Question: What do Australia, Singapore and Japan have in common? Answer: All of these countries prefer to wash their laundry in cold water. In fact, you'd struggle to get your hands on a washing machine that allowed you to use hot water at all in Japan.
Cold-water washing might be a step too far for British households, but as the cost of living crisis takes hold in the UK, many families are looking at ways to save cash whichever way they can, and the vexed question of whether colder water is suitable for laundry is being debated on a lot of internet money-saving forums.
Detergent manufacturers have been trying to persuade us to wash at lower temperatures for a while now, although the emphasis has mostly been on saving the environment rather than saving money. But of course, less energy to heat water means lower bills.
