It sounds like the setup for a dark comedy or a twisted Agatha Christie plot: death by laundry. But across history and into modern times, laundry—mundane, necessary, and often overlooked—has played a grim role in many real-life tragedies. From deadly industrial dryers to poison-laced garments, the world of laundry holds secrets soaked in sorrow and shadow.

This is not fiction. These are true accounts. And they all begin with the same question: how can something as clean as laundry turn so dark?

Washtub Woes: Drowned in Domesticity

Before washing machines became commonplace, large basins or washtubs were used to launder clothes—filled with scalding water, heavy garments, and harsh soaps. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, these tubs were also the accidental scene of death for hundreds of children worldwide.

One of the most commonly recorded domestic accidents in the Victorian era was children drowning in washtubs. For instance, in 1878, The New York Times reported the tragic drowning of a toddler who fell headfirst into a washtub while his mother stepped away to stoke the stove. Such incidents were so common they were often noted in public health records and local coroner reports.

In another case from Manchester, England in 1893, a three-year-old boy died after climbing into a tub to play with soap bubbles and slipping beneath the surface. He was found by his older sister, who had gone to retrieve clean towels. A coroner’s inquest called it a “sad but unsurprising” outcome given the lack of supervision and the design of tubs at the time.

Elderly individuals and disabled persons have also died in similar fashion—slipping into laundry basins or tubs and becoming trapped, sometimes in homes without assistance. Even into the 1980s, cases were reported of adults slipping and drowning in deep sinks or tubs in isolated homes or care facilities. One such case in rural Maine involved an elderly woman whose mobility aid slipped on wet tiles; she was found hours later by a home care nurse.

Final Cycle: Trapped in the Dryer

Modern washing and drying equipment may seem safe, but commercial and industrial-scale machines—especially in hospitals, hotels, and laundromats—have taken lives in tragic ways.

In 2011, a 58-year-old laundry worker at a Las Vegas hotel died after being trapped inside an industrial dryer used to dry bedding. The machine was accidentally activated while she was inside attempting to retrieve stuck linens. Despite safety features, malfunctions and oversight failures continue to result in similar deaths globally.

In 2019, a worker in India suffered fatal injuries after being caught in an industrial washing machine during routine maintenance. He was found after coworkers noticed the machine running longer than expected.

In another horrific case, a factory worker in Bangkok, Thailand, was discovered dead in an industrial dryer in 2014. CCTV footage showed the man attempting to fix a rotating drum that had jammed. Investigators found he had been spun at high speed for nearly 10 minutes before the machine was shut off.

And in a horrifying 2005 case in Texas, a woman was charged with capital murder after she placed her boyfriend’s two-year-old daughter inside a commercial dryer. The child died of thermal burns and blunt-force trauma. The case was widely covered in U.S. media, prompting national conversations about child safety in laundromats.

Even in domestic settings, fatal dryer-related accidents involving pets and, tragically, children have occurred when they climbed inside and the machine was unknowingly turned on. Fire departments across the world have since issued public safety warnings, especially after several cases where cats and small dogs were discovered post-cycle in dryer drums.

The Poisoned Wardrobe: Death in the Fabric

Laundry-related poisonings have occurred in many forms—some accidental, some intentional, and some criminal.

In 1944, during World War II, British intelligence investigated multiple cases of saboteurs poisoning Nazi uniforms with compounds like arsenic and irritant powders. The idea was to weaken or eliminate high-ranking officers through slow exposure via laundered clothing. Some reports from the British Special Operations Executive mention agents infiltrating supply lines to sprinkle poison into laundry shipments bound for German officers.

Closer to home, poisonings from laundry products are sadly more common than many realize. Chlorine bleach, when mixed with ammonia (a common urine neutralizer), produces toxic chloramine gas. Between 1996 and 2016, hundreds of such chemical exposure incidents were reported in hospitals, correctional facilities, and private homes.

In a tragic 2012 case in Japan, a mother accidentally poisoned her infant child after washing baby clothes with improperly diluted fabric softener concentrate. The child developed a fatal reaction due to chemical residue and prolonged skin contact. A later autopsy revealed acute toxicity from cationic surfactants—common in concentrated fabric treatments.

