Eight in 10 Brits suffer from ‘laundry anxiety’ – with almost half refusing to wash certain clothes for fear of ruining them. A poll of 2,000 adults found they have an average of four items in their wardrobe they are worried about putting in the washing machine.
Knitwear (28%), embellished items (26%), coats (24%) and cashmere (24%) are items most likely to be left unwashed over confusion of how to care for them.
According to the survey, more than half have suffered from ‘first wash anxiety. As a result, 51% have resorted to cleaning clothes by hand in the sink, while others have paid for dry cleaning, or worn them again without washing.
Zeena Hill, a spokesperson for Samsung, which commissioned this research for the Bespoke AI Series 9 Laundry range, said: “Most of us have items we love but leave hanging in the wardrobe because we dread the washing guesswork, or worry about shrinking a favourite piece. Laundry anxiety shouldn’t dictate what we wear”.
The study found concerns about garment care have stopped 55% from buying an item they really wanted. But it may be justified, as 51% have previously ruined an item of clothing during a cleaning cycle.
These mishaps then left 65% feeling more anxious about cleaning other wardrobe items, with shrinking (56%), misshaping (33%) and colour fading (31%) the biggest problems.
A particular worry was vintage clothing, with concerns about damaging unfamiliar fabrics (19%) or lingering smells, stains or marks (14%). As a result, one in 10 have avoided buying vintage clothing due to laundry anxiety, according to data from OnePoll.com.
It doesn’t stop there though as 23% have refrained from putting a pair of jeans in the machine over concerns about damage. Instead, 20% chose to wear them again without a clean, another 20% washed them by hand and 14% spot-cleaned only the visibly dirty areas. In fact, Brits will wear their jeans an average of six times before washing them.
Having successfully cleaned the item before (45%) or having clearer care labels (34%) were among the few factors that would give people confidence to put a much-loved or valuable item through a wash cycle.
A guarantee that an item would not shrink, fade or lose its shape would reassure 34%, while 27% would want an appliance that automatically detects the fabric and adjusts the cycle.
Zeena Hill added: “We’ve all had those moments where we’re not quite sure whether something is safe to put in the wash.
“But the best technology doesn’t ask you to become a laundry expert – it takes the doubt out of the laundry room.”
