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Water Guidelines
Selecting water temperatures
WASH WATER
TEMPERATURE* SUGGESTED FABRICS
COMMENTS
HOT
130°F (54°C)
or above
WARM
90” - 110°F
(32” - 44°C)
l Work clothes
l Best cleaning for heavily soiled items
l Sturdy whites/colorfast
l Removes oils, perspiration, greasy
pastels
soils, and stains
l Diapers
l Prevents graying or yellowing
l Dark/noncolorfast colors
l Best for lightly soiled to moderately
l Permanent press items
soiled items
l Nylon, polyester, acrylics,
l Safe for most fabric finishes
silks, woolens
l Less fading and dye bleeding
l Knits/delicate fabrics
l Reduces wrinkling
l Best for very lightly soiled items
l Saves hot water
l Best rinse water temperature
COLD l Extra-sensitive colors
70” - 90°F
l Noncolorfast items
(21 o - 32°C)
l Hand washables
* The washer features cold rinses for all wash temperatures. In addition, warm rinses are
available with hot washes. Warm rinse water provides better water extraction than cold rinse
water, but may increase wrinkling when line drying. In cold climates, warm rinse water also
provides a more comfortable temperature for handling the wash load.
Checking hot water
temperature
Your hot water should be 130°F (54°C) or
above. If you do not know your hot water
temperature, you can check it easily. You
may need to raise the temperature of your
water heater. To check your hot water:
1. Fill a pan with the hottest water available
from the faucet that fills your washer.
NOTE: If you do not have a faucet at your
washer site, collect the water from the
faucet closest to your washer.
2. Place a candy thermometer or cooking
thermometer in the water to check the
temperature.
NOTE: In wash water temperatures colder
than 70°F (21 “C), detergents do not dissolve
well. Also, soils may be difficult to remove,
and some fabrics may retain wear wrinkles
and may have increased pilling.
Water hardness
Many poor washing results can be traced to
the hardness of the wash water. To check
your water hardness:
l City water - ask the city water company.
l Well water - ask the local water authority.
Ask for the mineral content in grains/gallon
or parts/million. If your water is more than
8 grains/gallon or more than 153 parts/
million, you should consider:
l Installing a water softener.
l Using more detergent.
l Using a packaged water conditioner.
l Not using soap.
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