The Adventures of an Italian Laundress: Part I
Today’s word is: Asciugabiancheria (pron. Ah shoo-gah bee ahnk-air-eeyah). The Italian/English dictionary defines asciugabiancheria as “clothes horse”. However, I tried using the word out in everyday conversation and it turns out that it doesn’t mean the kind of clothes horse I was thinking about (i.e. a person with a penchant for hording attractive attire).
Asciugabiancheria actually refers to…well… any means of drying clothing. “How many ways are there?,” you might ask. More
than you might imagine. It amazes me how uninterested the Italian population is in modern technology. Dryers exist almost exclusively in public laundromats. That’s right folks, can we say, “Clothes Line”?! I’d have to say that probably 90% if not more of Italians hang their clothes up to dry on either the oldfashioned clothesline or the slightly more modern “clothes horse” pictured above left (also referred to as a stendibiancheria). This is actually a deluxe model. The one I have is a sort of folding table with a series of evenly-spaced dowels instead of the tabletop.
This technologically advanced version on the right is another drying option, though I’m not sure if it ever became popular. It guarantees dry clothes in 1-2 hours and warms the atmosphere at the same time!
But this is just the beginning of doing laundry in Italy…
Hi Shira! I just wanted to let you know that I am finishing my first tour of Italy on Saturday! We went to Rome, Venice, Lake Garda, Florence, and back to Rome. It has been amazing – I understand why you would want to stay here! Anyway, if you have a moment, drop me a line . . . hope all is well (and that your laundry is drying okay)! Ciao Bella! Christina J.
Sounds complicated… I do have one of those clothes horse things, but I only use it for delicates and things you can’t put in the dryer. It must seriously take 35 years to do laundry! I hope Luca does his own!
Dear Mrs Shira, i wuont disagree with her abaut the uninterested of the Italian population have with the modern technology. We have one television with remote control, 1 pc with 486 cpu with 56 kbite modem connected (we have internet, you know!) and a VHS video recorded in everi middle class house. In every kitcien almost one blender and most important tings we have one bulb lamp in every room. So a most deeper investigation is needed to your post. take care, regards.