Speaking about clothes

[Guest guest]

> My biggest problem in really adopting simple living would be to loose my

> washingmashine.

> I have tried the "bliss" of washing on a fire amidst 20 degrees cero,

> while having three small children. It is not an experience I would like to

> resume, and it would definately not be up to standard devotee-cleanliness.

> Apart from that all your time is gone getting water, making fire, washing,

> drying. I also recall using practically all day washing when visiting

> India with my kids, since I did not like the thought of letting others

> wash my clothes, actually we used most of the nights too, since the boys

> got very sick, but that was at least in a warmer climate.

> Anybody out there being happy doing it the good old way? Any simple

> alternatives to a washingmaschine in cold climates?

> Maybe living by a river is a different experience.

>

> Your servant Gunamani d.d.

 

Yeah, cold climates are really tough.

 

I have seen pictures of simple mechanical washing machines in the US.

Basicaly they are like hexagonal metal chambers with tight fitting lids,

attached to an axle with a handle that you just turn (looks a bit like a

cement mixer). If you set up a good size kitchen with a large draining area,

you could do the washing in front of the woodburning stove using one of

those, keeping a big pot of water hot. If you have water up the hill, you

can have a gravity fed water supply in the kitchen, or alternatively have a

windmill, or ox power unit pump it up into a tank.

 

When I was a bramachary on padayatra, I used to just fill a bucket with

water add a little of that cheap yellow powder, add the clothes and stomp on

them for five minutes. Ok so they weren't the cleanest (with saffron you

cant tell so well), but if you avoid going out in the bright sunshine, and

use castor oil lamps you cant notice the stains (so practical those lamps)!

I think we have been spoiled also by 'biological' 'whiter than white'

'whiter than you ever thought possible' advertising slogans. In modern

society also its embarrasing to walk around in stained clothes. I guess the

trick is to wear dark colours, and hide in the shadows? In south India I

have also seen them using 'soap nuts' from a tree, that seem to work quite

well, and dont pollute the river.

 

I think in our communities we can overlook the odd stain, after all we arent

supposed to be worldly. You mentioned devotee cleanliness standards, but I

feel ours may be artificialy high due to the chemical products we are used

to in the west. I was quite surprised when I was on Indian Padayatra, when I

witnessed the way the brahmins wash, you know, having only one set of cloth,

you wash it, then spread it to dry, take bath, and when you are finished the

cloth is dry. Well they dont use 'Fairy Snow' or 'Dazz'. Nope they just

pound the old dhoti on a rock, and rinse it, and dry it on the ground. It is

not often white, but it is clean, as practicaly as you can get. Actualy some

do use soap now, but that just adds to the pollution in the holy rivers and

tanks. In many places they started to educate the people not to use soap in

the holy tanks, or kunds.

 

Here in Mauritius they just have a big stone out back with a large tub of

water next to it, and a scrubbing brush. As I type I can hear my mother in

law scrubbing away outside the window, she would type hello, but her hands

are wet. Of course it is warm here, but you could always set such a thing up

in a kitchen also.

 

YS Samba das