One of the biggest ways we waste money at home is by heating water that doesn’t actually need to be hot. If you switch your laundry to cold water, you stop draining your hot water supply and save on your natural gas or electric bill.
A few years back, I saw on the detergent bottle that it said “cold water wash compatible” and it did not make any sense to waste that energy on my clothes if it wasn’t necessary. I switched to the tap cold setting and everything has washed perfectly well since. It is not usually the default setting on the machine, so it takes a few extra button pushes each load, but it is a small effort for a decent bit of savings. I have been doing it for years and the clothes are just as clean.
Where the Energy Actually Goes#
The washing machine motor doesn’t use much electricity. Heating the water is the expensive part. According to ENERGY STAR, about 90% of the energy a clothes washer uses goes to heating water. That means switching from warm or hot to cold cuts out almost all of the energy cost of a load, without changing anything else.
Modern detergents are designed for it. The enzymes in today’s detergents are made to break down stains and dirt at lower temperatures, which is why so many bottles now advertise cold-water cleaning. Cold water is also gentler on fabrics, so colors fade less, clothes shrink less, and they tend to last longer.
When Hot Water Still Makes Sense#
Cold isn’t always the right call. Hot water is still useful for:
- Heavily soiled or greasy work clothes where the grease needs heat to loosen up.
- Sanitizing bedding, towels, and clothes when someone in the house has been sick.
- Cloth diapers and anything else the manufacturer says to wash hot.
For everyday shirts, jeans, socks, and sheets, cold does the job.
More Easy Hot Water Savings#
While you’re thinking about hot water, a few other quick wins:
- Check your water heater temperature. The Department of Energy suggests 120°F for most households. Many water heaters ship set to 140°F, which wastes energy and raises the risk of scalding.
- Wash full loads. The machine uses close to the same energy whether it’s half full or full.
- Use the high-spin setting. It wrings out more water, so your dryer runs for less time.
- Fix dripping hot water faucets. A slow drip of hot water is money going down the drain, literally.
Switching to ’tap cold’ is a cool move that keeps your hot water ready for when you actually need it. It is just common sense. Save that extra money for something you can actually enjoy.
Here’s what Tide says on their website:
_Q: Does Tide Original Boosted Liquid Laundry Detergent clean in cold water?
A: Yes. Tide’s trusted cleaning ingredients are so powerful that it cleans even better* in cold water than the competition does in similar washing conditions. *Stain removal of one dose of Tide vs. six doses of the leading competitor liquid brand base variant.
_Q: Can I save energy by washing in cold water with Tide Original Boosted Liquid Laundry Detergent?
A: Yes. In fact, if all Las Vegas households switched to washing in cold for one month, you could power the Strip for up to six days!* Just imagine the savings you could see in your household by doing the same. *Based on total electricity use in the United States and all US households switching all loads from warm to cold temperature in standard, top-loading machines with electric water heaters.
I’m not getting paid to advertise this. Just recommending it for the energy and cost savings!
