Laundry
Before we came to Nigeria I mentioned to some people that laundry is something I have difficulty in getting done…that is why I am so glad that I will not be doing the laundry for everyone in the hostel. It’s not that I don’t like to do laundry, or can’t do it, the issue usually getting it out away. Well, on Sat. I spent 30 minutes putting all our laundry away…and what a difference it has made!
Anyhow, that is not why I write. I thought some may be interested to know that I seem to have gotten into a pretty good system for doing our laundry in this period of “waiting to move into the hostel”. It’s somewhat simple: if we have electricity, the washing machine is running. Fortunately, we have had more electricity in the last few weeks than when we first arrived! Also, we learned about an outside switch that allows us to change the electric line so if one is out, sometimes the other one is on.
But, back to the laundry…. For clothes, I wash them in the small, front loading washing machine. The shortest cycle usually takes about 2 ½ hours or so. Once they are done I hang them up. If it is something I don’t need soon (like sheets) they get hung outside. Towels and clothes that we don’t need right away or that I want to iron get hung on this handy line Toby built for the screened in porch. Everything else gets hung in one of three places in the house: the laundry room, the master bathroom (we all use the front bath because light is better there), or on the curtain rod in the guest bedroom. The reason I don’t hang everything outside or on the porch I because of Mango flies. It’s mango season and these flies lay eggs on things. If you don’t iron the fabric or put it in a dryer (which usually only works when electricity is really strong) these flies when they hatch can get into your skin- which you don’t want. The screened in porch should keep the flies out but there are a few holes in the screen and a dog that hangs out on our porch (bringing flies in with her). So, in order to not have to iron EVERYTHING, we hang clothes inside. (Which may not work so well once we get more rain.)
Diapers are another issue. I do a load of diapers a day (if there is electricity). Now, first I hang rise all the diapers (I wear rubber gloves). Then I put them in the washer with a little soap. Oh yeah, I always put some water in the washer to help rinse the soap out of the dispenser. So, they take their 2 ½ hour bath and then I take them out and put them in a plastic tub. Then I go to the bathroom and put hot water in the tub. I wash them in the hot water then return them to the washing machine. There is a cycle that is rinse and spin only so I use that. But I add hot water to the machine manually- one reason a full cycle takes 2 ½ hours is because it takes so long to fill with water and hot water takes even longer…this is why put the hot water in. Once they are done I hang them up in the house…usually in the guest bedroom.
It has taken me 4 weeks to get this system down but it seems to be working pretty well. And, like I said, if there is electricity there is something in the wash!