Are Your Appliances Built by Slaves? The Ugly Truth Behind Cheap Manufacturing
May 21, 2025
As an appliance repair technician, I spend every day inside homes across Central Ohio. I see which machines last and which ones don’t. I see the cutting corners, the brittle plastic, the failing electronics. And lately, I’ve been seeing something even uglier behind those failures:
Slave labor.
It’s uncomfortable to say—but it’s true. Many popular appliance brands rely on components made in parts of the world where people are forced to work under threat and coercion. And every time we buy a machine with parts from these regions, we’re helping that system continue.
Let’s break down why that matters—and what you can do about it.
What Counts as Slave Labor?
We’re not just talking about low wages or long hours. We’re talking about real, documented forced labor—especially in places like Xinjiang, China, where ethnic minorities are detained and compelled to work in factories under surveillance and punishment.
These factories don’t just make cheap toys or fast fashion. They also produce:
Electronic control boards
Wiring harnesses
Motors and fan assemblies
Plastic tubs and molded components
In short, the very parts inside your dishwasher, fridge, washer, and dryer.
Why It Hurts You — Not Just Them
Forced labor is immoral, period. No one should be enslaved to build your home appliances.
But even beyond that, there’s a practical reason to avoid these products: They’re lower quality.
When someone is working against their will, they’re not thinking about craftsmanship. They’re trying to survive. That leads to:
Fragile parts that break during normal use
Cheap electronics that burn out quickly
Poor soldering and weak assembly
Machines that fail within months of installation
And when those parts fail, you call someone like me—and you foot the bill.
How Can You Know What to Buy?
Unfortunately, appliance brands rarely advertise where their parts come from. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless. Here’s what I recommend as someone who sees hundreds of machines a year:
✅ Stick With Brands That Audit Their Supply Chains
Some manufacturers do care. They publish audits, avoid high-risk regions, and build more of their products in areas with labor standards.
Brands I trust based on current supply chain transparency:
Whirlpool Corporation (includes KitchenAid & Maytag): U.S.-based, strong compliance record, known for ethical sourcing
Miele (Germany): Builds in the EU, with strict labor regulations
Bosch / Siemens (BSH): Another EU-based brand with clear public ethics policies
❌ Be Cautious With No-Name or Off-Brand Appliances
If a product is drastically cheaper than everything else, there's probably a reason. In many cases, that reason is exploitation.
How You Can Take a Stand
- Ask questions: If you're shopping for a new appliance, ask the retailer where the brand sources its components. If they can't answer, that should concern you.
- Spend intentionally: Even if a brand costs a bit more up front, you’ll often save money in the long run with fewer breakdowns and better parts.
- Support laws like the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act: These measures help block goods made with slave labor from entering U.S. supply chains—but they only work if customers care.
Final Thoughts
Appliances should make your life easier—not someone else's life a living hell.
At Blue Dragon Appliance Repair, we fix machines. But we also believe in fixing the system. That starts with calling out injustice and choosing products built the right way—by free people, paid fairly, and trained to do the job right.
We believe in freedom, quality, and craftsmanship. If you do too, start asking where your machines really come from.
And if they break? You know who to call.
Need help choosing a reliable, ethically-built appliance?
Call us anytime or send us a message. We're happy to point you in the right direction—even if you’re not a customer yet.
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