Sacar los trapos sucios

to air one's dirty laundry; **to air one's dirty laundry**; **to wash one's dirty linen in public** (especially British English); **to expose someone's dirty secrets**; **to bring up old scandals**

Sacar los trapos sucios means to reveal private scandals, embarrassing secrets or past conflicts, especially during an argument or in public.

The expression often suggests that these matters should have remained private.

• family disputes become public
• old arguments are brought up again
• someone reveals embarrassing secrets
• political rivals expose each other's scandals
• people publicly discuss private matters

The expression comes from the traditional idea that dirty laundry belonged inside the home.

Displaying it publicly was considered inappropriate and embarrassing.

Spanish extended this domestic image to personal relationships, meaning that private problems and family conflicts should not be exposed to everyone.

The expression almost always carries a negative tone.

Even when the information is true, sacar los trapos sucios suggests that making it public is unnecessary, inappropriate or motivated by revenge.

Many Spanish idioms come from ordinary household activities:

• Sacar los trapos sucios → to air dirty laundry.
• Tirar la casa por la ventana → to spare no expense.
• Consultar con la almohada → to sleep on it.

Simple everyday actions have become vivid metaphors that remain part of modern Spanish.

This is one of the few Spanish idioms with a very close English equivalent.

Instead of translating it literally, use:

• to air one's dirty laundry
• to wash one's dirty linen in public

Both convey the same idea of exposing private matters publicly.