Explore 20 Laundry Expressions in English

Laundry expressions are used to talk about washing, drying, and cleaning clothes, as well as metaphorically represent daily life challenges and accomplishments.

Laundry Expressions

1. Air one’s dirty laundry
   Meaning: Reveal personal secrets or problems
   Example: Don’t air our dirty laundry publicly.
2. Wash one’s hands of
   Meaning: Refuse involvement or responsibility
   Example: She washed her hands of the issue.
3. Take to the cleaners
   Meaning: Cheat someone financially
   Example: They took him to the cleaners.
4. Spin cycle
   Meaning: Fast-paced or hectic situation
   Example: Life has been a spin cycle lately.
5. Hang out to dry
   Meaning: Leave someone without help
   Example: Don’t hang me out to dry.
6. In the wash
   Meaning: Unclear or unresolved situation
   Example: The truth will come out in the wash.
7. Out of the spin
   Meaning: Overcome stress or confusion
   Example: After the meeting, he felt out of the spin.
8. Bleed through
   Meaning: Affect or impact something else
   Example: Her work stress bled through to her family.
9. Put through the wringer
   Meaning: Subject to severe stress or strain
   Example: The boss put her through the wringer.
10. On the line
    Meaning: At risk or in danger
    Example: My reputation is on the line.
11. Keep in check
    Meaning: Control or manage properly
    Example: Keep your spending in check.
12. Turn inside out
    Meaning: Completely change or rearrange
    Example: Their plans were turned inside out.
13. Iron out
    Meaning: Resolve issues or difficulties
    Example: Let’s iron out these differences.
14. Sort out
    Meaning: Organize or fix problems
    Example: We need to sort out the laundry.
15. Clean slate
    Meaning: Fresh start, free from past issues
    Example: She wanted to start with a clean slate.
16. Take up with
    Meaning: Start associating or dealing with
    Example: He took up with a new group.
17. Fold up
    Meaning: Collapse or fail completely
    Example: The business folded up due to competition.
18. Pile up
    Meaning: Accumulate over time
    Example: Work piled up during my absence.
19. Leave high and dry
    Meaning: Abandon without help or resources
    Example: They left us high and dry.
20. Press on
    Meaning: Continue with determination
    Example: Despite setbacks, they pressed on.