Reader Challenge March 2010

At my new apartment, I do my laundry by hand out on the patio. This whole not-having-a-wash-machine kinda stinks, but week by week I am getting used to it, and it reminds of how spoiled I have been up to now. Most people I know do their laundry by hand. (Or hire someone else to come to their house to do it at a rate of 20 or so pieces for ~12Bs., less than $2.) Anyway, it takes me a looong time, and I inevitably end up sunburned unless I am reapplying sunblock every half hour. Which, quite frankly, is a pain in the butt, so I basically always get sunburned, even if it is just my hands and forearms. (The sun is fierce!!) I cannot afford to be sunburned so often (or at all!), so this week, I gave up and retreated into my kitchen and washed a few loads of laundry there. (A bit of a throwback to my dad's bachelor days.) The sink is much smaller, and even though I was physically much more comfortable, I realize this cannot be a permanent solution as I need to wash dishes, prepare meals, etc., in my kitchen. So, the challenge for all you readers is to help me figure out how I can rig something over my utility sink, allowing me to do laundry like a normal dweller in Bolivia. I've already thought of things like a huge beach umbrella, but I don't know how I would make it stay. Maybe a trellis where I could grow grape vines? The thing is, at this point, immediacy is an issue. A couple of things to note: There are planters on either side of the sink, which my landlady plans to plant flowers in at some point in the future. I am renting, so I am not sure how many holes I can make. And I don't have many tools. So there you go. Let me know what you think!