The American Cleaning Institute (ACI), in conjunction with The Sustainability Consortium (TSC), is launching the “Cold Water Saves” Campaign on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC from November 9 to 11. The campaign will educate students on the benefits of laundering their clothing in cold water.
 
“Cold water laundering is good for your clothes, good for the Earth, and good for your wallet,” says Nancy Bock, ACI Senior Vice President, Education. “Many people don’t realize that they can effectively launder most of their clothing and fabrics in cold water.”
 
Research conducted in 2015 for the American Cleaning Institute by research firm YouGov found that 57 percent of college students had not previously heard specific messaging about the benefits of cold water washing. And after hearing about those benefits, that same survey showed 63 percent of students would be somewhat or much more likely to launder using cold water in the future.
 
NC State was chosen as the first university to participate in the Cold Water Saves Campaign, which will use multi-media outreach efforts in and around campus to raise students’ awareness about what cold water washing can do for their clothes and the planet.
 
The campaign kicks-off on the NC State campus Brickyard November 9, Talley Student Union on November 10 and Wolf Plaza on November 11, when students can learn how they can “be bold and go cold.”
 
Students can even win $250 by participating in the Cold Water Saves Campaign Contest. Details about the contest – and great information on cold water laundering – can be found online at coldwatersaves.org.
 
Before doing the laundry, always check your fabric care labels, said ACI’s Nancy Bock.
 
“You will see that many of those labels specify the fabric should be washed in cool or cold water. This is because cold water can be gentler on your clothes, and can help protect them from fading, shrinking or bleeding. With cold water you can wash larger, unsorted loads without fear of tie-dying everything you own.”