Why you shouldn't wash laundry at 40 degrees

Created: 02/12/2022, 15:15

By: Sophia Lother

There are many reasons against washing at 40 degrees Celsius.

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In most cases, washing at 40 degrees Celsius is not only a waste of money, but also completely pointless.

Kassel – In times of rising electricity and energy prices, many consumers save wherever they can.

There are also some power guzzlers in the household that it is better to avoid.

However, many make a big mistake when washing.

Because: All too often, a washing temperature of 40 degrees Celsius is still used.

Here is an overview of why this is problematic and why consumers should change their washing habits:

Do not wash laundry at 40 degrees: consumer center advises low temperatures

Even the consumer advice center urgently advises: Many "parts don't need it hot".

This includes the following items of clothing, which can also be cleaned at temperatures below 30 degrees:

• blouses

• shirts

• t shirts

• pullover

• Pants

The background:

Heating up when washing consumes the most energy.

In addition, today's detergents work much more efficiently.

According to the consumer advice center, many already develop their full power at 20 degrees Celsius.

If you also treat heavier soiling with gall soap, many stains disappear even at significantly lower temperatures than 40 degrees.

In many cases, higher temperatures are not only pointless, they are also really expensive.

Do not wash laundry at 40 degrees: You can save energy with these tricks

There are other tips and tricks for saving money when doing laundry.

The Eco program saves around 50 percent in energy.

The short wash program, on the other hand, should be avoided because: With the short wash program, higher temperatures or more rotations are often required to get the laundry reasonably clean.

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Of course, there are also some cases where laundry should be washed at higher temperatures.

After contagious diseases and allergies, for example, higher washing temperatures between 60 and 90 degrees Celsius should be used, explains the Federal Environment Agency.

In order to reduce the growth of germs in the washing machine, it should also run once a month at 60 degrees Celsius.

40 degrees is simply not enough in these cases.

(slo)