Laundry men are called dobhis in India. They do an excellent job on your laundry and will more than likely clean your clothes better than you could ever imagine

Personally I always use the laundry bucket from the hotel and dry the cloth in the room overnight. Washing powder is easily available and for me Ariel worked best.

Clothes and dress

If I travel in India it is always in Dhoti and Khurta, this is the most simple and it encouraged me to preach. In the south of India whole year around and in the North in the summer it is enough to wear a single layer of natural cloth, with maybe a sweater in the morning. In the north of India one needs warm cloth in the winter like in the west.

When going to temples you should dress very conservatively. Transparent and low-cut dresses, bare shoulders, short skirts, and shorts are not acceptable for women, except in big cities like Mumbai. Women can wear trousers. Indian women on the beach bathe with their clothes on and never swim in bathing suits. Men should usually always wear a shirt in public. Men wearing lungis or gumshas, away from beaches or rivers, are not regarded very highly. Many temples will not let you take leather items like bags and belts into the temple, and some will not allow socks.

Valuables

When you travel, there are three things that are very valuable to you-your money, passport, and plane ticket. It is best to keep these things with you at all times. Carry your valuables in a money belt, a pouch under your shirt, or a pocket sewn into your clothing, not in your pockets or exposed bags. You can also get a money belt that attaches to the calf of your leg, or you can get a special pocket sewn inside of your clothes. You should try to never let anyone see your money belt in public, as thieves will try to cut it. You should not even think of putting any valuables in your check-in baggage on plane flights. Valuables should not be left in your hotel room, if possible, especially in lower-class places where you use the hotel's lock. It is best to always carry valuables on you. Most hotel rooms have extra keys for all the rooms. Best is to have your own lock (western quality) and lock the room. Your $1,000 could be worth two years of work for someone.