Washing day in a Nepali valley

@JudyEv (323672)
Rockingham, Australia
February 26, 2020 8:46am CST
On our bus trip from Kathmandu to Pokhara in Nepal, we criss-crossed back and forth as we snaked our way up the side of the mountain. We also crossed some bridges that were high above the river valley below. In the middle distance on the left, you can see squares of material laid out to dry. I’m presuming they are bed sheets or duvet covers. In front, you can see long clotheslines full of clothes. Someone has done a lot of washing. I hope they had a washing machine but I wouldn’t bet on it.
21 people like this
20 responses
@thelme55 (76376)
• Germany
26 Feb 20
That photo reminds me of my childhood washing clothes with my mother and other mothers in the neighborhood. We washed our clothes in our nearby river and hung them there as well. It was a lot of fun as we also ate there like we were having a picnic.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
We saw many, many people washing their clothes in the rivers. The clothes all seem to get clean with this method.
1 person likes this
@thelme55 (76376)
• Germany
27 Feb 20
@JudyEv I think it is and fast dry, too.
1 person likes this
@just4him (303392)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
26 Feb 20
That's a lot of laundry. I'm guessing that's from many people.
4 people like this
@just4him (303392)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
27 Feb 20
@JudyEv I doubt it too.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
I'm sure it would be. At first I thought it looked like jumpers from a footy team or whatever but I doubt that's the case.
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111956)
• United States
26 Feb 20
wow that is a long one there.Lot of clothes indeed.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
Arunima thought it might be a laundry business which would make sense.
@xFiacre (12536)
• Ireland
26 Feb 20
@judyev I suppose that by the time the clothes were all hung up it was time to start at the beginning again and take them in.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
They didn't take long to dry in the sun.
• United States
26 Feb 20
I doubt they have washing machines and have done all that laundry by hand. I feel bad complaining when I have to move my clothes from the washer to the dryer
4 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
Sometimes, a photo like this puts things back in perspective a little. I'm sure I complain much less than I used to.
@arunima25 (84953)
• Bangalore, India
26 Feb 20
I assume that it's a laundry business there. We still have dhobi ( washerman) in rural areas who do this laundry business. They do hand wash and are really good and cheap for the kind of work they do. It doesn't look like a personal laundry.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
I wondered about that too. Thanks for the explanation. The clothes (not necessarily these but others that we saw) all looked really clean.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (84953)
• Bangalore, India
27 Feb 20
@JudyEv Yes. They wash it really well. Their charges are minimal and they don't use a very costly detergent too. Especially for whites and sheets and curtains their washing soda does wonder. I really appreciate their strength in the hands. They do a wonderful job.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71573)
• United States
26 Feb 20
Wow I wonder how often they have to do that much laundry. It would sure take along time hanging it all up and taking it all down.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
It would indeed. It's been suggested that it might be a laundry service which would make sense.
1 person likes this
@besweet (9431)
• Greece
26 Feb 20
It looks like a lot of washing indeed!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
Arunima thought it might be a laundry service which would make sense.
1 person likes this
@besweet (9431)
• Greece
27 Feb 20
@JudyEv It could be. Yes it makes more sense.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (454979)
• Switzerland
26 Feb 20
That is a very long clotheslines and I think that all those clothes were manually washed. A hard job!
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (454979)
• Switzerland
27 Feb 20
@JudyEv I remember my grandmother washing everything manually and her bed sheets looked a lot better than mine washed in the machine... but her job was a hard job.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
@LadyDuck Yes, my mum washed by hand for many years too. I was about 10 when she got her first washing machine. Sheets were boiled in a copper then scrubbed on a washboard.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
A hard job indeed but they still seem to be able to get the clothes really clean. We didn't get close to these but saw it elsewhere too.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246452)
• United States
26 Feb 20
I doubt they have washing machines, and definitely not dryers.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246452)
• United States
27 Feb 20
@JudyEv Could be, but I wouldn’t want to use that service.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
I'm sure you're right. Arunima suggested it might be a laundry service which seems logical.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109865)
• Los Angeles, California
26 Feb 20
Longest drying lines ever.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
They'd need nice strong poles to hold the weight.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129095)
• Israel
27 Feb 20
@JudyEv I see the laundry hanging on the lines. That looks like lots of laundry to do by hand.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
It would take me a week to wash all that clothing.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
@Hannihar The pants and hoodies just go on and on, don't they?
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129095)
• Israel
27 Feb 20
@JudyEv I do not know how long it would take me to do them.
1 person likes this
@Janet357 (75678)
27 Feb 20
so the still do the traditional washing of.clothes?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
Yes, we saw quite a few instances of women washing clothes on the edges of streams or rivers.
@leny34 (8506)
• Sidoarjo, Indonesia
26 Feb 20
looks like it's a very interesting sight. and I ask around. how many days they don't wash clothes? lol
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
It's a lot of washing, isn't it? It would take ages even with a washing machine.
@marlina (154183)
• Canada
26 Feb 20
Thank you so much for sharing that beautiful photo with us. That is a lot of laundry and it is probably for more than one family. Very possible that it was washed by hand to.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
I think it was probably a laundry service. There looks to be too much washing for one family.
@wolfgirl569 (93550)
• Marion, Ohio
26 Feb 20
It looks like the whole neighborhood washed.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
It might be a washing service - otherwise someone has a lot of clothes!
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69428)
• Germany
26 Feb 20
My grandmother used to dry the bed sheets on the lawn behind the house the weather permitting.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
Sheets take up a lot of line room.
@JustBhem (70601)
• Davao, Philippines
26 Feb 20
If it’s windy or sunny there for sure they all dry up
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
Clothes dry quickly if there is a bit of wind and/or sun.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 Feb 20
Wow! That is alot of laundry and I'm almost sure it was all done by hand. Beautiful country!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
It might be a laundrey service and yes, I guess it's been done by hand.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203478)
• Nashville, Tennessee
26 Feb 20
Reminds me of my grandmother, she used a washer but never a dryer, always a clothesline.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 20
We never had driers growing up but we didn't really need them. I have one now but don't use it a lot.
1 person likes this