Overview
- Folk belief warns against washing clothes, dishes, sweeping or taking out trash on January 1, with some versions claiming it could “wash away” a loved one.
- Coverage reports households keeping washing machines and dishwashers off on January 1 and postponing chores until January 2.
- Some accounts extend the rule to showering or bathing, though adherence is described as less common and often lighthearted.
- Social media posts and community pages, including Mrs Hinch groups and Reddit threads, are spurring people to adopt the practice.
- Reporters link the custom to broader traditions such as Lunar New Year cleaning, where homes are tidied before festivities to avoid sweeping away incoming fortune.