Cleaning up....

Cleaning up in a country that is 80% desert is an interesting experience especially when the harmattan winds are blowing in a steady flow of dust. Every Friday, I wash off the desk and shelves in my office and the water usually ends up looking this colour. The battle against dust is a constant war Even with the windows closed, the dust seems to find a way to get in and a table that was clean one day could be covered with dust the next day.
This is the Nigerien version of a mop. It works great on the tile floors. My house helper stands on top of the rag and washes the floor. For about a dollar an hour, you can hire someone to come in and clean and /or cook for you. I hired a college-age girl to come in once a week. She does an amazing job!
Even the eggs, fruit and vegetables need cleaned and bleached for 20 minutes before consuming. There is no hot water in the kitchen, so doing dishes means heating up the water first.....filtered water of course.
Oh the joys of keeping things clean....

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