Lockdown Laundry

Lockdown Laundry

"I have huge piles of washing to be done because of lockdown and I don't have space for a decent washing machine. My ability to hand wash things is very limited. Much of the time I've had to wear dirty clothes and bedding. In addition, my nearest launderettes both closed down some time ago and I was still looking for one with good service that does a good wash and that I can easily get to when covid-19 hit and I started sheltering. I have to have service washes, and I'm feeling a bit apprehensive all around, having been mostly sheltering and also my washing looking so disgustingly filthy that it's an embarrassment."

I've started collecting stories from within groups of people who are shielding. As a disabled artist, it was always likely to be my first port of call. I am drawn to the stories that are seldom heard and as a shielder myself, I am aware that a whole swathe of us who are starting to feel left behind as the lockdown eases. This is a great opportunity to explore those stories and amplify them. 

What has been great throughout this period of isolation, is the solidarity that has formed between so many people up and down the country. This is something many disabled people relied on before lockdown, and will still rely on when it's all a distant memory, because many, many disabled people live in their own isolation every day due to the limiting nature of their conditions, or more often than not, the limitations of access in society. With only the smallest hint of this project beginning I have received some very personal and powerful responses, sharing what using launderettes means for disabled people in lockdown. The one shared above, offers great food for thought!