Around 3,600 tonnes of dirty laundry is expected to be carried home to parents by train this term, according to research by Trainline. The travel platform says seven in ten (70%) students take their dirty clothes home to parents or guardians rather than washing them at their student accommodation.
Trainline estimates that 3,650 tonnes of dirty washing will be transported on the UK's rail network in the first term alone, despite the academic year having only started last month.
Students admit to buying new clothes
The study claims three quarters (75%) of students have already completely run out of clean clothes after delaying their laundry. Nearly two-thirds (62%) have resorted to buying new clothes to avoid doing their own washing.
With 43% of students blaming their bank balance and 34% saying they lack the time to do laundry themselves, the research suggests dirty washing is heading home in large quantities.
Trainline launches Re-fresher Bag
Trainline has launched a limited-edition compressible laundry bag called the Re-fresher Bag to help lighten the load. The 80-litre bag features compression straps and a roll-top design to fit in a train's overhead luggage rack, along with supportive carry straps, a hanging hook, a detachable machine-washable mesh insert to keep dirty items separate, and an inner panel to absorb odours.
The bag's 'one-of-a-kind design' means the print's positioning shifts with every fold, so no two bags look the same. It features an original print by graduate designer Maria Goundry.
Lexi Hughes, a model, final-year university student and daughter of TV personality Amanda Holden, has worked with Trainline and the design team to help create the bag. She said: "Any student who's dragged a heavy laundry bag onto a train knows the struggle."
"It's been so much fun to work on a bag that solves a problem we all face. It's very roomy, with sections that separate the clothes that need washing from the ones that don't. It's also colourful enough that there is no chance of it getting lost or mixed up on the train. Bonus points for making laundry day a bit more fun."
Free bags in weekly drops
Mike Hyde, chief technology officer at Trainline, said: "Taking a bag of washing home is an essential part of student life. My daughter starts university this year and is already thinking about how she'll fit her entire wardrobe, coursework and, inevitably, dirty washing into one bag every time she comes home. If the washing is coming home anyway - we thought students might as well do it in style."
The Re-fresher Bag will be available in limited weekly drops every Tuesday for the next few weeks from October 6. A select number of students who register each week will receive a bag for free, delivered directly to their door.
