What water temperature is best for washing clothes to remove dirt?

What water temperature is best for washing clothes to remove dirt?

What water temperature is best for washing clothes to remove dirt?

The clothes you need to be pre-washed at home. When pre-washing, you can soak it simply in water or add detergent. The purpose is to allow water to fully soak the clothes. After the water penetrates deep into the fabric fiber, the water-soluble dirt can be dissolved, thereby reducing the amount of detergent and enhancing the cleaning efficiency. There is a process for dissolution of

dirt, which requires a period of soaking time, but the longer the soaking time, the better. If the time is too long, the dissolved dirt may contaminate the clothes again, which will reduce the pre-washing effect and will not even be cleaned. Many people have this experience: even if any dirty clothes that have been soaked for a long time have a strange smell.

In addition, the materials of the clothes we wash are different. In addition to natural fibers such as silk, wool, cotton, linen, etc., the use of chemical fibers or synthetic fibers is also very common. Not only will natural fibers denaturate and shrink, but some chemical fibers will also undergo this change. Among them, the more obvious examples are acetate fibers and acrylic fibers. This change is more likely to occur in water containing weakly alkaline detergents. Therefore, it is generally believed that before mechanical washing, it is enough to soak the clothes for 20-30 minutes.

The water temperature of washing clothes is not as hot as possible. We often use various enzyme-containing laundry detergents, among which the enzyme preparations are mainly alkaline proteases and alkaline lipases. Alkaline proteases are used to decompose protein-based dirt, such as sweat stains, blood stains, etc. Alkaline lipase mainly acts on fatty acids and their esters, which is what we usually refer to as oily dirt. The activity level of the two enzymes is related to the temperature, and about 40°C is the most suitable. Too high or too low temperatures can reduce the activity of the enzyme.

Secondly, proteins have a denatrative effect. Its distinctive feature is that the protein solidifies and the solubility is significantly reduced. An example of the solidification of the egg after it is cooked is an example. One of the conditions that cause degeneration is high temperature. The same goes for protein dirt on clothing. Therefore, if the water temperature is too high during washing, they will denature and solidify on the fabric fibers, making it more difficult to wash.