Laundry, Tanzanian style

Another quick post about daily life here in Tanzania.  Any mention of our domestic life would not be complete without mention of Mary, our "house mom" or housekeeper.  She is wonderful.  Tricia has on more than one occasion proclaimed Mary to be her favorite Tanzanian.  Mary helps with dishes and keeping the kitchen clean, and shares with Tricia the never-ending task of keeping the kitchen's ant population at bay.  She also brings new bedding - this week we got princess and Spiderman sheets!  And for an extra fee (which we gladly pay, she helps with our laundry).

Laundry in Tanzania is made more difficult by a number of factors.  We haven't seen, nor have we heard rumors of, a washing machine or dryer since we arrived in the country.  Although I don't doubt that they exist, most Tanzanians do their laundry by hand.  We've learned to hand wash things in the sink, mostly things we don't want displayed in the yard or things that can't be ironed.  Anything hung outside to dry must be ironed before wearing as mango flies love to lay their eggs in any fabric left outdoors.  And since the ambient temperature is usually somewhere between 80 and 90 degrees Farenheit and the occupants of our house have been known to climb Kilimanjaro, swim in crater lakes, and generally sweat their way around the countryside, there is almost always laundry drying in the yard and on any available makeshift clothesline in the house. Things that have been repurposed for clotheslines include the detatchable shoulder straps from our duffle bags and the multiple pane windows (below) and the phone line to a non-functioning, rotary-style land line in our house.

Laundry hanging outside (below).  Mary, likely from years of practice, is much better at laundry than we are.  She manages to do it much more quickly, and with less splashing all over the kitchen and a much fresher-smelling result.  Have I mentioned yet how much we love Mary?