Where do you shower (when you don't have a shower in your van)?

[Gemini1771]

I make a bath spray alternative to baby wipes.

In a 16oz spray bottle:
1 tsp liquid soap (can use body wash. I’m currently using biodegradable Jason brand coconut body wash)
4 Tbsp witch hazel
2 Tbsp hydrogen peroxide
3-5 ish drops essential oil of your choice
Enough water to fill remainder of bottle

Directions: spray liberally on body and wipe off with cloth and dry with towel. I have 3 different muslin cloths I use: one for my general body parts, one for my feet and a different one for my nether regions. I hang them to dry between uses.

I prefer this to baby wipes as it doesn’t make a lot of trash. I occasionally use baby wipes if I’m on my period or feel dirtier than usual.

 

[Malamute]

Grey water in a city is easy. Park over a drain and open the valve. Dont leave a hose attached and open. Dump it down a drain from bucket or jug. Water treatment plants have ho problem with GREY. Black tank is a whole different thing.

Drains on city streets arent usually connected to treatment plants, they are storm drains for rainwater and typically drain to some waterway or other natural place water would run off to.

Sanitary sewers dont have drains on streets, they would be overwhelmed with rainwater if they did. You can see the manhole covers marked sanitary sewer, and yes, you could drain water into the small hole to allow removal of the cover, but the common drains on streets arent sanitary sewer drains.

When in the motor home or cabin and dont want to or cant do a shower for whatever reason, heating water in my largest pot and the next size one give enough water when mixed with cooler water to wash my hair and body. In both those instances I do it over a sink. In the hills, I just toss the grey water to disperse.

I wasnt aware of the collapsible pools, I think Ill be getting one for the dog and as backup use for showers if doing short camp trips in the 4runner.

 

[John in Montreal]

I use a large plastic storage bin as my shower tub. It comes with a lid so if I need to wait or move my truck before dumping out the water it won't splash on the floor.

 

[Anon]

Hi all! ..."When you DONT have a shower in your van...."

Through my health insurance, I have access to thousands of gyms across the US to shower. Right now, I have 7 active memberships at national chains. And I can keep adding - it cost me $25 a month. On January 3 they sent me an email to invite friends and family. I pasted a screen shot below. I will keep this up for a couple days then remove it. It is an amazing resource! No brainer.

Is this legitimate? I signed up and selected a gym and it looks like they just sign you up for one gym for about $30 a month without your discount applied.

Edit: Whuuup whup, whoops, now wait a minute. Nvm. After I added more memberships the price stayed the same. Still has anyone else used this?

 

[WanderingRose]

Grey water in a city is easy. Park over a drain and open the valve. Dont leave a hose attached and open. Dump it down a drain from bucket or jug. Water treatment plants have ho problem with GREY. Black tank is a whole different thing.

In addition to what has already been stated here, my concern that parking over a storm drain and opening a valve underneath is that this might well create unwanted and negative attention from whomever may witness it.

Dumping a bucket of grey water would be a little more obvious as to what the contents were, but I think we need to be always mindful of practices which could lead to increased scrutiny and restrictions.

My two cents.

 

[scaredycat72]

Hi all! ..."When you DONT have a shower in your van...."

Through my health insurance, I have access to thousands of gyms across the US to shower. Right now, I have 7 active memberships at national chains. And I can keep adding - it cost me $25 a month. On January 3 they sent me an email to invite friends and family. I pasted a screen shot below. I will keep this up for a couple days then remove it. It is an amazing resource! No brainer.

Just FYI, if you sign up for this without going through a company, you will have less gym options available to choose from versus going through a company's website. My insurance company offers this under their perks list. When I just tried to sign up using the code, to skip the joining fee, none of the gyms in my city were available. When I went to the page through my insurance company, all of the gyms in my area were available. I don't know if I can still use the code.

So you might want to check to see if membership is available through your insurance company, car or health, or an association you belong to first. I Googled Active and Fit membership and got a ton of results showing organizations that offer the membership, including AAA.

 

[scaredycat72]

Is this legitimate? I signed up and selected a gym and it looks like they just sign you up for one gym for about $30 a month without your discount applied.

Edit: Whuuup whup, whoops, now wait a minute. Nvm. After I added more memberships the price stayed the same. Still has anyone else used this?

My insurance company offers it so I know it's legit. I just posted It would be better to go through an association or business, if you can, because you'll have more gym options available to choose from. You might want to check to see if membership is available through your insurance company, car, health, maybe life, or whatever, or an association you belong to first. I Googled Active and Fit membership and got a ton of results showing organizations that offer the membership, including AAA and all the health insurance companies.

 

[bpdchief]

We have the Black Card from Planet Fitness - good anywhere in the country. $23 + tax a month.

 

[MortimerEbinesr]

I make a bath spray alternative to baby wipes.

In a 16oz spray bottle:
1 tsp liquid soap (can use body wash. I’m currently using biodegradable Jason brand coconut body wash)
4 Tbsp witch hazel
2 Tbsp hydrogen peroxide
3-5 ish drops essential oil of your choice
Enough water to fill remainder of bottle

Directions: spray liberally on body and wipe off with cloth and dry with towel. I have 3 different muslin cloths I use: one for my general body parts, one for my feet and a different one for my nether regions. I hang them to dry between uses.

I prefer this to baby wipes as it doesn’t make a lot of trash. I occasionally use baby wipes if I’m on my period or feel dirtier than usual.

Once upon a time while camping at Salmon la Sac , we went 20 miles to Cle Elum, Wa to wash clothes at the local laundromat for $2.50 they had public showers, does anyone know of others? Or has anyone got a national registry of public showers? Also while working construction in Seattle, I could use showers at public swimming pool for a nominal fee.

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

There is a laundromat in Columbia, MT that has a public shower.