April 15 - National Laundry Day

Happy National Laundry Day! Even though National Laundry Day and National Tax Day often land together on April 15, remember to keep these two activities separate. Anybody who has ever recovered a $20 bill from the washing machine knows why. 

With that said, we generally don’t love doing laundry. However, we’re thrilled when it’s done. Think clean clothes, fresh sheets, and that special fresh laundry scent. 

The word “laundry” comes from two Welsh words, “lloon,” or crazy, and “dyrte,” or dirty. The Welsh jokingly called the English “lloon dyrtes” and with time it morphed into “laundered.” 

Here’s more on America’s squeaky clean path to National Laundry Day. 

NATIONAL LAUNDRY DAY TIMELINE 

         

1800: Dryer invented 

Frenchman M. Pochon came up with an archaic device called a "ventilator." This consisted of a metal drum (filled with hand-wrung damp clothes) placed above an open fire. Some garments — as you can imagine — burned. Others smelled like soot. 

  

1904 : First washing machine ads  

No one really knows who truly "invented" the modern washing machine, but ads began appearing in newspapers after the turn of the century. American engineer and inventor Alva J. Fisher often gets credit, although U.S. Patent Office records seem to dispute that. 

1938: Automatic dryers 

Early 20th century American inventor J. Ross Moore's design for an electrically operated dryer went public. Moore, who came up with the idea decades earlier, had struggled to find a manufacturer. American designer Brooks Stevens would eventually pioneer the first electric dryer with a glass window in the 1940s. 

2014: Cleanest app ever 

Cleanly, known as the "Uber of laundry", devised an app which allowed New Yorkers to schedule laundry pickup by phone. The company operates in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Washington, D.C. 

NATIONAL LAUNDRY DAY ACTIVITIES 

1. Do laundry — or don't! 

If laundry is something you enjoy doing, throw in your load on April 15 to fit it with the spirit. If you'd rather recycle outfits, then use the day as the perfect excuse to put laundry on your procrastination list. 

  

2. Teach the art of laundry 

 Tired of taking on everyone's chore? Got a kid leaving for college soon? Take this day to teach someone how to take care of their colors, whites, and delicates the right way. 

3. Review your detergent brand 

We live in a world of choices and yet we gravitate towards our comfort brands. Take a leap of faith and try out a new brand of detergent or softener to see if your clothes can be cleaner and smell better. 

WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL LAUNDRY DAY 

A. Laundry habits revealed (ugh!) 

A 2018 GE poll discovered that thirty-seven percent of people don't wash their jeans until they’ve worn them at least five times, with sixteen percent waiting until seven or more times. 

On the other hand, that might just work. Levi Strauss & Co. CEO Chip Bergh once recommended that consumers NEVER wash their jeans in the name of water conservation. 

B. Perfected over thousands of years 

Humans have been washing and drying their clothes for thousands of years. Thanks to lots of time passing and smart inventors, doing laundry is now easier than ever. 

C. All in the family 

While conducting focus groups, marketers often find that people tend to use the same detergent their parents used. 

Remember, don't forget to clean out the lint trap! 

How long does it take you to do your laundry...let alone put it away? 

#NationalLaundryDay 

@GE 

@all_laundry 

@Cheer
@downy
@Purex 

@Tide
@getcleanly

@Levis 

@nationaltoday

@nichecinema 

DATES 

April 15, 2021 

April 15, 2022 

April 15, 2023 

April 15, 2024