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Last of the South Indian dhobis: Traditional washing method still used at Bendemeer laundry shop

The traditional method of washing dhotis and saris is still used at a laundry shop in Bendemeer that has survived for five decades

Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. Left: After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with
Garments being hung up to dry in the limited space behind the shop. For decades, the laundry used to be dried across St George’s Lane in an open field. But soon-to-be- completed BTO flats now stand on this plot. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. Left: After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with
Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. Left: After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with
Mr Thandapani, 40, a full-time employee at the dhobi, starching a pile of dhotis in the backyard. Starching minimises wrinkling and helps to protect the fibre of the garment. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. Left: After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with
After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with indigo pigment. This traditional method helps to give the dhotis a bluish sheen and prevents yellowing after years of wear. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. Left: After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with
Mr Sambasivam using a 30-year-old iron to press a dhoti. Ironing is the most labour-intensive task for a dhobi shop, and the afternoon is usually spent ironing and folding the clean garments. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. Left: After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with
Mr Thandapani putting away freshly folded bundles of dhotis, which are stored in this room before being delivered to the various temples. The shop currently services seven Hindu temples on a weekly basis. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. Left: After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with
The final step in a dhobi shop is the labelling process. Neatly stacked garments are bundled according to their respective owners and tagged carefully for easy identification. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
Desmond Foo Senior Executive Photojournalist
Updated
Feb 12, 2018, 06:01 PM
Published
Feb 12, 2018, 05:00 AM

A little nostalgia lingers in Bendemeer.

Dhobis have all but vanished in Singapore save for P. Suppiah Laundry shop.

Standing at the corner of a Housing Board block in St George's Road, the P. Suppiah Laundry shop has been around for 50 years and still uses the traditional method of washing dhotis and saris although regular clothes are put into an industrial washing machine and spinner.

The shop is run by Mr Ari Valakan, 54. He took over the business from his father, Mr Packiri Suppiah, who died two years ago at the age of 88.

Mr Suppiah, who arrived in Singapore just after the Japanese Occupation ended, learnt his trade in India. His first dhobi shop was in Exeter Road near Somerset. The business moved into its present premises in St George's Road 40 years ago from MacPherson.

Mr Valakan is currently in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu for his eldest son's wedding celebrations. He has two sons and neither has any intention of continuing their father's business. It looks very likely that Mr Valakan's dhobi shop will be the last in Singapore.

There were known to be more than 30 dhobi shops in Singapore in their heyday in the 70s and 80s, according to Mr Sambasivam, 73, a friend of the Valakan family who works in the shop on an ad hoc basis.

  • >30 Number of dhobi shops in Singapore in their heyday in the 70s and 80s

The P. Suppiah Laundry shop currently services seven Hindu temples on a weekly basis. Clothing is collected and delivered within a week to the temples. Mr Suppiah used to deliver all the clothes on his bicycle but a van is used these days.

Tighter curbs on foreign workers and higher levies are two of the biggest challenges facing the business.

Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. Left: After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with
Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

Another immediate problem for Mr Valakan is the constraint on the space available to hang and dry clothes.

For decades, the shop owners used to do this across St George's Lane on an open field, but the plot of land has been taken up by St George Towers, the soon-to-be-completed Build-To-Order flats.

A typical day in the dhobi shop starts with the washing of clothes in the morning, followed by starching and the applying of indigo dye which, among other things, prevents the yellowing of the fabric. The clothes are dried in the open and then ironed and folded. Finally they are tied up, stacked and tagged.

Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. Left: After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with
Mr Thandapani, 40, a full-time employee at the dhobi, starching a pile of dhotis in the backyard. Starching minimises wrinkling and helps to protect the fibre of the garment. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

It costs $2.50 to wash and iron a shirt and the price has remained unchanged for five years. Mr Sambasivam said it can take up to 20 minutes to iron a sari. The cost of washing and ironing a sari is $4.

P. Suppiah Laundry opens daily except during Deepavali and Thaipusam.

Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. Left: After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with
After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with indigo pigment. This traditional method helps to give the dhotis a bluish sheen and prevents yellowing after years of wear. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. Left: After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with
Mr Sambasivam using a 30-year-old iron to press a dhoti. Ironing is the most labour-intensive task for a dhobi shop, and the afternoon is usually spent ironing and folding the clean garments. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. Left: After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with
Mr Thandapani putting away freshly folded bundles of dhotis, which are stored in this room before being delivered to the various temples. The shop currently services seven Hindu temples on a weekly basis. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
Mr Sambasivam unloading freshly washed laundry to be starched and dried later. The 73-year-old is a family friend who helps out in the shop, doing mainly administrative work. Left: After starching, the white dhotis are soaked in a pail of water with
The final step in a dhobi shop is the labelling process. Neatly stacked garments are bundled according to their respective owners and tagged carefully for easy identification. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 12, 2018, with the headline Last of the South Indian dhobis: Traditional washing method still used at Bendemeer laundry shop. Subscribe

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