Washing clothes

Anyone who has ever visited an African country knows how clean and well-maintained the people here are. Hygiene is a priority for most people here. Therefore, it is not uncommon for many people to shower up to twice a day, also due to dust, heat and other factors.

Until now, I've actually heard the same phrase from every organization: "You'll see, dirt will have a different meaning for you and it doesn't always have to be clean!" We then walked around wearing clothes that were worn for the third time in a row, without blowing through or washing once. Small or larger spots are ignored and simply passed on. At home in Europe, we would immediately put the part in the laundry and wash it. This is where we think, well, we don't fall for it. And if we do it! This is especially noticeable if you live here longer and become part of society.

The garment is not worn twice in a row without having washed it first. Therefore, it is not uncommon for worn clothes to be washed the same day and then used again the next day. However, washing does not mean putting everything in the washing machine, waiting for it to make a noise to mark the end of the wash, and then getting the clothes fresh out. No, washing here means handwork. In Uganda, for the first time, I learned skillfully how to wash clothes with my hands. That was a process of six to seven steps.

First, the laundry is placed in a bowl and soaked with washing powder and water. Then the whole thing is cut through and ripped over a fresh cubicle. Now each piece is thoroughly screwed and washed properly. Next is the washing. Finally, a screw of the clothes and a thorough rinse follow. My laundry was cleaner than ever before and there were spots that no washing machine produced. However, I have never seen anyone wash his clothes so thoroughly again.

The washing process has been shortened to two to three steps and is becoming more professional from time to time. However, you notice that I still need practice, because every time there is at least one piece that has not really cleaned up or still has traces of soap inside. I have to say that there is a difference between my fresh clothes and those of the locals.

But in addition to clean and thorough laundry, Africans also use care products such as creams, desserts and Co. Hygiene and physical care are really highlighted here, even if it is sometimes unimaginable for us. Anyone who has walked through the streets of Africa knows how dusty, dusty and earthly everything can be. But beds, sofas, clothes, shoes and God knows everything, are produced on this floor or built and sold, clothing of course on order. The miracle of the whole thing: you get it clean and fresh. This is because everything is thoroughly washed and brushed again before sale. Especially the furniture.

Recently we were washing our rented car. It was dusty and dusty everywhere, but the car was as clean as we rarely saw one. The washing process was taken very seriously and done thoroughly. The whole car was thoroughly screwed by hand after a soap water rinse, and twice. The only thing that was dusty at the end was our shoes. For cleaning the car and licking a plate, we paid 700/= (Kenia Schilling). That's the equivalent of 4.32€.

So and now we're going to get to the shoes. Well, the shoes! A hot topic between me and my friend and also reason for this article because we discuss it so often. Recently, he said I needed new shoes. I looked at him and said that I actually have three new pairs of shoes and I don't need any more. His answer to that, but then you have to clean it. To be fair, my sports shoes look a little dirty as they have become dirty through the safari, but still not so dirty that I would have to change or wash them, from my point of view.

Shoes are also a garment and should therefore, like everything else, be washed and kept clean again and again. My shoes are therefore already frequently washed and washed. This is because I would actually notice with somewhat dirty shoes. The positive thing about this is that everything here dries very quickly and this applies especially to shoes.

As you can see, we're all just human beings on this earth and we all want to make a well-kept impression. So, even though different standards apply here, cleanliness and hygiene are sometimes written too high here than we do in the Western world, and the natives of African countries often wonder why we walk around in half-dirty clothes. Per the phrase “there is no one here who knows me!” should not always be taken too seriously. 😉