In Ghana in 2003, police uncovered a plot in which a housemaid, seeking revenge against her employer, laced the family’s laundry rinse water with pesticide. Although the family did not ingest the poison, all three members developed severe skin reactions and respiratory issues. The maid confessed during a hospital investigation.

Criminal poisonings involving clothing have also been documented. In 1980, a woman in São Paulo was charged with murder after lacing her husband’s undershirts with organophosphate insecticide. He died after weeks of mysterious illness, and it was only through fabric testing by a private forensic lab that the source was discovered.

In Russia, there have been at least two reported deaths caused by contaminated laundry left as a trap—one in 1998 involving a poisoned headscarf, and another in 2010 involving nerve agents soaked into gym clothing.

Electric Shock and Spinning Death: Mechanical Mayhem

Old washing machines—especially those lacking proper grounding or safety shutoffs—have claimed lives through electrocution and mechanical trauma.

In 1975, a woman in rural Kentucky was killed after attempting to repair her washing machine while it was plugged in. She received a fatal shock when her wet hands made contact with an exposed wire. In 1998, a similar case was reported in Dublin, where a faulty European-model washer caused multiple household shocks before one resulted in death.

Dryer fires, often sparked by clogged vents and overheating motors, are another deadly risk. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, approximately 2,900 home clothes dryer fires are reported each year, causing an estimated 5 deaths and 100 injuries annually.

In one 2006 case in Ontario, Canada, a laundromat fire caused by a lint-clogged dryer vent resulted in two deaths when the roof collapsed before firefighters could extinguish the blaze.

Modern machines also pose danger when tampered with. In Australia in 2017, a man died after sticking his head into a malfunctioning washing machine mid-cycle to investigate a noise. He was knocked unconscious by the spinning drum and drowned in the residual water before rescue arrived.

Homicide in the Hamper: Laundry as a Crime Scene

Laundry rooms and hampers have also featured in chilling true crime tales.

In 2007, a Pennsylvania man was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and hiding her body in an industrial-sized washing machine at a local motel where she worked. The machine was not discovered until the next morning by other staff. Investigators determined she had been strangled and her body hidden in the machine to delay discovery.

Another bizarre case occurred in 2015 in South Africa, where the dismembered remains of a missing teenager were found inside the dryer drum of a community laundromat. The crime shocked the town, and it was later revealed that the murder was committed by a local gang attempting to send a message to rivals.

Laundry bags have also been used to dispose of bodies. In 1983, the infamous “Hampstead Hamper Murder” in London involved the body of a man stuffed into a hotel laundry cart and wheeled unnoticed out of the building. The case remained unsolved for years before finally being linked to a disgruntled coworker.

In 2021, authorities in Mexico investigated a double homicide in which a suspect attempted to hide the victims’ bodies in laundry baskets filled with blankets. The bodies were discovered during a welfare check after neighbors reported a strong odor.

Laundry areas have also been targeted as secluded spots for murder. In a 1994 case in Newark, New Jersey, a woman was ambushed in her apartment building’s shared laundry room by an estranged boyfriend. Her body was found hours later beneath a pile of wet sheets in a front-loader.

Clean Isn’t Always Safe

Laundry might seem like one of life’s tamest chores—but as history shows, it has a darker, more dangerous side. From mechanical mishaps and chemical accidents to criminal concealment, the laundry world has seen its share of chilling deaths.

Whether it’s the hiss of bleach mixing wrong, the whirr of a dryer concealing something sinister, or the silence of an empty laundry room with its flickering light, perhaps we should all think twice before saying laundry is boring.

So next time you toss your socks into the washer or fluff your sheets in the dryer, remember: every spin has a story—and some of them end in silence.

Note From The Laundry Club Blog: All incidents mentioned are based on public reports, news sources, and historical records. Please follow all safety protocols when operating laundry machinery and keep laundry areas secure from children and pets.

If this story made you eye your washing machine a little differently, you’re not alone. It’s a reminder that even the cleanest corners of life can hide a dark ring around the edges. Your support keeps these strange, true tales spinning—where every bleach bottle, dryer drum, and lost sock might have a story worth unfolding.

Support The Laundry Club Blog—because sometimes the stains aren’t in the fabric, they’re in the history.