We all have to do so many household chores every day. One of the important tasks among them is washing clothes. However, compared to some other household tasks, washing clothes is a rather easy task. You can’t really go wrong if you choose the appropriate setting!
Having said that, especially for large families, the laundry pile might occasionally feel endless. This implies that many of us wash our clothing virtually every day.
Even though it may appear rather safe, according to superstition, there are particular days that you should avoid washing clothes. Continue reading the article to know when it is considered bad luck to wash clothes so that you can avoid washing clothes on those days.
Days You Should Avoid Washing Clothes
There are several superstitions in different cultures and countries related to washing clothes. Many people still believe these superstitions and thus avoid doing laundry on those days. The following are the days that are believed to be bad luck to wash clothes as mentioned below:
- New Year’s Day
Superstition holds that washing clothes on New Year’s Day is bad luck. Some individuals even go without washing between Christmas and the New Year. Instead of superstition, it may be a case of using the justification that “I am on vacation” to excuse laziness.
The superstition’s origins are not entirely established. Generally speaking, people think that the water will wash away all of their luck for the year or even a loved one!
In addition to this, others claim that doing laundry portends a year of hard work. In either case, a surprising number of people feel it is best to avoid the danger by not washing clothes on New Year’s Day.
- Good Friday
Another day to avoid washing clothes is Good Friday. Many Catholics think that avoiding household tasks on this day will shield you from terrible omens.
Washing on this day has been cursed ever since it is reported that Christ was hit in the face with a wet robe on the route to his crucifixion! Furthermore, the same logic also applies to Easter Sunday.
- The Sabbath
You should also avoid washing clothes on the Sabbath. This implies that you should avoid doing any housework on Sunday (or Saturday, depending on your belief system), as many people consider it to be a day for family, rest, and church.
- Chinese New Year
According to Chinese New Year, the Water God celebrates his birthday over the first two days of the Chinese New Year. So it is considered that nobody needs to insult the Water God by doing their laundry on such days.
- Tuesdays and Fridays
According to a Bosnian belief, Washing your clothes on a Tuesday and a Friday is assumed to bring bad luck and could lead to a way to hell. There are so many severe repercussions from washing your clothes—apparently, you can never be too careful!
- Thursdays
Some cultures have a custom of not doing laundry on Thursdays because it is believed to bring bad karma. Hope it is not yet another entrance to hell!
In addition to this, people believe that clothes should not be washed on Thursdays as washing this day causes economic losses. It is thought that on this day, the housewife cleaned the wealth of the household with the soapy scum from the garments.
Why there is No Laundry During New Year’s?
There are ideas and superstitions about what is “okay” and “not okay” to do, no matter where you are. One of the superstitions that are quite often held is that it is bad luck to do your laundry on New Year’s.
Why is the issue at hand? Are there any explanations or tales behind it? There are numerous “excuses” for skipping doing laundry on January 1.
One of these is the emphasis placed on the significance of the first day of the year. It is thought that if you do your duties on January 1st, you will complete them more frequently throughout the year. This is the reason in order to avoid working a lot throughout the year, people are prone to postpone duties on January 1.
Another idea behind this superstition is that washing your clothes signifies “washing away” a close relative. It is a sinister belief. On New Year’s Day, many people choose not to wash their clothes because they are “frightened” that this is true.
Another thing about washing is that it represents throwing away good fortune. This goes for both laundry and dishes.
History Of The Superstition
This superstition has no clear origin. Perhaps because it has been around the longest, it has become established and is still used today.
There are many superstitions in existence today, and what’s amazing about them is that they still exist today because people still believe in them.
As a result, they have existed and are more likely to do so in the future as long as people continue to track them globally.
Some Laundry Resolutions For The New Year
You may want a lot of changes to occur once the new year begins in order to better improve your life. There may be a wide range of objectives on your list that you hope to accomplish this year.
