I have read many articles and info about the rendero, the poder (padeiro) but none on the mainato or modval. In Goa in our golden days (before 61 and even later) the modval would do the house laundry. Items were mainly bed linen, towels, pants, dresses etc. Santosh would come to our house twice a month to collect and deliver. Mode of transport was the famous Raleigh cycle. Clothes tied in a white cloth would be placed on the rear of the cycle. Before leaving the house Santosh was faced with a 'rol' ie.: the items he was taking to wash had to be jotted down and when he returned with the clothes neatly ironed and washed the 'rol' was repeated to counter check if any items were missing. The modval would use the local banho to wash clothes which were than strung on a rope between two madd.
Here is an ode to our Goan mainato: Tres corpetas e um avental, Tres camisas e um enxoval Que freguesa deu a rol. BC
