HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF LAUNDRY HERE IN THE

PHILIPPINES:

HISTORY OF LAUNDRY HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES:

 Throughout history, millions upon millions of people have done
laundry or washed their clothes. Considered one of the oldest and
simplest of domestic duties, it historically took a significant amount of
time and effort. Individuals created easier methods of doing laundry
over time that did not place as much burden on their time and bodies.

 This Filipino custom has a large impact on the country’s pop culture.
TV shows usually portray provincial girls doing their laundry in the
river while the men are lurking in the background to get a view. In an
atypical example, the movie entitled “Hindi Pa Tapos ang Labada,
Darling” (The Laundry is Not Done Yet, Darling) shows the husband
doing the laundry.
The art of Labada is an intricate process mastered by a labandera. It
involves the soaking, kneading, and wringing of clothes.

 For the more traditional types, washing clothes by hand is still

preferred. If you visit the Philippines, you will find most Filipinos prefer
to use the services of a ‘labandera’ (laundress) over a laundry
machine. It is believed that manually removing dirt and stains from
clothes is more effective.

 To the novice, washing clothes is very arduous work and often times
lead to sore and painful hands. The strong chemicals in the soap
irritate the skin and causes peeling. But to a labandera, labada is a
huge part of her survival.
EVOLUTION OF LAUNDRY HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES:

  a group of women huddled by the river, washing and beating

clothes with a piece of wood known as palu-palo. Indeed, there
was a time in the Philippines when women were solely
responsible for doing laundry. While it varies by community,
the traditional method of washing clothes is done by hand. Rich
households, on the other hand, could hire a labandera to hand
wash their large pile of laundry.

 Years later, washing machines were introduced to the market

to make everyone's work faster and easier. However, they
were very expensive in those days when the convenience of
doing laundry was considered a luxury. But washing clothes
using a basin/washbowl and beating clothes with a piece of
wood stays iconic and it’s part of our tradition as a Filipino.

 However, thanks to continuous innovation in the laundry

industry, Filipinos now have another option for making laundry
less of a chore. Although Laundromats existed in the United
States as early as the 1930s, it wasn't until the late 1990s that
they became popular in the Philippines.