Ever wonder what the Whirlpool washer does after you hit the start button? Me neither. But just in case you ever do, or ever want to go "back to basics", watch this video of Gregoria telling me how to hand wash my clothes.
Gregoria: "Brice are your going to wash your clothes?"
Unfortunately, my follow up video of me explaining the process in English refuses to upload, so you just have to imagine that she making sure I do it right. If you understand Spanish, or took Spanish in high school (Que hora es?!) then you probably caught the process: get the clothes wet, soap 'em up, scrub them if they are durable, rinse them 4 time until there is not soap or dirt in the water, hang them up inside out. That's the basics, but in reality, if Gregoria's watching you... you make you sure do it the way she taught you. Turn out the pockets, scrub the insides, shake out the wrinkles, etc; or else, she'll take the clothes from you and do it herself (kinda degrading).
Teaching gringos (first Peter, then Ian, then Laura, and now Brice), has been a time honored pass-time for Gregoria and her Peace Corps kids. She prides herself knowing that none of her kids are going to starve or look crusty when living in the campo (rural parts) of Peru. For me, it was a rite of passage to have my jeans pass the Gregoria test (they didn't smell like dirt or soap, and I remembered to hang them inside-out).
To sum it all up, hand washing clothes can be good. With it's mindless labor and nostalgic (shout out to Mariah) feel, I don't mind it. However, it is a pain to have to set aside one hour a week, and plan to not have certain clothes for 1-3 days (drying time depending on the sun). For now, it's too early to tell if this will be something I continue to do after Peace Corps, but don't be surprised if you see me at Vann's Appliances when I return.
