How to do Laundry

Doing laundry is one of my favorite village activities. I go to the tap (about half a mile from my house down a steep hill) and there are always a bunch of women there washing their families’ clothes as well. It’s always a really relaxing time to get to know the women and talk informally. I’ve gotten to know many women from my village and neighboring villages at the tap.

I used to hate going to the tap, because everyone would stare at me while I was showering and talk about me like I wasn’t there. That still happens, but now I tell people “please do not stare” and when people start talking about me, I respond directly. I don’t actually mind that part, because it’s always people asking each other why I’m so bad at doing laundry. Also, it never gets old to see people’s jaws drop when I start speaking Nepali. I simply explain that I have a machine that washes clothes, so this is new for me, and it is a great gateway into other conversations, so much so that I usually get invited for tea with a new friend.

In all candor, it’s a bit ironic for me to give a tutorial on washing clothes considering most times when I finish, the women tell me my clothes are still dirty. I sometimes go back and clean them again (which is embarrassing because we’re in a drought), but I also feel that when I only shower once a week, clean clothes won’t really be noticed.

Here’s how to do laundry at a tap:

1. Fill a bucket with water and add powder detergent (totally optional- I’ve noticed I’m the only person who does this, probably because I’m one of the few who can afford both powder detergent and bar soap).
2. Soak your clothes in the bucket and swish them around a little bit until the water starts to look gross. (Trust me- you’ll know when you’re done when the water turns a horrific color)
3. Take out one item of clothing and vigorously scrub it with the bar of soap. If you’re doing it right, your shoulders should hurt.
4. Here comes the best part! Knead the clothes, and magically all this beautiful foam will come out.
5. Have fun playing with the foam.
6. Time for more fun with the suds- seriously, what’s the rush? Your clothes aren’t going anywhere.
7. Put the clothes back in the bucket with new water
8. This is called “chum chum” in Nepali (I think). Vigorously swirl the clothes around in the bucket. *Note: if you forget this part, the Nepali women won’t let you leave until you do it. It’s apparently very important.
9. Rinse your clothes under a stream of water. You want to wring them out while under the water.
10. Celebrate by getting invited to tea at another woman’s house.
11. Show up at your house with your clothes 2 hour later, having everyone in your family wonder why it took three hours to shower and wash your clothes.

I really do love washing my clothes, and I’m secretly thinking about continuing to hand wash my clothes even when I’m back in the States.