Gracinda, a young laundry washer, lives with her godfather, "Uncle" Jacinto, and together they run a family business, doing the laundry for residents of Lisbon in their small village in the outskirts of that city (Canecas). Unfortunately, the business is not going very well, but that changes when Gracinda decides to go to the city to try to convince Chico, "Uncle" Jacinto's son, with whom she is in love, to return to the village and give new life to the business. The village is preparing for the annual festivities and a dispute erupts between "Uncle" Jacinto and his business rival , the widow Quiteria, when each of them invites different bands to play at the same time during the party and dances

Gracinda é uma jovem lavadeira que trabalha com o Tio Jacinto, mas a vida não lhes tem corrido bem. Por isso, ela decide ir à cidade convencer Chico, o seu primo por quem ela se apaixonou, a voltar à aldeia para ajudar no negócio...

A vida, o quotidiano, os costumes pitorescos, as zangas, as rivalidades e as paixões da pequena comunidade saloia da periferia de Lisboa, que se encarregava da lavagem da roupa no rio.