What is the ideal technique of washing clothes ?

 

Index

• 1. Importance of washing clothes and wearing washed clothes
• 2. Ideal technique of washing clothes – Bending forward
• 3. Incorrect method of washing Clothes – In a squatting posture
• 4. Importance of washing Clothes on riverbanks
• 5. Effects of washing of clothes in washing machine
• 6. Putting clothes to dry with a wooden stick
• 7. Storing the dried clothes
• 8. Wearing sattvik clothes creates a protective sheath around the body

---

1. Importance of washing clothes and wearing washed clothes

A. Since washed clothes are sattvik (Sattva-predominant), the Raja-Tama component in the person wearing them reduces and helps increase sattvitkta

        The Raja-Tama components from a person wearing clothes get attracted to the thread in the cloth. If we wear clothes without washing them, then the Raja-Tama predominant waves from them increase the Raja-Tama in the person wearing them, and pollute his surroundings as well. This increases the chances of negative energy attacks, both on the cloths as well as on the one wearing them. By washing used clothes, Chaitanya (Divine Consciousness) from the water (symbolic of the Apa-tattva [Absolute Water Principle]) acts as a spiritual remedy and destroys the Raja-Tama predominant particles, thus increasing sattvikta. After wearing the washed clothes, sattvikta is transmitted to the person, reducing the Raja-Tama components in him.

B. Those severely distressed by negative energies like to wear filthy, dirty clothes

        Some people who are severely distressed by negative energies do not like to wear washed clothes. On the contrary, they wear filthy and dirty clothes. Such clothes, filled with Raja-Tama components serve as a good medium for the mantriks (subtle-sorcerers) tormenting them, to increase their black energy. Thus, it can be deduced that, it is these very mantriks who insert the thought of wearing such cloth in the mind of the person they torment.

C. Spraying perfume over unwashed clothes does not reduce the Raja-Tama components in them; in fact, it assists the attack of negative energies

        Hindu Dharma advocates wearing of washed clothes. In some religions, some people do not even have a daily bath; hence washing clothes is out of question. Some people wear unwashed clothes for several days and spray perfume over them and use them repeatedly. Spraying perfume may smell pleasant at a gross level, but subtly, the Raja-Tama components in them are not destroyed. Hence, this amounts to not washing the cloth at all

2. Ideal technique of washing clothes – Bending forward

When washing clothes manually, bend forward : Washing clothes by bending keeps the chakra at the navel constantly active, and is complimentary to the movement of pancha-pran (Five vital energies) in the body. This posture constantly keeps the Suryanadi (which is beneficial for the generation of the radiance) active because of which that part of the nadi is functional in a particular action. When washing clothes manually, the radiant waves enter the clothes through the touch of the hands and with a short time, with the help of the Apa-tattva, flow into the clothes.

        This process assists the expulsion or disintegration of the Raja-Tama pollution in the clothes at the subtle level and purifies them in the true sense.

3. Incorrect method of washing Clothes – In a squatting posture

Women: Women should never wash clothes in squatting posture, because then the birth passage faces the ground, and through it Raja-Tama predominant waves from patal (Hell region) can enter the body with high velocity. This can harm the woman.

Men: Even in men, this posture is contraindicated, because there is direct contact with distressing vibrations moving in a layer above the ground, with a greater possibility of causing distress to the man.

4. Importance of washing Clothes on riverbanks

        In the earlier times, clothes were washed in flowing river water. As a result, the pure flowing water absorbed the Raja-Tama predominant waves from the clothes and cleansed them of sins. Hence, this was a way of getting rid of the effects of the subtle Raja-Tama components from the clothes. This is precisely why, in the earlier times, in religious rituals performed by a Brahman great importance was given to washing of clothes.

5. Effects of washing of clothes in washing machine

        Nowadays, both due to lack of time and to avoid the trouble of washing clothes, several people use washing machines. When clothes are washed in the machine, due to mechanical and rapidly moving Raja-Tama electrical vibrations, the Raja-Tama predominant waves concentrated in the clothes are activated. Due to contact with the water and with the help of Apa-tattva waves, they start flowing and acting with a force.

Consequently,

1. Distressing vibrations are emitted by the clothes to the atmosphere.

2. By wearing such clothes, there is a possibility of being troubled by negative energies.

Remedy to get rid of the Raja-Tama effects

        When washing clothes in the washing machine, sprinkle vibhuti (holy ash) obtained by burning an udbatti (Incense-stick) or the sacred vibhuti from a Yadnya (sacrificial fire), and pray to the Divine Principle in the vibhuti to destroy the subtle Raja-Tama in the dirt.

6. Putting clothes to dry with a wooden stick

        If possible, wash clothes before having bath and put them to dry with the help of a wooden stick, on a cloth line made of wooden rods and fixed close to the ceiling. The wooden rods with the help of the subtle radiance in them create a protective sheath around the clothes hung for drying. Also, by using a wooden stick to put up the clothes, contact with any metallic Raja-Tama predominant object is avoided.

7. Storing the dried clothes

        In the earlier times, clothes which were well dried were removed before dusk, folded neatly and placed on a wooden stump fixed on a wall. These neatly folded clothes placed on the wooden stump, fixed parallel to the floor, would form an arch. This method of storing the clothes away from the floor and in contact with the upper atmosphere, retained the purity of the clothes with assistance of the Tej-Tattva (Absolute Fire Principle) in the wood, and also kept them free from distress of negative energies.

8. Wearing sattvik clothes creates a protective sheath around the body

        Wearing clothes is a means of protecting oneself. Due to sattvik colour of the clothes and their pattern, a jiva (embodied soul) is protected from the Raja-Tama predominant waves present in the atmosphere. That is why, after cleansing the body through a bath, it is draped in washed clothes as a protective sheath. This is the significance of wearing sattvik clothes.

Reference: Sanatan Sanstha’s Holy Text ‘Daily conduct and science underlying its Acts’