Kuchapa Zovala

Doing laundry by hand in Malawi requires a few necessary items, not much water, and a lot of elbow grease.

You will need:

1 large bucket, for soaking

1 smaller bucket, for rinsing

Laundry powder

Laundry bar soap

Clothespins

Clothesline

Scrub brush

Bug spray (optional)

Directions:

1) Bring everything outside

2) Fill the larger bucket about 1/3 full of water. Fill the smaller bucket about 1/4 full of water

3) Put in a handful of laundry powder and mix with your hands

4) Put dirty clothes into the bucket. If the water does not cover them, add more

5) Allow to soak for an hour

6) Put up clothesline

7) Spray end of line with bug spray to keep red ants off laundry

8) Inhale bug spray (not required, but difficult to avoid)

9) Remove first clothing item from bucket, and scrub as needed

10) If there is a tough stain, use the bar of laundry soap and/or scrub brush

11) Wring out soapy water into bucket

12) Immerse in rinse water bucket, then wring out

13) Repeat step 12

14) Accept the fact that you are never going to get all the soap out without using way more water

15) Hang on clothesline with clothespins to dry

16) Repeat steps 9-15 for remaining clothing items. Will need to change rinse water as it becomes cloudy/soapy

17) After last item is hung, water plants with remaining water

While I do miss the ease of a washing machine, hand washing with laundry powder is much easier than hand washing with only bar soap, which is what I did during homestay. I never quite got the hang of that. And I do love the smell of laundry that has just come off the line. It's like you can smell the sun on the fabric.