When Is It Bad Luck to Wash Clothes?

There are many things unique to every culture, and there is still a lot to learn. Superstitions, beliefs, and so much more than make up a whole. In every area, there are superstitions related to laundry.

When you are somewhere new, it can come in handy to know, “When is it bad luck to wash clothes?”

No Laundry Days

Within the whole year, there are days when it’s believed that washing your clothes brings bad luck. While washing the clothes is something as ordinary as cleaning the house, many people still believe that there are specific days when you can’t.

And like any other superstitions, there are no scientific explanations for these, yet everybody still seems to believe that they can’t and proceed to follow it every year. Here are days when you can’t wash your clothes.

New Year’s day

New year’s day is the day where many superstitions are emphasized and followed. One of these is, of course, ‘no laundry day’ This superstition is not merely because ‘it’s the holidays, I’m excused from housework.’ The explanation behind this is varied.

Sabbath

Depending on the person’s belief, they could avoid chores on either Saturdays or Sundays, all according to ‘when’ is the Sabbath day. It is said that this day is a day for rest, just like what God exemplified when he created everything.

Good Friday

Catholics believe that freeing yourself from any task and chores this day will prevent bad luck from coming to you. This belief was from the history of Christ on his journey to crucifixion. It is said that a wet garment was slapped on his face.

Tuesdays and Fridays (in some places)

In other parts of the world, specifically Bosnia, you should not wash your clothes these days as it can cause you bad luck and, in worst-case scenarios, can even open a doorway or a portal to hell.

It’s quite an intense consequence for just washing your clothes, but this superstition still exists because many people are still practicing it.

Thursday (In some places)

Again, some people do not wash their clothes on Thursday because it’s said to cause bad karma.

Chinese New Year

In Chinese New Year, the first two days are sacred for the Chinese people. It is said that these days are the days when their water god was born. And so, chores that include water are a no-no as these actions are said to offend the water god.

No Laundry During New Year’s

Despite your place, there are beliefs and superstitions of what are “okay” and “not okay” to do. One of the very widely observed superstitious beliefs is where you can’t do your laundry during New Year’s.

The question is, why? Is there any reason or stories behind it at all? There are multiple “reasons” for not washing clothes during New year’s day.

One of them is how the importance of the first day of the year is emphasized. When you do chores on the first day of the year, it is said that you will be doing it more than usual for the rest of the year.

This is why people are inclined to avoid chores during the first day of the year to avoid working a lot in the year.

Another belief for this superstition is that washing your clothes means washing a loved one ‘away.’ It’s a dark superstition. So many people tend to get ‘scared’ of this being accurate, so they refuse to wash clothes on New Year’s Day.

One more thing about washing in general, whether clothes or dishes, is that doing this symbolizes washing your good luck away.

History of this superstition

There is no specific root to this superstition. Perhaps, it has been around for the longest time that it got stuck and is still practiced today.

There are a lot of superstitions existing around the world and what is interesting about these is that they are alive because people follow them.

Thus, they have been existing, and they are more likely to continue existing as time passes and as long as people around the world track them.

Laundry Resolutions for The New Year

As you start the new year, you might want many changes to happen to improve your life in the coming year further. Your list might include many different things that you would like to achieve within the year.

It can consist of your goals and aspirations, or it can be as simple as having a smooth and pleasant laundry life in the months to come. Here are some resolutions you can try.

• Create a schedule – Of course, nothing is predictable in life. It’s always full of surprises. However, you can still make plans for your laundry days. This way, you won’t have to spend so much time thinking about whether you should attend a friend’s party or do your laundry just because you need to. Plot it and make sure that you follow through with it as much as possible.
• Stains should go immediately – When you encounter your clothes being stained, you must wash them immediately, even if it does not follow your laundry schedule. Stains can further set and become more challenging to get rid of if you leave them untreated for a long time. If you read stain removal tips, it would always tell you that time is paramount, and you would need to get rid of the stain as soon as possible.
• Boost your washing session – You can boost your washing session using baking soda and white vinegar. You can mix this with a smaller detergent to boost washing performance
• Remember to clean your washer – Even though your washer is a machine for cleaning, it can also accumulate dirt over time, so it’s essential to clean it regularly.
• Don’t let them pile up – Once you are done washing your clothes, it’s important to fold or hang them up immediately and store them in their proper storage area.
• Be neat – These steps are all to pursue cleanliness. Be keen on washing, arranging, and storing them for a better laundry year.

Avoiding The Need For Laundry During New Year’s Day

If you happen to follow these superstitions, you will know how to avoid having a lot of dirty clothes during New Year’s Day.

This might be simple math, but it’s essential to make a sort of plan in doing these things to make sure that you are meeting the new year with clean things and with no work due on the first day or even the second day of the year.

People even do not wash their clothes from Christmas Eve until the new year. The key to this is time management and having a good laundry pattern during the holidays.

Wash before the d-day

It’s the holidays, but it’s not a no-laundry day when you have your laundry basket complete. If you keep them in your basket for days, you may run out of clothes to wear, even during New Year’s Day.

If you have the time, you can wash your dirty clothes after Christmas and before New Year’s eve. You can wash between December 27th and the 29th to avoid cramming.

Fold it up like rent is due.

As soon as your clothes get dry, fold them up and don’t leave them stuck in a pile somewhere in your house. Starting your year with a neat and clean home is indeed lovely.

Use your washer

To wash quickly, it would be helpful to use your washer and other equipment to improve and shorten your washing time.

Cleaning Superstitions Around the World

• Europe – Spilling salt is bad luck as it is a precious ingredient.
• Brazil – In Brazil, sweeping over somebody’s feet is terrible luck. If somebody uses a broom and sweeps over your feet, you will be single forever. Also, it is said that you would die a spinster. In their culture, they have a way to reverse this. To reverse the “spell,” you would need to spit on the broom immediately and as soon as it happens.
• Russia – No taking the trash outside. This is to avoid evil spirits from roaming freely. You can’t take out the garbage after sunset. The spirits can allegedly use the garbages from your household in conducting their rituals.
• Malaysia – Broom storage is essential. According to their culture, when you are not using your broom, it shouldn’t touch the ground, or else it’s believed to sweep the household’s good luck away. On the other hand, getting the brooms overlapping and stacked is believed to eventually cause disagreements and chaos in the family.

Summary

Knowing the answer to the question “When is it bad luck to wash clothes?” may seem like a trivial fact.

However, when you learn about one’s culture, it’s interesting to learn about their superstitions and dynamics about “good and bad luck” On the other hand, if you believe and follow these things, then the learning journey will be worth it.