PENANG: It is like going back in time.
TRADITIONAL CLEANING: A Muniandy (right) with his worker washing the clothes. — Bernama photo
That is how one feels after taking a walk through the narrow lane of Dobi Ghaut settlement in Penang.
This settlement located between Jalan Air Hitam and York Road, is occupied by traditional Indian laundry cleaning service providers who have been operating there generations after generations.
Long lines of linen including colourful sarees – bright red, yellow, green and blue – left to dry under the sun dominate the view.
The trade here has hardly changed since it started more than 100 years ago, with the laundry still being hand washed and pressed using charcoal iron. Many of them operate within old wooden structures and the settlement is obscured by the rapid development in the surrounding area.
Nonetheless, the days of these dhobi men and their trade seems to be numbered.
This is because the number of dhobi entrepreneurs have steadily declined with currently only 13 of them left in the trade.
One of the last dhobi men, A Ramu, 65, recalled that in the 1970s there were about 150 of them in the area providing the dhobi service.
“The rest have passed on or shifted to other places,” said Ramu who has been in this business for the last 50 years.
Ramu, who is the third generation to undertake the family business, laments that the younger generation is no longer keen in the business.
It is a tough life for these dhobi men especially with limited number of helping hands nowadays and the competition from launderettes and washing machines at home.
They are still in the trade due to the labour of love.
Though modern launderettes use sophisticated washing machines, the dhobi entrepreneurs are sticking to their traditional method of hand wash.
Ramu who is assisted by his younger brother, Muniandy, 62, starts work at 8 am and continues until 8 pm daily.
Muniandy, admitted that the traditional laundry washing process is time consuming and labourious.
“In the old days we used to wash the laundry in the nearby Air Terjun river,” he told Bernama.
But it is no longer the case now as the washing chore is done in-house using tap water because the river water is no longer clean.
“First, the clothes are soaked with detergent before being scrubbed and rinsed.
“Then it is dried under the sun and pressed,” he said.
The laundry is then sent to their respective owners using another traditional method – bicycle.
“Me and my brother cycle to collect and deliver our customer’s laundry around George Town and Bayan Baru,” said Muniandy while washing the laundry.
It takes them two days to wash and another two days to dry and iron the clothes.
“The customers will get their laundry about one week after we collect them,” he said.
The brothers charge between RM1 and RM8 to wash and press per laundry item depending on its size, and they wash between 100kg and 150kg of laundry daily.
— Bernama
Another of the last dhobi man, V Manoharan, 42, the fourth generation in this business, pointed out that many still prefer hand washed clothes.
“Though washing machines are the norm now, but there are still some who like their clothes to be washed the old way,” he said.
No matter what, these dhobi men are all well aware of the fate awaiting their trade.
But, Lebuh Ghaut will be remembered by the locals for what it was once known, ‘Vannan Thora Tedal’, literally meaning the laundry district in Tamil. — Bernama