Two weeks ago, Maria listed her apartment in Graça on Airbnb. 290 available days, three reviews, a pile of linen sheets to iron, and 32 degrees in the shade. The first guest was arriving the next day, and Maria, sitting on the living room floor with a broken iron and a glistening forehead, did the only sensible thing: she opened Google and typed "ironing service Lisbon".
She's not alone. In recent months, searches for "dry cleaning" have surged 157% above average in Lisbon, and "ironing service" has doubled...