Low Temperature Washing – Challenges and Advantages

David Grandeau / Esther Lansdaal / Dr A Jane Mathews / Sandra Friis-Jensen
Solvay / Corbion / Lubrizol Life Science / Novozymes

Does low-temp/cold washing kill germs?

David Grandeau, 
Marketing & Business Development Manager, Home Care, Solvay:
We believe that maintaining hygiene in changing washing conditions is one of the major current market needs. In one hand, consumers are becoming more and more sensitive to germ/bacteria-related claims, while in another hand washing conditions are getting milder and milder. There is a basic understanding that hot water and detergent combined is a great way to tackle hygiene. Hot water will help to remove germ-hosting stains such as grease, while an activated bleach system will contribute to disinfecting. Going to lower temperatures (<30°C) is where the challenge begins, and maintaining good hygiene conditions is a field plenty of opportunities for the industry. It offers the possibility to re-visit detergent formulations and chassis, to formulate smarter, to be more powerful, but also it offers the possibility to re-visit the category, with new products to boost germ-killing (e.g. sanitizing sprays for laundry, etc.).

Esther Lansdaal, 
Application Specialist HPC Corbion: 
Germs generally survive at temperatures below 50ŻC, unless some sort of alkaline, acid or biocidal component is added.

Dr A Jane Mathews, 
Technical Manager Lubrizol Life Science, Home:
In the absence of thermal disinfection being delivered by a hot temperature wash cycle, the detergent formula and mechanical action will deliver some removal of bacteria under cold wash conditions (20°C) but effective germ kill can only be attained if a broad spectrum biocide is present within the detergent formula. In powder laundry detergents this can be achieved by inclusion of an activated bleach system based on Sodium percarbonate (PCS) and tetraacetylethylene diamine (TAED). Broad spectrum biocidal activity is delivered by peracetic acid which is formed from the reaction of PCS and TAED within the laundry wash cycle. The presence of peracetic acid ensures both washed fabrics and the washing machine is hygienically clean and a high level of germ kill is attained during the wash cycle. Ineffective hygiene in washing machines can be clearly seen by the visible formation of biofilm around rubber seals, in dispensing drawers and in the sump of a machine. These unslightly deposits can cross contaminate to laundry during the wash cycle and also cause odour in the machine. Odour on fabrics can also result through ineffective germ kill on fabrics as micro-organisms metabolise and emit odourous chemicals which can cling to fabrics. Synthetic fabrics are particularly prone to this effect. Currently bleach is not included in alkaline liquid detergents and alternative biocidal agents are included to deliver biocidal efficacy, such a diclosan. In summary, the detergent formulator needs to be mindful when formulating products for low temperature application to ensure effective hygiene is delivered as a key performance attribute alongside many of the traditional performance benefits such as stain removal and whitening. 

Sandra Friis-Jensen, 
Global Marketing Partner, Novozymes:
In general, when you do a load of lightly - or normally - soiled clothes and that there is no health issue in the family, low washing temperatures (30°) will do just fine. While the majority of laundry items can be adequately washed at low temperatures, some items do require laundry at higher temperatures. We advise consumers to follow the advice published by organizations like AISE.

What are the benefits/disadvantages of cold water detergents?

David Grandeau, 
Marketing & Business Development Manager, Home Care, Solvay:
A clear benefit of using cold water cycles is of course caring for the environment (low energy), but also on your own energy bill. However for example doing the laundry at low temperature is still until today a real challenge, especially in terms of degreasing. Marketing smarter and more performing systems to maintain performances at low temperature generates many opportunities for the industry. 

Finally, eventhough all the parties seem to push for lower temperature cycles, we haven’t witnessed big changes over the past years as the washing temperature still to be steady around 40°C. I believe there is room for improvement of eco cycles, which very often are at lower temperatures but higher time. Today’s customers want to save time, want things to be done fast and right. This is again an opportunity for the industry to work not only on low temperature cleaning systems, but also on systems that work fast, even in challenging conditions.

