How to keep your whites white in Africa

Le 26 fevrier   Well, this should be a short entry.

Even at home, I tend not to wear too much white. White is a tough color to have in your wardrobe, because after only a few washings the white turns to off-white, and soon to a slightly yellowish color. Great.

Before coming to Rwanda, however, I picked up a few t-shirts that would be nice enough, versatile, and I could just leave them to someone once I go – they’re blue, gray, dark gray, and white. WHITE. What was I thinking?

Needless to say, it’s been a pain in the neck. I’m not quite sure how the nuns can wear white habits so fearlessly and keep them so crisp and clean. I’ve been learning a whole lot about washing clothes by hand since I’ve been here, and I realize that part of the trick is making it a process, not a one-and-done type of deal.

I’ve watched as the sisters come to the washing area, fill up their bucket, and then scrub some soap into their clothes, putting extra elbow grease into any stains. Here comes the important part – they let them sit. They let the water and soap tackle the stains while they go off to do other things. From here, they may come back later (or even the next day) to continue washing and then rinse by hand or even throw them into the washing machine. (Yes, we do have a washing machine, but it’s used once or twice a week and fits not more than 5 habits.)

This seems to do the trick for the sisters. Truly, they should get some kind of award for this, because I’m still struggling. I’m not sure exactly what their secret is, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it has something to do with being devout Christians.