Let me start this piece with one word: bleach.
When it comes to the real housewives of Istanbul (or anywhere in Turkey), bleach takes the top spot on their cleaning supplies shelf. Every single surface in a Turkish home has to be touched by bleach, otherwise it can never be considered clean. Mopping the floors? Add a drop of bleach into the water. Doing laundry? Make sure to use bleach! Wiping windows? No, can’t do it without the bleach.
This takes us to the window part of my piece. Windows have to be spotless at all times. Window obsession is real. If a housewife of Istanbul started deep cleaning, which invariably involves hiring help for the day or requisitioning a reluctant relative, then heaven forbid if the rain starts. The cleaning is automatically cancelled. Why? Well, rain will ruin the spotless windows. And that cannot happen on the watch of any sensible housewife in Istanbul. The crew is sent home and the cleaning is rescheduled, according to the weather forecast.
Ironing! Oh the Turkish ironing culture. One doesn’t realize how deep it is rooted in the culture of the city, until one sees it first hand while residing with a very particular mother in law. Every single piece of clothing that comes out of the dryer has to be ironed, even the underwear and socks. No, I’m not being sarcastic. According to a real housewife of Istanbul, ironing kills bacteria on the socks and prevents your feet from smelling! Oh the wisdoms I obtain while sharing a home with a local.
One particular part of housewife routine that I find appealing is the cooking. Now this is what these women should teach to the rest of the world. Cooking at home is not that hard. Really! I watch my mother in law make a three course meal in under one hour. I’m dead serious. If you don’t believe me, come visit our home. A lentil soup, koftes (Turkish meatballs) and a nice vegetable side dish come out from the kitchen with no effort or fuss. The ingredients are simple. The cooking is a pleasure and the result is delicious!
So, to become a real housewife of Istanbul, one must pledge allegiance to cleaning with bleach, ironing every handkerchief, keeping the windows spotless and making a spectacular dinner every single night. What? You thought it was easy? If it was, I would have written about the householders of Istanbul and included the men. That is another story for a rainy day, when I am not busy fetching more bleach for those windows.
Real housewives of Istanbul
