
My Opinion | Apr 04,2020
Dec 9 , 2023
By Carolyn Kissane
While doing laundry over the weekend, I began video chatting with a friend from overseas. Amid our lively conversation, I told him to give me a moment while I loaded the socks and got back to him. He quickly pointed out that I could have thrown them with the batch that was complete instead of loading a new one which could have saved time and resources. He smirked and added a comment that soap was designed to clean everything.
Perplexed, I paused for a moment, asking myself if washing socks and clothes separately was not a common practice. He contemplated that it might be a cultural difference since he is from another country.
I am aware there is a certain way I like to do my house chores, especially when it comes to cleaning. Apart from taking my time to make sure the dishes are shiny or the clothes are properly cleaned, there are orders I follow.
I avoid soaking, assuming the stain would remain. Instead, I take my time giving each corner of the cloth, sleeves and collar a thorough scrub before changing the water and repeating the process a few more times before rinsing. As a result, while some members of my family would complete similar tasks in less than an hour, it sometimes takes me the entire day.
This is precisely why I resented constantly washing my blue jeans and white sneakers. Since I did not have the time to be meticulous, I switched to lace-less shoes and black pants at some point that could be worn for more days. I tried delegating the task to others assuming that everyone follows a similar pattern. Little did I know the art of cleaning chores does not come with a manual.
When I began to use a washing machine, it paved the way for effortless cleaning, especially on heavy loads such as bed linens and drapes. But the order of doing things has not changed much. I still took care of my dark and colourful clothes on the first round while socks and undergarments were dealt with consecutively. After I had kids, a separate round had made its way with their loads of laundry.
But I believed seemingly simple chores like doing laundry had a common understanding. My friend challenged me by comparing the situation to how soap is used to clean every part of the body when taking a shower while I argued that there are different types of soaps for multiple purposes. An antibacterial soap used after a toilet deed does not pass as a face wash, especially for sensitive skin.
Our debate continued and we decided to turn to Google. Apart from protocols that which fabrics determine at which temperature clothes should be washed, the quick search appeared to be on my side for a moment.
It revealed that socks can be a hub for bacteria and fungi with concentrated perspiration and impurities, recommending washing them separately to avoid possible cross-contamination. The same caution is applied to underwear where throwing them with other clothes might be a cause of pathogens in the urinary tract. My victorious lap was momentary. Further digging indicated that everything could be washed together as long as a high-quality detergent was used.
It got me thinking about common sense -a phrase that is used with a confident familiarity- is not that common. It has more to it than meets the eye.
Perspectives are shaped by upbringing, education and social experiences. Meanwhile, a web of personal experiences, ingrained presumptions and cultural influences usually pass for objective reality. The subjectivity of the human experience is one of the factors contributing to this false sense of shared understanding.
Overestimating our limited knowledge as the only right way go beyond the art of doing laundry. It might lead to potentially disastrous decisions based on false presumptions of "common sense."
PUBLISHED ON
Dec 09,2023 [ VOL
24 , NO
1232]
My Opinion | Apr 04,2020
Viewpoints | Sep 21,2019
View From Arada | Mar 07,2020
Commentaries | Jun 07,2025
My Opinion | Feb 26,2022
My Opinion | Dec 21,2019
Commentaries | Mar 12,2022
Commentaries | Sep 10,2022
Viewpoints | Feb 04,2023
Commentaries | Jul 27,2019
Photo Gallery | 134144 Views | May 06,2019
My Opinion | 133750 Views | Aug 14,2021
My Opinion | 130293 Views | Aug 21,2021
My Opinion | 128068 Views | Sep 10,2021
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
Aug 23 , 2025
Banks have a new obsession. After decades chasing deposits and, more recently, digita...
Aug 16 , 2025
A decade ago, a case in the United States (US) jolted Wall Street. An ambulance opera...
Aug 9 , 2025
In the 14th Century, the Egyptian scholar Ibn Khaldun drew a neat curve in the sand....
Aug 2 , 2025
At daybreak on Thursday last week, July 31, 2025, hundreds of thousands of Ethiop...
Aug 23 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
The fuel industry is facing its biggest shakeup in decades as federal regulators roll...
Aug 23 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
Two domestic companies, IE Networks and Liyana Healthcare, have emerged as the first...
Aug 23 , 2025 . By NAHOM AYELE
A new directive authorises state-run hospitals and clinics to outsource not only non...
Aug 23 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
The federal government has turned its attention to an unlikely export sector: healthc...