Doing Laundry

11 Jamal 164 B.E. – Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Someone came to fix the dryer yesterday. The technician put in new rollers inside under the tub of the dryer. The dryer doesn’t squeak any more. The dryer runs without making any disturbing noises. I can now do laundry without hanging it out on the line, there are exception but those are small and not things like sheets and towels. I still have to completely catch up on the laundry and remake my bed, but I’m getting there and should have the laundry caught up today sometime. It’s nice to have both a washer and a dryer that works.

Anyway, I spent most of the day finishing the laundry and drying cloths. I don’t know how my Grandmother survived without an automatic washer for so long. It’s amazing what kinds of technology we can and can’t do without. It was difficult for me to wash cloths and hang them on the line or the patio. However, for years before the advent of wringer washing machines, my Grandmother wash her cloths on a scrub board (I think that’s what it was called), wrung them out and hung them on the line. When the wringer washer came along, my Grandfather got her one. I can remember her using it. For years, she would put the cloths in the washer, wash them and put them through the wringer. then she would put the cloths into wash tubs and rinse them. I used to watch Grandma do this, I used to help her. She always warned us to be careful not to get our hands caught in the wringer. After the last rinse (Grandma always rinsed her cloths twice) she hung them on the line to dry.

Today we take automatic washers and dryers for granted until they need maintenance and we can’t use them for a while. Only when deprived of modern conveniences do we appreciate them. OK, there has to be a story plot here and a lesson as well.