aids in the elimination of odors such as smoke
Durable fabrics – heavily soiled or odorous items made from strong fibers like cotton and durable synthetic fabrics.

When to Use Warm Water Washing

Warm water is an efficient way to clean clothes without destroying the material. It’s easier for chemicals to dissolve in warm water, and clothes are less likely to fade or shrink.

Lightly stained fabric
Lightly soiled cotton, synthetic blends, linen fabrics and manufactured fibers
Significant food stains, such as tomato sauce, coffee, or wine
Fabrics with mold, mildew, or musty odors
Sanitizing linens, towels, and undergarments
Dust and pollen allergies during peak seasons

The Verdict on Tap Cold vs. Cold Water

Most laundry detergents and soaps require water temperatures of at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 degrees Celsius). Colder water may not be able to fully dissolve the detergents or activate their cleaning ingredients, regardless of whether you’re using powder, pods, sheets, or even liquid. Therefore, wash cycles with water below 60 degrees may not effectively clean your clothes and can cause residue to stick to your clothes or washer.

And, washing in cold (not tap cold) water is better for the environment, and most clothing is fine to wash in cold water. But always check the care tags!

FAQs about Tap Cold vs Cold Water

What’s the difference between cold and tap cold on washing machine?

From Google: The “tap cold” setting uses cold water as it comes out of the tap. In cold climates, or in places where your cold water supply is deeply buried, this could be 50F or colder. The “cold” setting mixes in hot water to reach a standard temperature. … That is the difference between cold and tap cold.

What is the difference between tap cold and cold and cool?

Temperature variation is approximately +/- 3 degrees. Tap Cold is the temperature out of the cold water faucet. Cold is 62 degrees and cool is 70 degrees.

What temp is tap cold?

Dr. Weiner says that a pitcher of ice water from the fridge would be around 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). Cold tap water would be around 60 F (15.55 C). Room temperature water comes in at around 78 F (25.55 C).

Is Tap Water cold or cool?

There are two pipes of water coming into a tap. One carries cold water from the outside source, one carries hot water from the house water heater. The temp adjustment merely adjusts the mixture of the two. More hot water, less cold water or less hot water, more cold water.

How cold should a tap be?

Cold water systems should be maintained, where possible, at a temperature below 20°C. Hot water should be stored at least at 60°C and distributed so that it reaches a temperature of 50°C (55°C in healthcare premises) within one minute at the outlets.