Reason why washing and cleaning on New Year's Day is considered bad luck

If your house is currently covered in the remnants of the festive season, but all you can think about is nursing your hangover or watching the highly-anticipated Stranger Things finale, then I've got good news for you - it's actually bad luck to clean on January 1.

You heard me - and if you've had a parent or partner badgering you to get to work, then feel free to send this their way.

Sure, it might be nice to kick off the new year with a freshly-cleaned home, but make it tomorrow's problem because otherwise, you could be looking at some misfortune in your future.

The type of cleaning encompasses doing laundry, washing dishes and even taking the trash out, each of which come with their own superstition about how they could impact your year.

Don't even think about doing laundry today (Getty Stock Photo)

Don't touch your laundry pile

You might be tempted to get ahead of the laundry before real life starts again after the festive season, but superstition in a number of communities suggests that cleaning your clothes on the first day of the year could be representative of 'washing away a loved one'.

I'm not talking about blasting your partner with the hose this summer, but in fact it could mean that a friend or family member could actually pass away before the next new year rolls around - so it's definitely not worth the risk.

Reddit users have described adopting this superstition into their lives, with one posting on the r/AskUK thread: "Do you do laundry/cleaning on New Year's Day?"

In response, one user confirmed they had no plans to do laundry on New Year's Day, saying: "My gran always said “Do a wash on New Year’s day, you’ll wash one of the family away”."

The dishes can wait

Leave your pots and pans by the sink for another day - and don't think about touching the vacuum, either.

According to one lore, washing dishes could put you at risk of 'washing away good luck' in 2026, while brushing the floors could sweep your good fortune away with it.

Sure, this might have all stemmed from a young hungover adult who insisted they couldn't possibly do their chores on New Years' Day, but if leaving the dishes for an extra 24 hours could improve your luck, then it's worth a try.

Washing dishes could wash away your fortune (Getty Stock Photo)

Don't chuck out your fortune

While the trash can might look like it's full of leftovers, candy wrappers and old milk cartons, it's also rumored to carry a sign of prosperity.

So, if you were to take out the trash, you might prompt that prosperity to disappear from your property along with it.

Set yourself up right

One superstition claims that January 1 will establish what you'll be doing for the next 12 months - so if you carry out any chores, you'll be stuck grafting for all of 2026. It's a take on 'start as you mean to go on', but if you're able to make this New Year's Day one filled with fun, then hopefully the rest of 2026 will follow suit!