Should You Really Wash Cotton in Hot Water? We Asked Laundry Pros

A hot water cycle helps brighten garments, kill bacteria, and remove stains and odors. While these are excellent benefits, not all fabrics can be washed in hot water, as it can cause shrinkage and dyes to bleed. To find out whether or not it’s safe to wash cotton in hot water, we went directly to the pros and asked laundry experts to give us their take.

Below, they share which garments can be washed in hot water as well as tips for using the hot water cycle on your laundry appliance.

Can You Wash Cotton in Hot Water?

Mary Gagliardi, Clorox’s in-house scientist, explains that cotton is a natural cellulosic fiber with strong resistance to high heat from laundering, ironing, or sterilization.

While generally speaking the answer is yes, you can wash cotton in hot water, the experts say there’s more to it, including the yarn and fabric construction as well as how the fabric is dyed or printed.

“While it can technically handle hotter temperatures, I wouldn’t recommend washing cotton in hot water unless the care label specifically says so,” says Frej Lewenhaupt, co-founder and chief product officer at Steamery.

He explains that cotton is a natural fiber, which means that, like most natural materials, it can shrink when exposed to high heat and moisture. For this reason, Lewenhaupt recommends washing cotton garments in warm water (30°C/86°F) on a gentle cycle for best results.

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Clothing Items You Can Wash in Hot Water

The quality of cotton varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, which is why you should always check an item’s care tag for specific wash cycle directions. In general, Gagliardi says white fabrics have the most potential to be washed in hot water.

The laundry expert explains that tightly woven fabrics that are made with high-twist yarns possess good dimensional stability in hotter temperatures, while loosely twisted yarns and knit fabric construction shrink more easily unless they have been pre-shrunk during production. The following items can typically be washed in hot water, but be sure to check the care tags to be sure.

• White fabrics
• T-shirts
• Socks
• Underwear
• Dress shirts

Tips for Washing Clothes in Hot Water

Do a Quick Colorfastness Test First

To test whether or not it’s safe to wash cotton in hot water, Gagliardi recommends doing a quick test.

“It’s a good idea to check an item with color for general colorfastness by handwashing it first with a small amount of laundry detergent, gradually increasing the water temperature to see if warmer water causes any dye to bleed off,” Gagliardi says.

The expert notes that some garments stop losing dye after a few washes, while others never stop dye-bleeding, which is why sorting your laundry into like-color groups is essential.

Check the Care Tag

Before you wash cotton in hot water, check the item’s care tag to see whether it is 100% cotton or whether it’s a blend. Gagliardi points out that many cotton items are blended with polyester or spandex, and while they can still be washed in hot water (50°C/122°F), a lower ironing temperature may be required.

Air Dry Cotton Instead of Using the Dryer

Gagliardi says that air drying laundry rather than using a dryer is an effective way to pair with hot water washing, as it helps preserve clothing colors, particularly on screen-printed t-shirts.

She adds that air drying can also prevent the shrinkage that can happen in a hot dryer.

Find Out the Temperature of Your Washer’s Hot Water Cycle

Before you select a hot or warm water cycle on your washing machine, find out how high the temperature of the water actually is.

“Depending on the location of your hot water heater and how much water your washer uses, your washer may finish filling with water before very much hot water is delivered to the washer, resulting in cooler wash temperatures than you think,” Gagliardi says.

If you have a top-loading appliance, the expert suggests pausing the washer mid-cycle and opening the door, then using an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the water. If you find out that the hot water setting is actually closer to warm and the warm setting is closer to cold, Gagliardi suggests selecting a higher temperature for better results.

She adds that if you want truly hot water and have a laundry sink near the washer, you can run the hot water line and collect the water in a bucket to use elsewhere in your home or backyard, until it’s hot, and then start the washer.