Citizens and residents call for more checks on laundry, dry-clean units in Bahrain

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Citizens and residents in Bahrain are urging the authorities to step up checks on laundry shops and dry-cleaning units as, according to them, some of them are not following the prescribed hygiene standards.  They say, most often, many launderers mix up clothes of families and bachelors, and “there are many laundry outlets who don’t perform the task as per expected standards despite charging heavy bucks”. Highlighting the need to regulate the functioning of these laundries, they said there has to be a uniformity in the charging of services offered.

Speaking to The Daily Tribune, Siddique M K, a resident urged the authorities to kick-start regular inspections to ensure hygiene and licensing rules are strictly followed at all laundries and dry-cleaning units. “I have been regularly depending on nearby laundries for washing and ironing my clothes as I have no time for myself to do these tasks. I have found that most of the time the laundered clothes would have a bad odour and are not really clean.

“Whenever I complain, the laundry shop staff get angry and show me the door to get out. I don’t know what hygiene standards are followed when these people bundle all these clothes together before transporting them to different customers.” Another resident Ramshankar P said his wife would send her clothes for dry-cleaning and would get them returned without dry-cleaning. “They would wash them, iron them and return after packing in plastic bags and charge us exorbitant rates.”

“I have begun to wash clothes myself after losing trust in these people. Most of the time, the services are so poor that clothes come back with stains and dirt.” A female citizen, who doesn’t want to be named, said she experienced skin irritation and itching after receiving clothes from a nearby laundry. “I have stopped my dependence on laundry and dry-cleaning services, for they absolutely lack hygiene.”

A source said using cheap or bad-quality detergents could be the reason behind skin irritation. “They buy sub-standard detergents to save money without thinking that the socalled customers could get infections and itching.” According to dermatologists, skin diseases including dermatitis, scabies and fungal diseases could be spread by mixing clothes if they are washed properly.

They say the chances of spreading skin diseases are quite high if the clothes are not properly washed in hot water. When asked, a Bangladeshi national, who runs a laundry rubbished these allegations. “If you take any business segment, there are best, average and worst services offered.

I don’t know why these people are behind the laundry sector. “ Nobody is forcing anyone to wash their clothes. There are hundreds of laundries in Bahrain offering services ranging from good to worst. “If a particular customer is unsatisfied with a particular service offered by a laundry, he/she can always approach another.”

He said it is easy to blame launderers without understanding the struggles they are going through. “We do this for our survival and to support our families back home. No one has become a millionaire in Bahrain  by running a laundry. Please stop targeting us.” In Bahrain , laundry men, on a minimum, charge 300 fils to wash shirts, 400 fils to wash trousers and 800 fils to wash suits while something between 600 fils to BD1.2 is charged for various clothes worn by women.