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| Porch scene, Charleston, S.C. |
Does anyone else remember the smell of sheets dried in the sun shine? I would always take a bath and wash my hair that night so everything smelled deliciously fresh and clean when I got between those sheets.
When I was a kid in north-east India the word for Saturday meant "wash clothes day" and we would often hike down to the river with dirty clothes bundled and tied to our backs. We'd spend the morning soaping them up in the fresh creek water and then spread them on the bushes to dry. We'd take our own bath and rinse our hair in the waterfalls and then building a fire to make tea and have a lazy afternoon picnic before packing it all back up again to carry home.
It sounds completely unreasonable now but were awfully good times since all of our friends were doing exactly the same thing. The water was cold and the sun was warm. I'd hop from boulder to boulder picking a favorite to lay in the sunshine. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday at all.
For now though, it's nice to be able to spin and click to dry my clothes, thank you.
Most Filipinos still dry our clothes out on a line, even in Manila. Of course, it's challenging during the monsoon season, like right now. But during sunny days, nothing beats sun drying. It's a natural anti-bacterial too. Even river washing is still common in our rural areas.
ReplyDeleteHilda, Right! Hard to dry much during the monsoons. I do remember that. We've almost had a monsoon season here in Charleston this summer.
DeleteHi, Joan!
ReplyDeleteWe are in Wyoming right now and I wish I had a washer and dryer so much. I never miss a dishwasher and even have taken to hand drying my dishes in order to remove the clutter from our little house on wheels. But I HATE going to a laundromat more than anything and wait until everything is dirty before I go! I loved your little memory. I saw women doing the laundry that way when I lived in Mexico and it always was so picturesque.
I agree....used to hate going to laundromats. Nice to hear from you! Hope all is well!
DeleteI'm kind of "between worlds" on this topic. I've never lived where I could wash my clothes and myself in a stream under a waterfall, but I also don't have a washer, dryer, or dishwasher now. I hand wash my dishes and my clothes are cleaned and folded by the local laundromat. However - my mom, down in NC, hangs lots of her wash out on the wraparound porch to dry in the sun, so I've enjoyed the benefits of that during my visits to her house.
ReplyDeleteOh my. God bless ya! That would get old washing things in the sink. I love my washer and dryer....and dishwasher even now that my family is grown.
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