From favourite knitwear left out of the washing machine to jeans worn time and again, new research from Samsung reveals how fear of damaging clothes is shaping Britain’s laundry habits.

A poll of 2,000 UK adults found that eight in 10 (80%) experience some form of laundry anxiety, with almost half (47%) afraid to wash certain clothes for fear of ruining them. On average, people have four items in their wardrobe they worry about putting in the machine.

The findings reveal six laundry personalities, from those who take washing in their stride to those who avoid it altogether when unsure how to care for an item:

• The Practical Washer (27%): Prioritises getting clothes clean without overthinking the process.
• The Care Label Follower (19%): Relies on care labels and instructions to decide how to wash clothes.
• The Laundry Confident (15%): Feels confident washing different fabrics and caring for clothes.
• The Laundry Risk-Taker (12%): Puts most things in the machine without worrying too much about the outcome.
• The Laundry Worrier (11%): Is cautious about washing clothes for fear of damaging them.
• The Laundry Avoider (8%): Puts washing off or finds another way to freshen clothes when unsure how to clean them.

The clothes we’re afraid to wash

Knitwear (28%), embellished items (26%), coats (24%) and cashmere (24%) are among the items people are most likely to avoid machine-washing because they are unsure how to care for them.

Instead, more than half (51%) have hand-washed clothes in the sink, while a third (33%) have paid for dry cleaning. Almost three in 10 (29%) have simply worn an item again without washing it.

Laundry anxiety can even influence shopping habits, with 55% saying concerns about garment care have stopped them buying an item they really wanted. Through the intuitive Bespoke AI laundry appliances, Samsung’s smart technology can help users turn laundry from a chore of chance into a science of certainty, by providing personalised and tailored wash cycle suggestions based on your past usage habits.

Past mishaps may help explain these fears: 51% have ruined an item of clothing during a wash, with shrinking (56%), misshaping (33%) and colour fading (31%) among the most common problems. Following a mishap, almost two-thirds (65%) felt more anxious about washing other items.

First-wash anxiety: when uncertainty gets in the way

More than half (52%) have experienced ‘first-wash anxiety’, having discovered that more clothes and fabrics are washable at home than they thought.

Vintage clothing presents another challenge, with 19% concerned about damaging unfamiliar fabrics and 14% worried about lingering smells, stains or marks. For 1 in 10, these concerns have put them off buying vintage altogether.

Denim is another source of uncertainty. Almost a quarter (23%) have avoided machine-washing jeans for fear of damaging them. Instead, 20% have worn them again without washing, 20% have hand-washed them and 14% have spot-cleaned only visibly dirty areas.

On average, Brits wear their jeans six times before washing them.

Building confidence in garment care

Clearer guidance and reassurance could help people feel more confident about washing their clothes. Almost half (45%) said successfully cleaning an item before would give them greater confidence, while 34% said clearer care labels and instructions would help.

A guarantee that an item would not shrink, fade or lose its shape would reassure 34%, while 27% said they would feel more confident with an appliance that automatically detects fabric and adjusts the cycle accordingly.

Zeena Hill, Senior Director of Marketing for Home Entertainment and Appliances, Samsung UK & Ireland, 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 real value of our Bespoke AI laundry range is that it takes the worry off your hands. Rather than making you guess if a delicate item can handle a spin, our AI Wash+ feature uses advanced sensors to read the fabric type and weight, automatically tailoring the cycle to treat delicates with precision they require.

“And on those damp British days where indoor drying is a battle, you can simply download the Cloudy Day cycle to maximise spin efficiency. The best technology doesn’t ask you to become a laundry expert – it takes the doubt out of the laundry room.”

Alongside advanced fabric sensing ¹, the Bespoke AI Series 9 Washing Machine delivers class-leading A-65% energy efficiency² and connects seamlessly with the SmartThings ecosystem to help households monitor energy consumption, automate detergent reordering, and customise specialty cycles.

1. Fabric sensing uses an AI algorithm to sense 5 fabric types (Cotton, Delicates, Towels, Denim, Outdoor) for loads up to 2kg. A turbidity sensor operates for all weights. Mixed fabrics may reduce detection accuracy. Actual results may vary depending on individual use. To prevent wear, wash like fabrics together. ︎
2. Based on Samsung internal testing. The energy consumption of the WF90H/24 (9kg) model achieves an EEI of 18.2 (17kWh / 100 cycles), which is up to 65% more energy efficient compared to the minimum threshold for Class A (EEI 52 for 9kg models) under Regulation (EU) No 2019/2014. Results may vary depending on the usage environment. Energy ratings tested with the Eco 40–60 program. ︎