Esther Lansdaal, 
Application Specialist HPC Corbion: 
Cold water detergents help save energy costs, and they make it easier for fabrics and textiles to retain their colors and shapes. On the other hand, they tend not to clean as effectively, and can allow the growth of odor-causing biofilm inside washing machines; in fact, if cold water detergent is used on a regular basis, the washing machine should be cleaned every few weeks by running a 90ŻC wash load. Achieving effective cleaning in cold water requires the addition of enzymes and special detergents, which can be quite expensive, and sometimes more water is needed in order to achieve the same result.

Dr A Jane Mathews, 
Technical Manager Lubrizol Life Science, Home:
The benefits of cold water detergents are focused largely on the sustainability benefit of the energy savings which are delivered by washing at reduced temperatures. The disadvantages are focused on the potential need for new faster reacting raw materials, with rapid dissolution, which deliver no compromise in performance when formulated, compared to detergents formulated for use at higher washing temperatures. Increased cost of such new raw materials, or increased washing time for any detergent components to enable them to work, may be a consequence of the low temperature requirement but this is not ideal. Hence the development of new materials is now important to ensure detergent performance at low temperatures is not compromised and cost is acceptable. A second benefit is that some fabric / fibre blends which may be sensitive to damage by washing at higher temperatures may be effectively cleaned by newly designed cold water detergents and such sensitive textiles may be better cared for under these less aggressive conditions and last longer, which is a second sustainability benefit. The introduction of low washing temperatures stimulates innovation and initiates the development of new detergent technologies which may be more effective under lower wash temperatures for example enzymes may function more effectively at lower wash temperatures. This change in washing temperature presents challenges and opportunities throughout the supply chain from raw material suppliers, to detergent formulators and washing machine manufacturers.

Sandra Friis-Jensen, 
Global Marketing Partner, Novozymes:
Washing at the lowest possible temperature helps to cut down on CO2 emissions, save energy and help the environment. 

Washing on a cold and quick cycle also allows consumers to extend the life of their clothes. Thereęs simply less wear & tear on the clothes. 

As an example, if the life of 1 in 5 garments in Europe could be extended by just 10% per year, that would save enough carbon to power half a million homes annually (https://www.pgnewsroom.co.uk/press-release/uk-news-releases/ariel-lenors-long-live-fashion-formula-quadruples-life-clothes).

What are some strong markets for cold water/low temp washing and do you think it will replace regular detergents in the future?

David Grandeau, 
Marketing & Business Development Manager, Home Care, Solvay:
I can see consumer applications such as Laundry and Dishwashing being hit soon enough. We already see low temperature laundry detergents on the markets and consumers are furthermore aware of the benefit of lower temperature to maintain fabric integrity. Regarding dishwashing, the hygiene topic is very relevant when it comes to food contact, yet the challenge of findining robust low temperature cleaning agents is big.

Esther Lansdaal, 
Application Specialist HPC Corbion: 
House hold laundry market is the strong market for low temp. Industrial market will use high temperatures to get everything clean as they use a lot of white towels and sheets where you can see any stain on. 

Cold water washing will never replace high temperature washing entirely; there will always be the need to run a high temperature wash at least periodically in order eliminate the build-up of biofilm in the machine.

Dr A Jane Mathews, 
Technical Manager Lubrizol Life Science, Home:
Many global regions already undertake washing under cold wash conditions and in particular Asia is a key low temperature washing market but as the global economy becomes increasingly focused on delivering sustainability savings, traditional markets which have historically washed laundry at higher wash temperatures, such as W Europe, will shift to lower temperature washing. If cost effective formulation technologies are available for use in low temperature detergents which enable no compromise in performance then the consumer will likely accept this change.

Sandra Friis-Jensen, 
Global Marketing Partner, Novozymes:
In general, the washing temperature is lower in Southern Europe. More people wash at (20’C) + 30’C in Spain (& Italy) & to some degree France compared to Germany. 

In Novozymes, it’s our aim to deliver sustainable solutions by use of biology. 

We work together with all the biggest detergents brands in the world, and we see that sustainability is of increasingly importance to them. They seek to develop and market better performing and more sustainable detergents. So it’s more about a development of the detergents that we know today than a replacement.