Why should you wash at 30 degrees instead of 40 degrees?

1) 30°C is more than enough...

...to eliminate most viruses and bacteria: this study shows that more than 99.99% of enveloped viruses are inactivated by washing textiles at 20 °C. Non-enveloped viruses, on the other hand, are inactivated by washing at 30 °C with a disinfectant detergent.

But sometimes bad odors really set in, and you want to kill the bacteria causing them: in that case, washing at 40°C won't do the trick—you'll need to wash at at least 60°C instead. However, we recommend using a disinfectant such as white vinegar or Sanytol.

2) At 40°C, your clothes fade much more

Washing at too high a temperature can cause your clothes to fade: for example, this study shows that color loss is significantly greater during an 85-minute wash cycle at 40°C than during a quick cold cycle. And if you want to see this for yourself, check out this Instagram video that compares the fading of fabric washed at different temperatures.

3) At 40°C, it's less eco-friendly and more expensive

A wash cycle at 40°C uses 30% more electricity than one at 30° (according to this study).

In short, there's no longer any reason to wash at 40°C!