How cold should water be when I'm washing something?

I'm doing a science experiment on removing stains on a t-shirt. I need to have an exact temperature for the water. Does anyone know how cold the water should be?How cold should water be when I'm washing something?
I would say between 35 to 65 degrees would be considered cold. That gives you a thirty degree range to work with. That is above freezing and below an average room temperature. Use a temp. right in the middle for your experiment of about 50 degrees.


When it says to remove stain in cold water, it is because warm or hot will set the stain. Fifty degree water is cold water and should not set the stain.How cold should water be when I'm washing something?
Do you know what type stains they are?





Different stains require different temperatures of water for effective stain removal. For instance, hot water is recommended for removing grass stains. But cold water only is recommended for removing blood stains.





There are websites which give more complete information regarding the proper water temperature for removing different types of stains. I've linked a few below.





Once you've deteremined what type stains you have and what temperature water to use, then you will need to know the approximate temperature of the water you use in treating and washing the t-shirt.





Assuming the t-shirt is washed in a washing machine, do you have the owner's manual for the washer? If so, it may tell what temps the cold, warm, and hot settings give.





IIRC, washing temperatures less than 60 - 65 degrees Fahrenheit are considered ineffective in cleaning clothes. I believe 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit is a 'cold' setting on a washing machine -- that warm temps would be 80-100 degrees Fahrenheit, and that hot water temps are 100-120. A temp of at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit is recommended for killing bacteria / sanitizing clothes.





If the t-shirt is handwashed, you can use an aquarium thermometer to determine the temperature of the water.





Hope this helps!
Hot water is 130 degrees Farenheit (54.4 Celsius) or above. Warm water is between 110 and 90 degrees Farenheit ( 43.3-32.2 Celsius). Cold water is generally between 80 and 60 degrees Farenheit (26.7-15 Celsius). If cold water is below 60 degrees Farenheit (15 Celsius), clothes are unlikely to be cleaned very well.
I only use cold water if it's wool, silk, rayon, or had idigo dye. I oppose washing instructions and use warm because it cleans better. I haven't really had any problems. It seems that dryer heat is what damages fabrics the most. I take chances, though.