Segamat.com

From Johor - New Straits Time
24th November 2011
By Mohd Izham Unnip Abdullah

SEGAMAT: Despite the competition posed by modern launderettes, traditional dhoby still has a place and demand in the market as it offers a service like no other.

M. Meyyammal, watched by a family member, points to the big wok where dirty laundry is boiled first.

Unlike the launderettes, traditional dhoby operators still resort to hand-washing with minimal use of detergent, yet producing an end-result similar to that of machine-washed fabric, if not better.

M. Meyyammal, 68, is probably the very few left in Johor  still operating this sunset industry from a shoplot in Jalan Sekolah here. She said the traditional method will minimise the possibility of colour-fading and damage to fabric, which explains why there is still a market for her service. "This is a family business started in 1952. Although age is catching up with me, my children are helping out and this has alleviated my burden," she said.

Under the traditional method, Meyyammal said fabric are divided based on the materials before they are boiled in a big wok for about 25 minutes. This is to kill  odour-causing bacteria and erase tough stains. The fabric is then taken out from the hot water and left to cool down before they are soaked in water with minimal detergent for another 30 minutes. After that,  they are brushed to remove any leftover stains.

During days of fine weather, Meyyammal said laundry passed to her in the early morning will be ready for collection by afternoon. The service charge for a pair of trousers  and a long-sleeved shirt is RM1.50 each, while a short-sleeved shirt will be charged RM1.20. "We are still using wooden washboards as heavy as five kilogrammes for cleaning the fabric," she said. Meyyammal washes up to 40 pieces of apparel per day. She said she has to control the number because hand-washing is both time and energy-consuming.

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