The Shoe Laundry

Down here at Gautam Darshan, things are usually moving pretty fast. We are located just off J P Road in Andheri West, which is a busy spot as anyone who lives in Mumbai knows. The Shoe Laundry is basically where we spend our whole day dealing with people’s dirty footwear. It’s a small space, but we make it work. Every morning starts with a big pile of shoes that need looking at. We see everything from old sneakers that have seen better days to formal shoes that just need a bit of a polish. It’s honest work, getting the grime out of the soles and making things look decent again. The traffic on JP Road can be a nightmare sometimes, so we hear the honking all day long. We aren't a big corporate chain with fancy uniforms. Usually, we're just in our work clothes with some soap and brushes. People drop by on their way home from work or before they head to the station. It gets humid in this part of town, so the shop can feel a bit cramped when we have a lot of deliveries waiting. We just try to keep things organized so nothing gets lost. It’s satisfying to see a pair of shoes go from muddy to clean, even if it takes a lot of scrubbing. We've been in this building for a bit now and the neighbors know us. The smell of cleaning fluid is something you just get used to after the first week. We keep the fans running all day to stay cool even when it is pouring rain outside.