Studies show that nearly 80% of people believe that they should be cleaning
with hot water versus cleaning with cold water. Of course,
hot water helps kills bacteria. But is that enough? Well, that depends. It all comes down to which type of task you are working on. Some household cleaning tasks actually call for cold water instead of hot water in order to produce the desired results.
Chemicals
When it comes to diluting a chemical solution such as bleach or a multi-surface cleaner you should be using cold water. Why cold water? Because hot water will break down the solution preventing it from doing what you need it to do. You might think you need to use hot water to help the chemicals work better but if you use hot water you are actually stopping the chemical from doing what it’s supposed to do.
Dishes
You should be cleaning your dishes with hot water. In fact, you should let them soak in hot water with dish soap for at least 5 minutes before washing to ensure a proper cleaning. Washing your dishes with hot water helps to kill the germs that lie in your dirty dishes. And in your sink for that matter. That being said, you should always spray your sink with surface cleaner, let it sit for 1 minute, and then rinse it off with hot water after each load of dishes you wash.
Laundry
Now here is where the tricky part comes in. When washing your laundry you can use either hot or cold water depending on the garments you have in the machine. If you’re trying to remove a stain or stench from a garment you want to wash it with cold water. Refrain from using hot water when washing these items as the hot water can push the stain deeper into the fabric instead of lifting it out like you want.
A regular load of laundry can be washed in either cold or warm water. Whites should be washed in cold water. And any sheets, blanket, and towels can be cleaned in hot water.
Floors
Nine times out of ten the same cleaner that goes on the countertops also gets used as a floor cleaner. Hence the name multi-surface cleaner. So the same principle applies for diluting the solution, use cold water. The best thing you can use to clean your floors is cold water and vinegar. Cleaning vinegar is safe for all floors (except marble or stone floors). It helps keep them clean, prevents them from getting sticky, and kills any bacteria harboring there.
Fun Fact: Did you know that cleaning with hot water accounts for 10-15% of your energy bill? The more you know!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does using hot or cold water really matter when my cleaning service cleans my home?
Yes, water temperature makes a big difference! When you book a maid service NYC, the cleaning crew uses hot water for greasy kitchen surfaces, bathrooms, and floors because it breaks down oils and kills more germs. Cold water works better for windows, mirrors, and certain delicate surfaces to prevent streaking and damage.
At Maid Sailors, our trained employees know exactly when to use each temperature based on years of hands-on experience. We bring all our own professional-grade cleaning supplies, so you never have to worry about having the right products or equipment. As one client shared in their Google review, “They were very thorough and paid attention to detail. My apartment has never looked better!”
The real advantage of working with us is our concierge-style approach. During your cleaning, you can text or call to let us know if you want extra attention on specific areas—like asking our crew to use hot water treatment on your oven or stovetop if it needs extra degreasing power. Our cleaners adjust their approach in real-time based on what your home needs that day. This flexibility, combined with our 100% satisfaction guarantee, means we’ll always come back free of charge if any area doesn’t meet your standards. That’s the difference between hiring trained employees who understand cleaning science versus just hoping for the best.
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