How to make your clothes last longer — the science says to use this wash cycle

We all want to care for our clothes in the best way to extend their life, but if you're not careful when choosing your settings, you could end up doing more harm than good.

According to scientists at the University of Leeds in the U.K., along with detergent giant Procter & Gamble, it’s all down to selecting the right wash cycle to protect your garments.

In the research, the effects of washing activewear t-shirts at different temperatures and times on color loss, color transfer, and microfiber release were evaluated, with the results published in the research paper.

The facts show that the best way to make your clothes last longer is to wash them fast and cold.

The best wash cycle to extend the life of your clothes

Researchers discovered that a 30-minute wash cycle at 25°C / 77°F kept colors brighter and reduced dye transfer by up to 74%. What’s more, microfiber loss was almost halved compared to garments that were washed at 40°C ( 104°F, during a longer 85-minute cycle.

These results reveal that reducing the time and temperature during a wash cycle will significantly extend garment life, reduce microfiber release into the environment, and save energy and resources.

The research also discovered that the rate of dye desorption — when dye molecules are released from the fabric — increases significantly between 20°C / 68°F and 40°C / 104°F and that more color loss occurs in ‘warmer-longer’ wash cycles than ‘cold-quick’ cycles.

So, garments washed at higher temperatures on longer wash cycles will fade more than those laundered at lower temperatures, on shorter cycles.

Another interesting fact that came out of the study pertains to microfiber. You might assume that microfiber loss reduces after the first few washes. However, the research found that microfiber release was still significant after 16 washes.

How to save your clothing and the planet

The cost of laundering garments significantly impacts energy consumption and carbon emissions, and the report highlights that reducing time and temperature can play a big role in reducing this effect. And the report states, “Washing clothing at 30 °C [86°F] rather than 40 °C [104°F] saves approximately 40% of the energy used per load, and washing at 20 °C [68°F] instead of 40 °C [104°F] saves approximately 66% of the energy used per load.”

But apart from saving energy and reducing the amount of microfibers released during each wash, reducing the temperature and wash time will extend the life of your clothes — and that’s another environmental benefit.

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