Three in five (60%) UK adults see laundry as ‘a tedious household task’, with many either rushing to get it done as quickly as possible (35%), wearing all their clean clothes until they eventually run out (26%), or simply avoiding it until the wash basket is overspilling (25%).

As the temperature grows colder, these feelings will likely intensify, with the study by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. revealing over half (51%) of the nation claim the volume (32%) and frequency (29%) of their wash loads increase during the winter months. And it’s not just the amount that they’re washing, but how they’re washing, as a quarter (25%) forget which settings suit winter clothes, often resulting in shrinking their favourite woolly jumpers.

Two in five (42%) people say they would be open to trying ‘mindful laundry’ to help turn the laundry process into a calming ritual. Whilst others say they enjoy the smell of freshly washed clothes (54%), feeling the warmth of fabric fresh from the dryer (34%), creating symmetrical stacks of clothes (26%) and noticing the lines they create as they fold (22%). To help encourage more people to find laundry fun and fulfilling again, Samsung has teamed up with mindfulness expert and professional organiser Katrina Hassan – who has completed training with Marie Kondo – to share the following hacks:

Give laundry a designated home in your weekly routine – If you’re constantly playing catch up with laundry or feel like you’re putting on a load every day, being more mindful and scheduling in a designated laundry day and time into your weekly routine is a good starting point to restore order and protect your wellbeing. Look at your weekly routine and choose a day – or two if required – where you will work on completing your laundry. For me, finishing the laundry feels like I’m ‘resetting’ my home and restoring order, leading to a great feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment.
Change your perspective – To experience more joy in life, we need to shift our focus to the positive. Instead of building up a negative image of folding laundry in our minds, create a vision of yourself completing the laundry as an act of self-care. Think about how you will prepare the environment for completing this act; I like to light a candle and play music, which reflects the seasons.
Engage your senses – Effective meditation engages all of our senses, and it’s possible to turn your laundry routine into a meditative experience. If you think carefully about the act of laundry, it has the opportunity to engage most of our senses. We can enjoy the beautiful smell of freshly washed clothes, feel the warmth of the items emanating from the fabric fresh from the dryer, see the beauty in the items as we fold them and feel a great sense of pride in our hearts that we have completed a ritual that will make the home (and our lives) run more smoothly. As a ‘slow living’ enthusiast, I agree that life is better and our wellbeing is protected when we’re not trying to multitask. Your laundry routine can provide countless chances for you to practice the art of ‘slow living’.
Get others involved and spread the joy! – If you’re a parent, depending on the age of your children, try involving them in the task. I understand that this may seem like a frightening prospect! It may take longer at first as they get used to the process but teaching your children how to complete the laundry is an important life skill and will serve them well in the future.
Dan Harvie, VP, Head of Home Appliances, Samsung Electronics (UK) Ltd., said: “We’re entering prime wash load season on the run up to Christmas, putting a strain on busy households, especially those with children who are active outside the home and accumulate more washing than the average! To help support, we’ve launched a new range of large capacity Washing Machines featuring innovative SpaceMax™ Technology, which have enabled us to fit a bigger sized drum into a standard 600mm depth cabinet, allowing for greater wash loads of up to 11KG. All benefit from being in the most efficient A rated energy class and feature unique AI powered ecobubble™ Technology, which generates bubbles that help wash clothes at cooler temperatures, meaning you can remove stubborn, everyday stains with less heat, so you’ll save on energy bills as well.”

The new Samsung 11kg Washing Machines are available in colourways white and black and start from £659 RRP. To learn more, please visit: https://www.samsung.com/uk/washers-and-dryers/bespoke-ai-laundry/