When cleaning & washing things, how important is it to use hot water, as opposed to cold or warm?

Does HOT water REALLY help kill more germs, when cleaning around the house?When cleaning %26amp; washing things, how important is it to use hot water, as opposed to cold or warm?
With some of new Washing Detergents, like the new Tide that I bought it is made especially for use in cold water. It save you money and works just as well in cold water. You just have to read the directions on the products before you read them. I also buy the new Clorox Green Works Cleaning products that are all natural and you don't have to use hot water with them and they have anti baterial cleaners in them.


Peace %26amp; Love :)When cleaning %26amp; washing things, how important is it to use hot water, as opposed to cold or warm?
Hot water dissolves grease whether it's on dishes or bed linens or clothing. :) I've lived with people who use cold water for everything and it's pretty disgusting. Even the washing machine gets a ring around the inside where the body oils cling to the drum itself.





One roommate (sister-in-law with biiiiig issues) refuses to wash her bedsheets - says she's ';not done using them'; whatever that could mean. It's going on three years now and the smell wafts out of her room (she won't close her door) and into the rest of the house. It's truly disgusting as well as unhealthy considering the human body sheds approximately one half pound of dead skin cells each year. Do the math and gag.





Common sense dictates that hot water is used to really clean things, but hot water will also fade some colored clothing, sheets and towels, so it's personal preference. BTW: I can always tell when people wash their clothings in cold water, there's a certain smell to items with trapped grease and body oil. Yes, I am a stickler for clean! :D





UPDATE BELOW: 1.5 pounds per year per person, approximation. Source cited below.
The best thing to do general cleaning around the house is hot (not boiling) water and soap. And do it often. Just like washing your hands with soap and water is the best way to clean them.


Cold water doesn't cut grease very well so the warmer the water the better when cleaning greasy stuff.


Bleach is good to use if someone is ill as it will kill most germs but it is not necessary for general every day cleaning.


When washing clothing, the detergents used now days is very efficient with cold, hot, or warm water. It would depend on the dirtiness of the clothing. With the heavily soiled cottons probably becoming cleaner with hotter water.
I guess there's a differing of opinions here.....hot water doesn't kill germs at all. It takes something like clorox OR a water temperature held at the boiling point for 10 minutes to actually kill germs. I should know ~ my dad owned a creamery and it was my job to clean out the milk tanks and send a bacterial analysis over to the labs to make sure the tanks were sterilized property.





This is why moms used to boil their whites and diapers in the old days before clorox ~ it was the only way to disinfect those dirty clothes. This is also why home canners have to boil their canned produce for a certain period of time, and why extension officers recommend boiling counter-thawed food to ensure that surface bacteria has been killed.





The only purpose in using hot/warm water is that it allows the soap to work more efficiently at breaking through grease and grime, and wash those germs down the sink. That's it :)
When comes to cleaning dishes warm water is all that require but Bleach works best in killing germs so a little bit to some warm water and it helps





For cleaning whites.


I think HOT WATER works best remove dirt and tough stains.


but when comes to stains as soon it try to forms rinse out and it comes out usually without a problem with cold.
Yes definitely. You need to using some antibacterial cleaner otherwise. When washing dishes by hand then you must use the hottest water you can and that is why it is best to wear gloves.