A World of Washing

According to Swedish statistician Hans Rosling, around 2 out of 7 billion people in the world have access to washing machines, which leaves approx. 5 billion, 71.4%, who still hand wash their clothes.

Here in the UK we take our washing machine for granted, that we can use a range of effective washing products and have no shortage of water. This is not the case in many parts of the world where both power and water are in limited supply. Wherever you go in the world, people need to do laundry. It’s a routine part of life that is carried out differently from one country to the next.

Often laundry ‘techniques’ are passed down from generation to generation. Much of this process being based on culture and habit and of course circumstances. Many people dream of moving up from hand washing to a semi-automatic or automatic machine, or a smaller step to washing products that produce less suds and therefore require less rinsing and trips to the well or water source.

Although a point of contention in some countries, namely the US, washing is hung out to dry in most places around the world. Nature’s way of taking care of the last stage in the laundry process that involves no electricity and no cost.

UK abstract colourist and visionary artist Mahlia Amatina, is based in Reading but it is her international background that inspires her passionate abstract art.

Inspired by the book ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ by Jules Verner, Mahlia created a multi-sensory art installation based on 80 washing line photos from 80 different countries. This project, opened in late 2017, highlights global culture and diversity, as well as the universally accepted notion of hanging our clothes out to dry.

Mahlia was initially captivated by the prayer flags strung out along the mountains in the Himalayas, the flags reminded her of washing lines and how this simple task of laundry connects us, all around the globe.

Here we take a look at some of the stunning images that inspired Mahlia and which remind us that wherever we are, we still need to do laundry, and that this is often not such a simple task for some.

Mahlia’s artistic inspiration stems from the varied landscapes and flavours of her global travels. Her wanderlust and love of the world fuels her mission to strive for understanding and continued kinship.

Next time you do the laundry give some thought to those who are doing the same task but under different circumstances. At Christeyns our continued goal is to produce laundry solutions that cut down on energy and water usage and to make this necessary part of daily life as eco-friendly as possible.

Thank you to Mahlia for allowing us to use some of her images and if you would like to see more of her work please visit Mahlia Amatina