Today’s Five Minute Friday Prompt – Laundry
Every Friday we gather to write on just one word. We just give 5 minutes on this word and write as much as we can in this time. We don’t edit, correct, change or add to this. So, this is my un-edited post for today’s writing promt from Five Minute Friday. The prompt is the word “Laundry”
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Strangely, I was just talking about laundry with my mother just a few minutes ago. And when I come here to check what today’s writing promt is at FMF, it was the word “laundry”. I was talking about how our neighbors do their laundry themselves and even though they have a washing machine, they never use it. How they can save time by using the machine, or at least the dryer. And, how they can save themselves of some tiring.
I have never done laundry myself except for once when my mother was ill, be it using the machine or using my hands. At that time, I had to ask someone how to do it using the machine. Do you know how people here in India used to do the laundry, and even now do it in the villages? They do it collectively, near a river or pond etc and beat a large stone with the clothes. May be it sounds funny, but it isn’t. And surprisingly, the clothes come out whiter than they come out of the machines. This is also how some of the laundry stores do it. I had once given my white colored dresses to them and they gave it back to me, whiter than ever before. How nice, I thought!
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October 18, 2013 @ 4:07 pm
Well, I am doing my laundry every day, for the whole family. I am really glad I have a washing machine: I am not sure that I could manage without it…
October 18, 2013 @ 10:07 pm
Hi MuMuGB,
Thanks for dropping by.
It would have been difficult without the machines but not impossible. How did our ancestors used to do the laundry? And, there are still places where women do the laundry near a river.
Yes, it’s also true that today’s city generations are weaker and weaker. At least here in India I’ve heard girls making sure before marriage that the house she’s going to has a washing machine, a refrigerator, an oven etc. Only then they marry (in case of arranged marriages).
Previously, the women used to do heavy household work, even making the flour from wheat using a hand-rotating, manual flour mill. Can you imagine?
October 18, 2013 @ 4:09 pm
It makes an American, who has always had a washer and dryer available, think twice about complaining about doing laundry. We just need to adjust our lives to do laundry whatever the situation!!! Thanks for posting! Just hopping over from FMF!
October 18, 2013 @ 10:10 pm
Thanks Dorothy for commenting here. I think you’re the first one to be coming from Five Minute Friday.