The vast majority of washing machines do both hot and cold, at least in North America. Hot is the default. The machine doesn’t make the water hot though, it just takes hot water from your hot water tank. This means that there are two machines that are running at the same time. You have a hot water tank that is going to be boiling more water and the washing machine that is using the hot water that is being boiled. To use cold water, you typically have to select the cold wash setting on most washers here in North America. In this case, it just takes water from the tap instead of the hot water tank.
Some washing machines do also have the ability to heat water above 60°C for sterilisation purposes, as most domestic hot water heaters only do 40-50°C.
We don’t pour water into our washing machines, we hook them up to plumbing (one to the source water from the mains and one from the water heater, plus one output to the sewage or gray water).
I see, we don’t have water heaters, we had one at some point but it was plugged only to the shower, I don’t know if it broke or if it wasn’t cost effctive but we stopped using it ever since.
Washing machines do have a hoose to input water btw
These days, lots of detergents actually work better in cold water. They contain enzymes for dissolving e.g. blood stains, and those enzymes are typically proteins, which fall apart when heated too much. Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe (most?) proteins fall apart around 42°C. This might be simplifying far too much.
But yeah, basically you want to generally wash at 30°C.
By reading the comments, TIL that some people wash clothes with warm water. I have never even seen a washing machine that warms water.
I have never seen a washing machine that doesn’t let you set the temperature first (between 30-90°C). I’m living in the EU.
The vast majority of washing machines do both hot and cold, at least in North America. Hot is the default. The machine doesn’t make the water hot though, it just takes hot water from your hot water tank. This means that there are two machines that are running at the same time. You have a hot water tank that is going to be boiling more water and the washing machine that is using the hot water that is being boiled. To use cold water, you typically have to select the cold wash setting on most washers here in North America. In this case, it just takes water from the tap instead of the hot water tank.
Some washing machines do also have the ability to heat water above 60°C for sterilisation purposes, as most domestic hot water heaters only do 40-50°C.
Where do you even live?
They don’t usually have heating elements, they have hot water hookups and mix the two to achieve a certain temperature.
For real?
Same here, Mexico, no washing machine we ever had fiddles with temperature, and warming your water somethere else and then pouring it would be a pain
We don’t pour water into our washing machines, we hook them up to plumbing (one to the source water from the mains and one from the water heater, plus one output to the sewage or gray water).
I see, we don’t have water heaters, we had one at some point but it was plugged only to the shower, I don’t know if it broke or if it wasn’t cost effctive but we stopped using it ever since.
Washing machines do have a hoose to input water btw
These days, lots of detergents actually work better in cold water. They contain enzymes for dissolving e.g. blood stains, and those enzymes are typically proteins, which fall apart when heated too much. Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe (most?) proteins fall apart around 42°C. This might be simplifying far too much.
But yeah, basically you want to generally wash at 30°C.