What Is the Best Day of the Week to Do Laundry?

Laundry is one of those inevitable household tasks that everyone has to do. But have you ever stopped to think about the best day of the week to do laundry?

Of course, there is no one ‘right’ day to do your washing. However, there are a few things to think about when setting out your laundry schedule.

Need some inspiration? Keep reading to find out more.

 

What’s the Cheapest Time to Do Laundry in the UK?

The first thing to consider when choosing the best day of the week to do laundry is the cost.

While lots of people pay the same amount for their electricity every day, no matter the time, others are on variable rates.

For instance, if you’re on an Eco 7 or Eco 10 tariff, you’ll get cheaper rates at night time.

Some suppliers also offer lower weekend rates and others provide incentives to do your laundry at off-peak times.

This is because if everyone does their washing at the same time after work, there’s a higher chance of blackouts.

With that in mind, you should check your tariff to find the cheapest time to use your washing machine.

 

Ways to Decide What Day of the Week to Do Laundry

If your electricity rates are the same throughout the week, there are some other factors to consider too. 

Here’s what to bear in mind when choosing the best day to do your laundry, and whether you’ll need more than one wash day.

How much laundry you need to do

Start by determining how many loads of washing you need to do on average per week. This will depend largely on the size of your household.

For example, individuals and couples may be able to save up their laundry during the week, then do it all at the weekend.

But for families, this may not be realistic. Especially if you have young children or multiple school uniforms to wash mid-week and then again at the end of the week.

Likewise, if you have a dirty job or you exercise a lot, you’ll want to wash your clothes as soon as possible. And don’t forget to account for additional weekly cycles for washing towels and bedding too.

Once you know how many times you need to wash per week, think about the drying space you have available. You’ll then be able to work out how many loads you can do per day and how many days you’ll need to complete it all.

Then take a look at the following points to decide which day or days you should do your laundry.

 

Your work schedule

Though your washing machine will do most of the work for you, unfortunately, it can’t run itself. You’ll need to be around to load and unload your laundry. Then hang it or move in into the dryer once it’s done.

Unless you have a remote control smart washer with auto-dosing, you’ll also need to refill the drawer, select a cycle and press start.

Due to this, it’s often easier to do your laundry on an evening or on your day off. However, if you work from home, you may find slots of time to complete each stage throughout the day.

Another work-related aspect to consider is whether you have a uniform that needs to be clean for a particular day.

For example, if you work Monday to Friday, a laundry day at the end of the week may be best. That way, you’ll have the weekend to get it dry and ironed.

 

Religious beliefs and traditions

For many Christians, Sunday is a sacred day of rest for religious reasons. Similarly, some believe that it is bad luck to wash clothes or do chores on Sundays, as it can jinx the following week.

Because of this, Monday was traditionally laundry day for many. This allowed plenty of time to get everything washed, dried and ironed before Sunday.

However, the washing process doesn’t require a full day anymore, thanks to advances in technology. So, whether you’re religious or just superstitious and want to avoid Sundays, you can leave your laundry a bit longer.

However, we’d suggest washing no later than Thursday to make sure everything’s dry and ready to store away by Saturday, unless you have a dryer to hand.

For Orthodox Jews, the Shabbat begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday. No work is to be done in this time, including washing clothes.

In Islam, Friday is a special day, but there is no prohibition on washing clothes.

 

Own or shared laundry facilities

Lastly, whether you have your own washing machine or shared facilities may impact your laundry day.

For example, laundrettes are often quieter mid-week when people are at work. However, they tend to be busy at the start of the week as laundry piles up over the weekend.

Other research shows that students living on campus find the shared laundry blocks quietest on Friday mornings and Sundays. Not sure which is the best day of the week to do laundry at your local laundrette or shared utility room?

Try out a few to see which offer the best availability and try to avoid popular days like Mondays, Saturdays and Friday evenings.

 

The Verdict

Again, there is no right or wrong day to do laundry. It all comes down to what works best for you.

However, generally speaking, we’d recommend breaking your weekly wash loads up across at least two days with 2-3 days in between.

For instance, Tuesday and Friday or Monday and Thursday, depending on whether you work during the week.

This way, you won’t have one very overwhelming day with back to back cycles to contend with at the end of the week. It also means you need less hanging space, which is key if you’re drying clothes indoors without a tumble dryer.

As mentioned above, you should check whether you’re on a variable electricity rate. If you are, choosing the correct time to run your washing machine may be more important than a specific day.