Washing Clothes

[Mouldy]

Hi all, I was wondering what you all do for washing your clothes. Do you just go to the local laundromat or do you hand wash? If you do hand wash, do you have some sort of clothes line system? Also do you have problems with wrinkles? <br><br>

 

[twokniveskatie]

hi! i voted "other" because i do both. <font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">alot of my clothing is selected because of it's easy washability and quick drying. i use laundomats for heavy and large items like jeans or blankets, or when everything piles up on me! &nbsp;i wash smaller, lighter stuff by hand or in my 5 gal. bucket with plunger. i LOVE living in the desert cause clothes dry so fast on creosote bushes! i have a rod across the rear of the van for hanging stuff inside, but it needs to be wrung out really well first. i carry some light line to string between trees if i can.</font>

 

[Mouldy]

Thanks for your input Katie. I figured that both might be needed. I know when I wash my pants on backpacking trips and air dry they get real wrinkly. <br>

 

[twokniveskatie]

oh, yeah, about wrinkles....i haven't owned an iron in decades. i just don't buy anything that wrinkles, or else that can be dried at the laundromat and removed quick to avoid them. i am a fan of macabi skirts which can be worn several ways, and trail pants that zip off to go from pants to shorts. easy to care for and multi-purpose!

 

[Mouldy]

My mom suggested a spray on product Febreeze wrinkle remover. I guess you spray it on and tug it wrinkle free. Works good she says, but I'm trying to get away from unnatural chemicals and more back to nature as much as possible on a budget. Might work for some of you though <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br>

 

[Les H]

Mouldy, I can't say anything about the chemical content, but my wife loves the fabreeze stuff. She sprays everything except mee! She says it's cheaper to make your own with a few drops of fabric softener and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Me? Im a contractor, jeans and boots with a t shirt or sweatshirt. I could not care less about wrinkles, though I do fold my clothes before I put them away.I like the " crunch" clothes have when you line dry them too.

 

[Mouldy]

I hear ya on the construction clothes Les. Been doing it for ten years in the summers. Good idea with the fabric softener and water! My non-working clothes I do care about a bit as I do not have a wife (of gf for that matter) and would like to have one someday <img src="/images/boards/smilies/love.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> .<br>

 

[akrvbob]

I have never thought washing your own clothes in a 5 gallon bucket was practical. But there is a fellow here at the RTR that does his own in buckets and makes it sound like it could be more practical than I think. I'm sorry to wet your appetite without details, but I am hoping he will be here long enough to do a few loads, if so i will take pictures and write an article. I have become terribly busy, so don't think it will be anytime soon. I'll ask for a cliffs note version tonight and try to report back here soon. Bob<br>

 

[RVTravel]

Washing clothes in the 5 gal bucket is easy. It's wringing them out well enough for them to dry quickly that can be a challenge in colder weather. Wringing by hand is doable, but for some with arthritis it may not be an option. How does Katie wring her clothes? A mechanical device would be cool, but I'd not want to break buttons on clothing.<br>

 

[twokniveskatie]

haha, mouldy, that's sweet! maybe you'll find a vandweller-minded GF who won't mind your wrinkles<font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">&nbsp;<img border="0" align="absmiddle" src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif"></font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">RVT, since hand surgery and nerve damage (untreated carpal tunnel) i have very weak hands, that's why i don't often wash heavy stuff like jeans....when i am at the farm, it doesn't matter as much, cause i can hang them fully wet in the shower or over the porch railing to drain and ultimately dry.&nbsp;</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">i have downsized my clothing even more this fall. i am going to be living mostly in my macabi skirts and one pair of convertible trail pants, lightweight wool leggings and zip t-shirts, lightweight tanks. wool and supplex nylon, all pretty odor resistant and easy to wash. think layers! it's working pretty good right now.&nbsp;</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">i've tried the no-rinse laundry method of washing with ammonia, but have a hard time with that, and don't think it's good for the technical fabrics and silk. i've been using Eucalan wool wash which is great for what i wear, no harsh chemicals or odors, although it is definitely pricey stuff. i get by with so little, though, it's what i use unless i go to the launromat, where i use an unscented liquid.</font></div>

 

[katelyn]

Hi, I was reading your latest post and saw you had mentioned macabi skirts.&nbsp; I had never heard of them but after looking them up I can see why they would be a great investment!&nbsp; What a great find thanks!<br>

 

[twokniveskatie]

<b>katelynn, i can't tell you enough how much i love those skirts!&nbsp;</b>&nbsp;<b>an FYI, though....right now, most of the skirts they have are not made of supplex. &nbsp;i saw one recently, and the current fabric is a little stiffer and not as much to my liking. i'm holding out for the new supplex due in a few weeks.&nbsp;</b>

 

[supergypsy]

When workamping, I usually am able to do my laundry where I am staying. When stealth urban van dwelling, I use laundro mats and friends' houses (if I have friends in the area). I also hand wash clothes sometimes, usually in public restrooms. <br><br>However, last week I stumbled upon a fantastic (however dorky) idea..Why not hand wash a few things while in the shower? When on the road in a truck stop shower, get your dollar's worth and wash a few items in the shower. It's multi-tasking at its best. I use the small Method laundry detergent because it hardly takes up any room..You can just throw it in your bag with your soap, shampoo, etc and quick wash a few things..it also gives me a reason to stand under the hot water just a little while longer..When you don't get a real shower very often it's warranted to stay in there for a while. <br><br>I have a couple multi-purpose hooks mounted in my van&nbsp;that I can&nbsp;use to run a&nbsp;&nbsp;clothesline, however I prefer rural settings so I usually don't have a problem drying things outside.<br><br><br>

 

[sl1966]

Have you guys heard of this ...&nbsp;<a href="http://www.laundry-alternative.com/products/Wonderwash.html" target="_blank">http://www.laundry-alternative.com/products/Wonderwash.html</a><div><br></div><div>This will work for those times when a washing machine isn't anywhere near. The nice thing is they've got a couple of videos on youtube.com where consumer groups have tersted it, and it's proven out.</div>

 

[Guest]

I have been washing clothes in the shower for years especially when traveling in other countries....<br>I use Dr. Bronners castile soap for most everything...excellent soap and can even be used for teeth brushing...<br><br>&lt;http://www.drbronner.com/&gt;<br><br>Bri<br><br><br><br>

 

[mountaintramp]

i haven't tried this, but have read it works. if you're in the moving from one place to another mode, use a 5 gallon bucket with lid. put some clothes in it add water and detergent, and put the lid on. after a few hundred miles dump the soapy/dirt water and add clean water, and drive some more.<br><br>i'm guessing this would take a few refills of clean water to rinse well and some experimenting.&nbsp; <br><br>

 

[mountaintramp]

do i know how to shut down a thread, or what?<br>

 

[sl1966]

hahahaha ... for a while I thought I was doing the same when I first got here.&nbsp;<div><br></div>

 

[ozzie roamer]

my method for clothes washing is a round plastic screw top barrel,the type you use for home brewing,1/2fill with water &amp; wool mix and while travelling it slops around in the bucket,empty, no need to rinse and hang to dry.This is for light clothes only.Linen,jeans etc go to the laundry mat.This is when on holidays. Have used this method for over 20yrs travel in Australia,barrel usually last for 5-6yrs as road corrigations do eventually rub holes in the plastic.<img border="0" align="absmiddle" src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif"><div><br></div><div>Cheers</div><div>Ozzie roamer</div>

 

[sl1966]

Nice! Normally I would just outsource all my laundry to an Asian, but since I already am. Yeah, sucks to be me.