The never-ending cycle

Appliance specialist, Beko found that the average person starts doing their own washing at some point between 22 and 24, with some regional variation:

• London: 24
• Birmingham 23
• Newcastle 24
• Cardiff 23
• Glasgow 22
• Edinburgh 22
• Liverpool 23
• Norwich 24
• Belfast 24. 

Yet, while that’s the average age, more than one in 10 people in their 30s are still dipping into the ‘launderette of mum and dad’. This age group also rates laundry as its least favourite chore, yet it isn’t just a case of not enjoying the job – or being lazy – that stops people from doing their own washing. 

Some of the key reasons children give for still relying on help from their parents are:

• They don’t have enough time (25% used this reason)
• There is too much to deal with (19%)
• ‘Mum enjoys it’ (18%).

Other children suffer from having a small space with limited places for drying and many are worried about ruining their favourite items in the wash.

Whether they’d admit it or not, it’s clear that children still need a bit of guidance from their parents on this. Indeed, 53% of 20-29 year olds said they’d ‘ask mum’ for laundry advice, compared to 40% who would use Google.

Is it flattering to still be needed by your grown up children, or a pain that you’re still having to put your time and effort into looking after them? You decide…

https://www.beko.co.uk/launderette-of-mum-and-dad