Brits in cash wash waste
Last year, £163 million of notes were destroyed through people leaving money in their pockets when putting them in the washing machine, Halifax Home Insurance has revealed.In addition, £251 million worth of mobile phones and £13 million worth of MP3 players were damaged through forgetful Brits leaving them in clothing. As a result of erroneous items going in the wash, leaking washing machines cause around £2.25 billion worth of water damage every year. Some 61 per cent of British people managed to leave change in their clothing before washing it, with men more forgetful than women. £95 million was washed away by men last year while women proved slightly more vigilant washers, only wasting £68 million.Around 42 per cent of people in the UK managed to wreck their machine by washing an inappropriate item, with people in Wales and the west being the worst offenders, costing them £1,038,827,984 in total last year.Regionally, the Scots proved to be the most prudent when it came to washing, only leaving £8,510,560 of cash in their pockets last year and having to shell out the least to deal with washing machine leaks of all areas in the UK. Vicky Emmott, senior manager of underwriting at Halifax Home Insurance, said: "Leaking washing machines have the potential to cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to peoples' homes. Aside from the obvious advice that people should check their pockets, householders can reduce their financial risk by ensuring they have adequate home insurance which will not only cover them for cost of replacing any washed items, but also any subsequent water damage to the home."
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