It might be as basic as having a stress-free and enjoyable life doing laundry in the months to come, or it can include your ambitions and dreams. You can try the laundry resolutions listed below which will help you manage your washing schedule better:
- Create a schedule.
Of course, nothing in life can be predicted. There are constantly new surprises. You may still plan ahead for your washing days, though. You won’t have to waste as much time debating between going to a friend’s party and doing the laundry just because you have to. Plan it out and be sure to carry it out as much as you can.
- Stains must be removed right away.
Even if it doesn’t fit into your washing routine, you must wash your items right away if they become stained. If you wait a long time to remedy stains, they may further solidify and become harder to remove. If you read stain removal advice, it will always stress the importance of timing and the need for prompt stain removal.
- Improve your laundry routine.
Baking soda and white vinegar can help your washing process. This can be combined with less detergent to improve washing efficiency.
- Do not forget to clean your washer.
Although your washer is a cleaning device, it can also gather dirt over time, therefore it’s important to clean it frequently.
- Keep them from piling up.
When you finish washing your clothing, it’s critical to quickly fold or hang them up and place them in the correct storage location.
- Be Neat.
All of these actions aim to promote cleanliness. For a better laundry year, pay close attention to how you wash, organize, and store them.
How can you avoid the need for laundry during New Year’s Day?
These superstitions will help you avoid having a lot of filthy clothes on New Year’s Day if you choose to adhere to them. It may seem like basic maths, but it’s important to arrange these tasks so that you may start the new year with a clean slate and no work that needs to be done on the first or even second day of the year.
On Christmas Eve and throughout the new year, people even refrain from washing their clothes. Time management and maintaining a regular laundry schedule throughout the holidays are the keys to success here.
Here are some things that you can apply to avoid doing the need of laundry during New Year’s Day:
- Wash Before D-Day
Even if it is the holidays, if your laundry basket is full, it is not a no-laundry day. Even on New Year’s Day, if you store them in your basket for days, you can run out of things to wear.
After Christmas and before New Year’s Eve, if you have the time, you can wash your dirty clothes. To prevent cramping, you can wash from December 27 to December 29.
- Fold it Up
When your garments are dry, fold them right away rather than leaving them in a pile around your home. It is great to begin the new year with a tidy and clean home.
- Utilize the Washer
Use your washer and other tools to speed up and reduce the time it takes to wash your clothes.
Other Cleaning Superstitions Around The World
The following are some other superstitions related to cleaning that still prevail in different countries as mentioned below:
Europe – Salt is a priceless substance, thus spilling it brings bad fortune.
Brazil – Sweeping over someone’s foot is extremely unlucky in Brazil. You will always be alone if someone sweeps a broom over your feet. It’s also believed that you will pass away as a spinster. They have the means to make this the opposite in their society. You would need to spit on the broom right away once the “spell” is cast in order to undo it.
Russia – No taking rubbish outside in Russia. To stop demonic spirits from traveling freely, this is done. After sundown, it is prohibited to take out the trash. The trash from your home may be used by the ghosts to carry out their rituals.
Malaysia – It’s important to store brooms. Their tradition dictates that you shouldn’t let your broom hit the ground when it’s not in use since doing so is thought to sweep the household’s good fortune away. On the other side, it is thought that having the brooms stacked and overlapping will eventually lead to arguments and chaos in the family.
The final words
The bottom line is that as long as you wash your clothing on a Monday or Wednesday, you should be good (unless New Year’s Day happens on one of those days, in which case you might just be odorous for the rest of the week). Whether you think any of this is true or not, at least you have a few reasons to avoid working now!
It may seem easy to know the answer to the question, “When is it bad luck to wash clothes?” However, it’s fascinating to learn about superstitions and “good and bad luck” dynamics when you learn about a culture. On the other hand, if you hold these beliefs and adhere to them, the learning process will be worthwhile.
We hope you found this article informative and now you know when it is considered to be bad luck to wash clothes. Now, you can skip these days as mentioned below and follow the other resolutions and pieces of advice to make your laundry routine better.