There is a myth or misconception about laundry in Uganda that dates as far back as clothes themselves. I’m particularly not sure why a good number of Ugandans are not accustomed to the term “laundry” itself. Many find it complex a word to use or when used.

When used, many are quick to associate it with dry cleaning or some form of expensive service used by the rich. And yet, by simple definition, laundry is just garments that can be cleaned by laundering. In other words, when your clothes become dirty, your bed sheets, cushion covers, table linen etc, all that is considered laundry. That’s why you have a laundry basket. 

In the period proceeding the ancient African traditional society, laundry was largely left to women as the primary caretakers of the home. Even in present-day life, women have largely remained the backbone of the laundry cycle in different homes. This is a mere continuation of a customary practice under which most house chores were left to the ladies. 

Even those that don’t wash their own clothes will attest to the fact that often time a woman comes into their homestead to tend to their laundry for a fee. Although men have been known to establish small washing points (laundromats), commonly referred to as “dobbi” where people, mostly bachelors and bachelorettes or otherwise, would drop off their clothes to have them washed and ironed, most homesteads have always turned to women to get their laundry washed.

The introduction of washing machines—proceeding electrical flat irons further modernized the laundry industry across the globe although at different intervals. Washing machines expanded the commercialization of the laundry industry as they brought more efficiency and effectiveness to the process while dryers helped to further cut down on the turnaround time. Today, the global standard turnaround time, factoring in pickups and deliveries ranges between 24-to-48 hours. In some cases, it’s even less than 24 hours. This is usually regarded as express services, one which you can also find on the HobyClean app.

And as technology has continued to advance, people no longer need to walk into laundromats or even leave the laundry burden to women, mothers, wives or housemaids/helpers. Using their smartphones and computers, people/customers can place laundry orders for wash & fold and dry cleaning services with most laundry apps while with the HobyClean app—you can even subscribe monthly to have your clothes picked and washed on a weekly basis by a service provider of your choice.

Treating your wife or house help like a washing machine is something of the past, especially when you have the means and access to affordable alternatives like those that HobyClean avails. Unlike in the past, today laundry services are more accessible and affordable. Unfortunately, many still think that laundromats only do DRY CLEANING—a preserve for those with fancy clothes, while others think that outsourcing your laundry is for the rich only. Well, that’s not the case in modern-day life. 

Laundry services, beyond just dry cleaning, are now, more than ever before becoming more affordable and can be conveniently accessed. HobyClean’s introduction of monthly subscription baskets for families is destined to become the crown jewel of the modern-day laundry industry. Middle-class income families/households and those above it will be pretty excited at this.

Laundry burdens will be a mystery for wives and mothers in a modern family.