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Water guidelines
Selecting water temperatures
WASH WATER
TEMPERATURE*
SUGGESTED FABRICS
COMMENTS
HOT
l Work clothes
130°F (54°C)
or above
l Sturdy whites/colorfast
pastels
l DiaDers
1 WARM**
90”-110°F
1 (32”-44°C)
I
l Dark/noncolorfast colors
l Permanent press items
l Nylon, polyester,
acrylics, silks, woolens
l Knits/delicate fabrics
l Best cleaning for heavily soiled items
l Removes oils, perspiration,
greasy soils, and stains
l Prevents graying or yellowing
l Best for moderately soiled to lightly
soiled items
l Safe for most fabric finishes
l Less fading and dye bleeding
l Reduces wrinkling
COLD
70”-90°F
(21”-32°C)
l Extra-sensitive colors
l Noncolorfast items
l Hand washables
l Best for very lightly soiled items
l Saves hot water
l Best rinse water temperature
’ Your washer features cold rinses for all wash temperatures. In addition, on some models,
warm rinses are available with warm 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.
‘* In colder climates, incoming water is much colder. In this case, better results occur when
using a warm temperature setting.
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.
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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
137 parts/million, you should consider:
l Installing a water softener.
l Using more detergent.
l Using a packaged water conditioner.
l Not using soap.