Will My Children Ever Do Their Own Washing?

At a meal with extended family recently, it became clear that my 40+ year old male cousin was still taking his washing home.  He’s got a responsible job and his own place, but still he takes his washing back to his parents’ house for his mother to wash.  Now apart from the fact that I’m amazed she puts up with it, it did get me thinking about how common this sort of behaviour is.  Do your adult children use the family home as a resource and its occupants as free labour?  Most may not, but I suspect there’s a significant number that do continue to take advantage, even years after becoming supposedly independent.

A new study suggests Gen Z continue to rely on the creature comforts of their parent’s house, long after they’ve flown the nest. In fact, even 80 percent of empty nesters claim their adult kids still come home to use their bath, shower and oven – as well as bring over their washing and ironing.  And with festival season upon us, 26 percent of parents are bracing themselves for the ultimate energy and laundry overload: the post-Glastonbury wash.

On average, parents of festival goers will be handed 39 filthy items, post trip – including eight pairs of socks, seven pairs of pants, seven t-shirts, and five mud-caked hoodies. Meanwhile, the average Gen Z still living at home takes THREE baths a week in their parent’s home – and enjoys 13 showers, lasting a skin wrinkling 18 minutes each, according to the poll by British Gas.

Parents will also get through six loads of their teens washing a week, meaning the washer will be running for 9 hours a week on average.

Home living kids will also leave the TV running for 20 hours a week – whether they’re watching it or not and forget to turn lights off seven times.

While parents also complain cooking meals for their offspring means the oven is on full blast each week, for NINE hours (on average).

So, it’s no surprise the average parent falls out with their teens four times a week over energy usage.

To help lighten the load, for British Gas is launching The Wash Pit – a giant pop-up laundrette designed to tackle the UK’s dirtiest festival gear before it ever reaches the doorstep. The Wash Pit will be open at Leigh Delamere Eastbound Services on Monday 30th June, offering a helping hand to parents across the country.

Catherine O’Kelly, Managing Director of British Gas Energy said: “Our research shows that young adults continue to lean on the family home, especially after big weekends like Glastonbury with parents happy to help. However, we understand how that impacts households, from energy bills to laundry loads.”

Yet, despite being long suffering, as many as 72 percent of devoted parents say they wouldn’t have it any other way, with 60 percent saying, despite griping about doing their kids washing, they’re happy to help support them.

Overall, parents from York are the longest suffering, doing an average of EIGHT loads of washing a week for their offspring, compared to a national average of six.

PARENTS TOP TEEN ENERGY SAPPING PEEVES…

1. Charging their phone or devices for hours                           65%
2. Leaving lights on in every room                                              63%
3. Taking longer than necessary showers                                  61%
4. Leaving the TV on for hours                                                    49%
5. Use kitchen appliances (toaster, air fryer, kettle, etc)   38%
6. Turning thermostat up                                                            24%
7. Leaving the windows open with the heating on                  23%
8. Forgetting to turn the oven off                                               18%
9. Running the bath to brim                                                        17%
10. Leaving the oven on for longer than necessary                    16%