The following are strictly personal views/observations and in no way reflect the views of the Peace Corp nor the federal government of the United States.
To wash clothing here is a unique process. There are some people in country who have washing machines, but they are a minority of the people in Moldova. However, even those with washing machines do not have dryers. A dryer is a precious and rare commodity in Eastern Europe.
For all those who do not posses a washer, they wash their clothes by hand.
The preferred technique for washing clothes by hand:
- Put the clothes into a small plastic tub with some detergent and water.
- Once the tub is full, take a stick and poke the clothes around a little.
- Then allow the clothes to sit in the tub of water and detergent for at least 2 hours.
- Then the dump the soapy water and add clean water.
- Then allow the clothes to sit in the clean water for about half a day.
Following this method, to do one tub of laundry, is about a day long process. The tubs used are rather small. One tub holds approximately five shirts or two pairs of pants. Thus laundry is a never ending process.
Once the clothes have been poked about and soaked, they are wrung out by hand and hung on the line to dry. Drying clothes is a very different experience in the summer than in the winter. Drying clothes in the summer is a pleasant, simple task. Because most summer days are hot, and it only rains on occasion, thus the clothes dry in about a day. In the winter drying clothes takes on a whole different tone. In the winter, you hang your clothes out and then they freeze. Clothes never completely dry outside in the winter, however for them to stop dripping water takes about 3 to 4 days; due to the fact that, the sun is only up for about 8 hours and even when the sun is up it is overcast. So, clothes are left outside just long enough for them to stop dripping water. Then the clothes are brought inside and spread all around the house to thaw and finish the process of drying.
I will never complain about going to the Laundromat again!
To wash clothing here is a unique process. There are some people in country who have washing machines, but they are a minority of the people in Moldova. However, even those with washing machines do not have dryers. A dryer is a precious and rare commodity in Eastern Europe.
For all those who do not posses a washer, they wash their clothes by hand.
The preferred technique for washing clothes by hand:
- Put the clothes into a small plastic tub with some detergent and water.
- Once the tub is full, take a stick and poke the clothes around a little.
- Then allow the clothes to sit in the tub of water and detergent for at least 2 hours.
- Then the dump the soapy water and add clean water.
- Then allow the clothes to sit in the clean water for about half a day.
Following this method, to do one tub of laundry, is about a day long process. The tubs used are rather small. One tub holds approximately five shirts or two pairs of pants. Thus laundry is a never ending process.
Once the clothes have been poked about and soaked, they are wrung out by hand and hung on the line to dry. Drying clothes is a very different experience in the summer than in the winter. Drying clothes in the summer is a pleasant, simple task. Because most summer days are hot, and it only rains on occasion, thus the clothes dry in about a day. In the winter drying clothes takes on a whole different tone. In the winter, you hang your clothes out and then they freeze. Clothes never completely dry outside in the winter, however for them to stop dripping water takes about 3 to 4 days; due to the fact that, the sun is only up for about 8 hours and even when the sun is up it is overcast. So, clothes are left outside just long enough for them to stop dripping water. Then the clothes are brought inside and spread all around the house to thaw and finish the process of drying.
I will never complain about going to the Laundromat again!
posted by Klharmon | 3:24 AM
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