Clean Clothes, Health Communities

February 18, 2026

In the heart of the Northern Territory, where the red earth meets the endless blue sky, something as simple as clean clothes can mean the difference between illness and health. Mercy Works — the development arm of the Sisters of Mercy in Australia and Papua New Guinea — partners with local organisations to support vulnerable communities through practical, community-led initiatives. In remote Aboriginal communities, one such initiative is helping to prevent serious and entirely preventable disease: access to safe, reliable laundry facilities.

For many remote communities, washing clothes isn’t easy. Machines break down, detergent runs out, and access to hot water is unreliable. Yet clean bedding, towels and clothing are vital for preventing diseases such as scabies, kidney disease, and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) – conditions that remain tragically common.

Australia has some of the highest rates of RHD in the developed world. In the Northern Territory, prevalence among First Nations people exceeds 1,000 cases per 100,000 — rates comparable to some of the world’s poorest nations.

RHD often begins with repeated infections from untreated skin sores and scabies, which spread rapidly in overcrowded housing. According to the 2021 Census, overcrowding is significantly higher in remote areas, with more than half of First Nations people in very remote communities living in overcrowded dwellings. The more remote the community, the more severe the challenge.

In these conditions, infection spreads easily. Eight out of ten Aboriginal babies in remote communities will contract scabies before their first birthday. What begins as an itch can become lifelong illness.

That’s why the Remote Laundries Project, an initiative of the Aboriginal Investment Group (AIG), offers such a practical and life-changing solution. Each mobile laundry is a secure, purpose-built facility equipped with commercial-grade washers and dryers, clean water and a steady supply of detergent. Most importantly, the service is free for community members to use.

“Sometimes, people think washing is just about cleanliness,” says one AIG team member. “But here, it’s about saving lives.”

Each unit also provides sustainable employment for five local residents, who manage and maintain the facilities, strengthening local skills, pride and economic participation.

In the West Arnhem community of Gunbalanya, a community so remote it is cut off by road each wet season, Mercy Works is partnering with AIG to help cover ongoing operational costs of the laundry facility. Through this partnership, Mercy Works and its supporters are helping families stay healthy in the homes and communities they love.

When families can wash their clothes, bedding and towels safely and regularly, they break the cycle of infection and begin a new cycle of dignity, health and hope.

To learn more about Mercy Works, visit:  mercyworks.org.au

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