Life in Jeddah FAQ – When the Water Runs Dry Part 2.
Our water still goes out from time to time, so I’ve learned how to make the best of it. How do I cope when the water is out and I must cook and clean? It’s not as hard as you think. Here’s a brief FAQ:
Q: How long do you go without water?
A: It depends. Sometimes the water is off for 3 or 4 days at a time. There have been times when the water was off for just a few hours. In some parts of Jeddah the water is off for weeks at a time, while in other parts the water is always running. When the water is running, I store some of it in bottles and jugs to make my situation easier to handle when it does go out.
If you’re coming here for Hijrah, I’d suggest you find out which district you are going to live in before hand and ask others about the living conditions just to mentally prepare yourself. Some employers already have furnished apartments ready for their employees, so there’s a great chance that you’ll be able to find out where you’ll be living In Shaa Allaah.
When we first moved in, there were large jugs and tons of empty soda bottles all over the place. We soon realized that these bottles and jugs were for storing water. When the air starts to turn a bit foul, I know that the water will soon be off. It’s like a warning sign so to speak.
Q: How do you clean without running water?
Normally I don’t unless I absolutely have to. If I must, then I take one 2.25 liter bottle of bottled faucet water and pour it into a large pot, boil it, then pour the water into an extra-extra large bowl. I then add another 2.25 liters of room temperature water to the hot water just to make it cool enough for me to put my hands in to wash the dishes.
I have a double sink, so I wash in one and rinse in the other. To rinse the dishes, I use just 2.25 liters of water and try to sprinkle it evenly over the soapy dishes. I then use that same water to wipe down the stove and countertops. After the dishes are done, I leave the water in the bowl so to make tomorrow’s dishes easier to clean…kind of like a pre-soak. To sum it up, you can wash and rinse the dishes with 3 large soda bottles of water.
Q: How do you cook without running water?
This is not a major problem per se. I don’t actually “cook” with water from the faucet anyway. I do use it to wash/rinse my food (like fruits and veggies). I do the actual cooking with spring water. We order about 4 gallons from Al Bardooni or Al ‘Ayn water company. The salesman will come to our door maybe once or twice a week to see if we need more. You can buy a stack of coupons from them in advance, then give them a coupon for every jug you need thereafter. When the water is off it just slows me down but it doesn’t bring everything to a halt.
Please do not use the faucet water for cooking, not even to boil your food or you will get sick with infectious diarrhea commonly known as “Hajji Pooh.” No one (unless they’re truly in despair and have no other choice) drinks or cooks with the faucet water. Boiling the faucet water will not clean it to the point where you’ll be able to drink it….you will still get sick, just not as sick.
Alhamdulillaah, you will see spring water machines in residential areas. Anyone can go and take as much as they need for free. I don’t see anyone using these except the destitute, Allaahu Aa’lam.
Q: What about the laundry?
I have a twin tub machine. Looking at it, one would think that it was just a plastic contraption waiting to break down. Not so, Maa Shaa Allaah! These little twin tub washing machines are strong. I actually like them more than the contemporary washing machines. This type of machine generally hooks up to the faucet, however it runs just fine without it. You take several buckets of water and pour it into the machine add detergent and that’s it. When you want to rinse, just take the draining hose and put it into the drain in your kitchen or bathroom floor, then pour clean water onto the clothes and let them swish around a bit more to make sure all the laundry detergent is gone, then put the clothing into the spin tub.
The twin tub machine requires more hands on work, but I love how strong it is and how fast I can get my laundry done. One morning my zawj did not have a clean thawb for work. I threw one in the twin tub machine to wash for 3 minutes, rinsed it for 2, then ironed it dry in about 5 minutes. The rinse cycle in the twin tub machine is very good….the thawb was nearly dry when I took it out. The twin tub is better than the automatic machines for situations like mine. You can not do laundry at all with the automatic machine if your water is off. When I am sick or pressed for time, I use my automatic washer.
Mopping: Mopping is very easy. I dump a bucket of water on the floor then squeegee (sp?) it all down the drain. If the water is off and I know that I need to mop, I save the water used to bleach my white clothing in the twin tub washer, then drain the washer and allow all the water to gush out all over the floor…then I squeegee it down the drain. I save water this way. Normally my bleach water is clean enough to use twice. {Do what you gotta do ….you know.}
It’s a little bit harder to clean the bathroom when the water is off because I need to scrub and rinse everything. When the water is on, cleaning it is very easy. Just scrub, then take the hose (already installed in the bathrooms here) and spray it down. If you open your bathroom window, everything will dry on its own in no time due to the heat….you don’t have to squeegee the bathroom if you don’t want to Alhamdulillaah.
Flushing the Toilet: Yes, you can still flush when the water is off, just take about 3 soda bottles of water and pour it in the back (not in the actual toilet – but the area where the lil chain is), then flush. Some homes have flat toilets (like holes in the floor covered with porcelain)…I have no idea how the people cope with these when the water is off. I think this is why Bukhoor (an incense) is a major seller in the market places.
Istinjaa: Na’am. You can buy spray or squeeze bottles from the Riyaalayn store. These little bottles are good for travel too. They fit nicely in hand or diaper bags.
In Shaa Allaah I’ll share something from Shaykh Bazmool and Shaykh ‘Ubaid regarding Istijmaar and an excerpt from Shaykh Fawzaan (hafithahumullaah) just in case there’s a situation when there’s no water available at all. These rulings are important for us to know.
Water Tanks: The custodian for our building will go from door to door collecting money to fill the water tanks. This will cost an equivalent $7 USD depending on how many people in the building are home at that time. If the water comes from the water truck, it just might have a putrid smell or it may even be yellow, so let it run a bit before using it….and again never drink the faucet water even if it comes from the water truck.
Govt. Water: The govt. will send water too alhamdulillaah. You can tell the govt. water from the tank water by the pressure. The govt. water has light pressure, the tank water has normal pressure. This water is said to be 100% pure (see the Q/A below). You can’t always tell the govt. water from the water brought here by the trucks. I personally do not drink either one (again this is my personal preference).
Water Bills: We don’t really have those, at least not in my building. You pay a small fee when it goes out.
In Shaa Allaah we’ll discuss rent, food bills, etc. in another post.
Haneefah
Having water delivered to your door saves both time and money. 
