Scrub it... or it won't be clean.

[manofthecoldland]

   Early this morning the wife told me she wanted to hire a washing woman since her back was paining her lately. "What.... for P 100 ?", I innocently asked.  "No. P 300." was the snapped reply.  I was apparently unaware of my state of ignorance in this particular matter... and ignoring the tone of her response, foolishly pursued the matter further. Apparently I had unintentionally  ventured into a literal  'No Man's Land', where neither my male opinion or outsider cultural viewpoint on the matter was needed or wanted. The laundry thing must be a sacred women's domain thing with her I would soon discover because the issue didn't seem open to discussion.... she defended it like a Greek Amazon warrior defended their sacred temple of Isis.

    "Why so much?",  I politely inquired. "After all, you soaked the clothes overnight.... we have an agitator washing machine to wash them. Won't the woman just have to rinse them in the tub, wring them out and hang them? You have a hose with running water. There aren't many clothes to wash. We don't really get them very dirty a'tall." 

   "They have to be scrubbed." she curtly replied with furrowed brow. I could now sense that she uncharacteristically upset with me. I was now perplexed by her bizarre and unusually aggressive response .... what sort of button had I accidentally pushed that turned my sweet, always agreeable wife into  something akin to a picketing women's Libber ?

   "Why do they have to be scrubbed ?....  I mean, they're not stained nor have any visible dirt and grit embedded in them? ... can't she just run them through two wash cycles instead of hand scrubbing everything as well?  Now a days, most women in my country don't use scrub brushes and scrubbing boards for their entire loads.... that why we have machines with electric motors doing the work."   I was trying to offer reason, but was just putting my foot in deeper now it seemed because she said, "OK. I'll just do it myself."  Then she went silent on me and stopped responding. 

   Realizing the error of my ways (sort of.... maybe she thought I didn't love her enough to alleviate her aching back by hiring help), I now began to apologize  and exclaimed a new-found eagerness to hire a washer woman for her. I wasn't sure, but maybe it was too late. Maybe the damage was done.  Seemed that way at the moment.

   "By the way, honey.... what's for breakfast?"  I now cheerily asked, hoping I had defused the issue.

   "Rice and dried fish."  she told me.  She let it sink in for effect I guess...... finally after an eternity of scowling at me... she broke out into a laugh.   

   Think I'll keep my mouth shut on this matter in the future. Only a fool picks arguments with the cook.

   I still remain in ignorance as to the Filipinas' steadfast fixation on arduously scrubbing all the clothes. 

[intrepid]

Wow do I understand your pain and being perplexed in this situation.  I have been there with this washing of cloths issue as well as several similar issues.  As much as I would like to advise or comment in an effort to help you, I fear all I would do is muddy the wash water and put my feet in deeper along side of you.  Well at least maybe you finally got some breakfast..

[Mike J]

We started getting ours done about a month ago.  Price is 28 peso per kilo, wash, dried, and folded.  I think that is a bargain when you consider they are supplying the labor, water, power, soap, bleach, softner, etc.  I am going to have my wife ask if they do ironing as I have a few dress shirts and a couple barongs that look much better when ironed.

[graham59]

My Mrs is the same (and the live-in niece).

Waste my money buying a washing machine, when they still spend half the day scrubbing clothes in a bowl  ... that were probably worn for an hour.  

We won't change them... and water is cheap here, thank goodness. 

[GeoffH]

Yup... same here, bought a new twin tub washing machine and it gets used and then the clothes are washed again (and scrubbed) in big plastic tubs.  When I first noticed this I was confused, I glanced at the father in law, he shook his head slightly and was asked if I'd like to go out the front for a beer (which isn't common for us in the middle of the day), once there he subtly suggested that we 'not get involved with the women and the washing'.

 

It sounds like that was very good advice 

Edited January 16, 2019 by GeoffH

[Guy F.]

I let the wife's faithful family servant hand wash my clothes ONCE. My underwear came back comically stretched out. Never again.

I agree that the commercial laundries are an unbeatable deal.

Edited January 16, 2019 by Guy F.

[Old55]

Geoff, 

You got lucky. Great wife and family. Wise father in law. Mine is a gem too!

[Gary D]

After 20 years of using automatic washing machines my wife is fully on my side. No beating it to death at ther local pump for her.

[Gratefuled]

This is funny. Like you can take the girl out of the jungle but you can't take the jungle out of the girl. 

My wife is as educated as most but she still likes to wash her own clothes by hand and I let her. I bought a nice new washing machine and dryer long time ago but I'm the only one who uses it. 

 I had to put up a clothes line for her in the back so she could hang her wet clothes while mine get dried in an hour or less. 

Funny also is that my neighbors can afford a nice new car but will do their laundry the old fashion way. 

I know, its none of my business, just curious. 

[sonjack2847]

19 hours ago, Mike J said:

We started getting ours done about a month ago.  Price is 28 peso per kilo, wash, dried, and folded.  I think that is a bargain when you consider they are supplying the labor, water, power, soap, bleach, softner, etc.  I am going to have my wife ask if they do ironing as I have a few dress shirts and a couple barongs that look much better when ironed.

My wife does the laundry by hand or gets her friend to do it.We have a laundry shop 150 yards away which is 25 kilo or 35 for larger items.100 peso a week would probably be the cost for us.You have to ignore the handwash have a beer and keep your nose out haha