One wash setting does not fit every fabric. Cotton can take heat, wool shrinks in it, and silk needs a gentle touch. This guide explains how to wash the most common fabrics so your clothes last longer, keep their shape, and come out clean.
First, read the care label
The care label always wins. If the label says 30C and the fabric would normally wash at 40C, wash at 30C. Labels are written for that exact garment, including its dyes, trims, and finish. When in doubt, choose the colder, gentler option.
Step-by-step: wash by fabric type
- Sort by fabric and color. Separate cottons, synthetics, wool, and silk, and keep darks, lights, and whites apart. Sorting is the single best way to prevent damage and color transfer.
- Cotton: warm is usually fine. Wash cotton T-shirts, sheets, and towels at 30C to 40C for everyday loads, and 60C only for heavily soiled whites or bedding when the label allows it. Cotton can shrink slightly at high heat, so avoid very hot water for new items.
- Polyester and other synthetics: cool and short. Wash at 30C on a normal or synthetic cycle. Synthetics dry quickly, hold odors, and can melt or crease at high temperatures, so skip hot water and high dryer heat.
- Wool: cold and gentle. Use cold water and a wool or hand-wash cycle with a wool-safe detergent. Never use hot water or a fast spin, which cause felting and shrinkage. Reshape while damp and dry flat.
- Silk: cold and delicate. Hand wash silk in cold water with a gentle detergent, or use a delicate cold cycle in a mesh bag. Do not wring silk; roll it in a clean towel to remove water, then air-dry away from direct sun.
- Mixed fabrics: follow the most delicate fiber. A cotton-polyester blend can usually wash at 30C to 40C, but a blend with wool or silk should be treated like wool or silk.
- Dry correctly. Line-dry wool and silk, tumble-dry cotton and synthetics on low if the label allows it, and always check that stains are gone before using a dryer.
Quick temperature guide
- Cold wash: wool, silk, delicates, and bright colors.
- 30C: most everyday loads, synthetics, and mixed fabrics.
- 40C: cotton, towels, and moderately soiled clothes.
- 60C: heavily soiled cotton whites and bedding, only when the label allows it.
Unsure which temperature to choose for a specific item? Try our Laundry Temperature Guide and check the care label first.