Most regular white clothes can tolerate warm — but not high — heat. Check your care tags to set a temperature your entire load can tolerate. When in doubt, go with a cool or cold water wash. For light wear and grime, your standard detergent will do just fine.
How do you wash white clothes?
Wash whites separately. The best way to retain whiteness is to launder white items together in the hottest water the fabric will tolerate (water that is at least 120 degrees is most effective at removing soil). Choose detergent with a bleach alternative and/or enzymes, using the maximum amount recommended.
Does warm or hot water shrink clothes?
“Both hot and warm water may cause certain fabrics to fade or shrink,” she notes. “However, hot water shrinks items to their maximum shrinkage capacity after one wash, whereas warm water will shrink them more gradually over multiple washes.”
