laundry

It stopped raining today.

The sky is still gray and it looks like it could start again at any minute.  The weather forecast says rain is likely tomorrow and for the rest of the week, and probably beyond.

Chongqing is in the humid sub-tropical monsoon climate belt, and is “characterized by mild weather, with an annual average temperature of 18 C (64 F).  Chongqing receives abundant rainfall, averaging about 1,000 to 1,400 millimeters (39 to 55 inches) annually. However, it has the lowest annual sunshine in China, mainly because of fog and mist.”

mirco-washing machine for tiny loads

Right now, the humidity is a lowish 78%, and the temperature is 68 degrees F.  The average humidity for Chongqing in winter is 85%, and from October through late November, Chongqing is mostly cloudy and rainy.  One website lists the total annual HOURS of sunshine for Chongqing (1055).  That seems high to me right now.

   

Looking out the window over my computer, past my hanging laundry, I see most balconies also have laundry hanging out to dry.  After 10 days of nearly non-stop rain, this is obviously laundry day.  My sheets, one at a time, are next up for the washing machine.  This is a big risk because I’m not sure they will dry by tonight.

hmmm, what to choose?

It usually takes days for things to dry because the Chinese do not have clothes dryers; that appliance uses too much energy and there is an energy shortage in this country. Last week, it took 5 days for my jeans to dry, and I kept checking to see if they were molding.  Eventually, I brought everything in, draped it all around 1 room, closed the door, and turned the AC on with its highest temperature, leaving me to wonder if using the AC as a clothes dryer takes more or less energy than an actual clothes dryer.  Am I being a damp-clothes wimp?  Should I figure out how to put a clothesline up inside?  Or, should I just do my part to conserve energy and wear the damp clothes?  Stop doing laundry?

fan for clothes drying

On exceptionally nice days, when it’s sort of sunny, every conceivable laundry item is hung all around the campus housing areas.  Railings, bushes, branches, fences, and balconies all get a colorful covering.

When I lived with a host family last summer in Chengdu, they did my laundry for me, and I was really grateful not only for their generous help, but that I bought new underwear.  It was distracting to look up while eating dinner to see my underwear dripping just beyond the table.  As it turns out, they weren’t just being generous; there’s a Chinese custom of hand-washing socks and underwear separately from the rest of the laundry.  The PC briefed us about this cultural difference and encouraged us to follow that procedure so we wouldn’t cause our hosts undue stress.  Even with that briefing, many PCVs ran into laundry trouble with their hosts.  At least I avoided that. 

Now, what to do with my wet clothes?