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Washing Clothes

Old 09-16-14, 01:25 PM
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Washing Clothes

I'm wondering how people handle cleaning their clothes on tour. In the past, I've carried a small bottle of laundry detergent and a collapsible sink that packs small in order to wash stuff in, but I'm wondering if it would make more sense to just wait until I get to towns that have a coin laundry. I like the idea of using a laundry stop to relax, walk around, and dry my clothes quickly in a dryer. On the other hand, I usually only have a few things to wash and some might say paying for a full wash and dry is a waste of money. Also, I like the sink for carrying water and to use to wash dishes and for washing my face, hands, and hair. How do other people deal with this?
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Old 09-16-14, 01:41 PM
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Originally Posted by arfer1
I'm wondering how people handle cleaning their clothes on tour. In the past, I've carried a small bottle of laundry detergent and a collapsible sink that packs small in order to wash stuff in, but I'm wondering if it would make more sense to just wait until I get to towns that have a coin laundry. I like the idea of using a laundry stop to relax, walk around, and dry my clothes quickly in a dryer. On the other hand, I usually only have a few things to wash and some might say paying for a full wash and dry is a waste of money. Also, I like the sink for carrying water and to use to wash dishes and for washing my face, hands, and hair. How do other people deal with this?
Whenever you shower, wash your riding clothes. Get some soap on them while they're on you. Then put them on inside out and soap the inside surface. Rinse well, and then wring out and hang up the clothes to dry. This works better if you use spandex or other quick-drying fabrics.

I usually camp when I'm on tour, so showers typically don't happen very often. On longer tours where I camp, I'll usually do laundry about once a week. When I do, I typically wash everything except one pair of off-bike shorts that I wear to avoid getting arrested. That includes arm and leg warmers and my sleeping bag liner. If you use warmshowers, some hosts will let you use their washing machine if you ask.
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Old 09-16-14, 01:41 PM
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Will use a laundromat at times, more often use the sink or bath tub in the hotel room if we're spending every few nights in a hotel, and even camp grounds often provide a sink or shower in which to wash my few clothes. And finally, I have used a clean stream or lake with a biodegradable environmentally friendly soap as a last resort. Bottom line, ride at the front and it doesn't matter. ha
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Old 09-16-14, 01:44 PM
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It depends where I camp. If there are showers, I'll wash my bike shorts and socks while I shower. If there's a river, I wash the clothes in the river using no soap. Rubbing the clothes on rocks works well. If there's only a spigot, I can use a ziploc or large plastic bag to do one wash cycle and one rinse cycle. If there's no water source, then I don't wash. However I don't mind being slightly dirtier than if I were home. The benefit of this attitude is that you don't need to carry a ton of extra clothes.
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Old 09-16-14, 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by arfer1
I'm wondering how people handle cleaning their clothes on tour.
Mostly I just let the stank build because I'm in the backcountry and either I am alone or with other stinky people.

I do have a small container of biodegradable soap with me and I'll clean my underwear after 2-3days to ensure I don't get any saddle sores. I don't wear padded shorts so I just wear Exofficio boxer briefs which dry fast.

If the tour is long enough or muddy enough I'll do laundry more frequently. Usually near a creek with the waste water dumped far enough away to biodegrade as it works its way back into the water table.
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Old 09-16-14, 02:03 PM
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I wash the 'Shammy pad' and my skin 'down there' with Surgeon's scrub. to knock back the bacteria count.
clean pair daily.

the rest I just use 'whatever'Soap.
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Old 09-16-14, 02:49 PM
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I use a laundromat or hotel laundry every 3 days or so on a road tour. I carry three sets of clothes and the ones I'm wearing. Some may find that excessive but I have better things to do every night then laundry.
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Old 09-16-14, 04:38 PM
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To each his own. My preference is coin-op laundry or campground/motel washing machine (if I happen to be in one that has that as an option.) The few times I've tried to wash my own and hang them to dry have never been successful. I find a drier is the only reasonable option. I'm never in any place during the warmest part of the day long enough to hang dry hand-wrung clothes sufficiently to then be able to pack them away without fear of fermentation.
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Old 09-16-14, 05:14 PM
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Originally Posted by hilltowner
To each his own. My preference is coin-op laundry or campground/motel washing machine (if I happen to be in one that has that as an option.) The few times I've tried to wash my own and hang them to dry have never been successful. I find a drier is the only reasonable option. I'm never in any place during the warmest part of the day long enough to hang dry hand-wrung clothes sufficiently to then be able to pack them away without fear of fermentation.
Yes, drying clothes is the issue I run into when I wash by hand, and as the days get cooler, it becomes more of a problem. This past week the weather suddenly turned cool, with beautiful blue skies and low humidity making for delightful biking. First time since last spring that I've worn tights and a long sleeve shirt.
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Old 09-16-14, 05:28 PM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
I use a laundromat or hotel laundry every 3 days or so on a road tour. I carry three sets of clothes and the ones I'm wearing. Some may find that excessive but I have better things to do every night then laundry.
I think three sets of clothes sounds practical, especially if you're going to be out for an extended time. I've got to admit that there times I've intended to wash clothes after I set camp, but it off for various reasons and was glad to have some clean clothing to carry me through. The thing about polyester quick dry shirts is that they start to really smell after a long day of summer sweat.
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Old 09-16-14, 05:30 PM
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
I wash the 'Shammy pad' and my skin 'down there' with Surgeon's scrub. to knock back the bacteria count.
clean pair daily.

the rest I just use 'whatever'Soap.
I like Wet Ones, or whatever generic brand I can find, for light washing up in the morning.
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Old 09-16-14, 05:37 PM
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I like that idea of using a ziplock bag--it's lighter and smaller than the camp sink I'm currently using, although not has robust.
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Old 09-16-14, 05:42 PM
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Originally Posted by robow
Will use a laundromat at times, more often use the sink or bath tub in the hotel room if we're spending every few nights in a hotel, and even camp grounds often provide a sink or shower in which to wash my few clothes. And finally, I have used a clean stream or lake with a biodegradable environmentally friendly soap as a last resort. Bottom line, ride at the front and it doesn't matter. ha
Yeah, I've definitely made use of motel sinks--sometimes even gas station sinks. The only problem I've found with washing in stream/lake water is that even in clean, clear water, there are organisms in the water that seem to remain in the fabric and start to smell after mixing with sweat and body heat . . . or maybe it's just me!
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Old 09-16-14, 05:44 PM
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I'm at the simple end of the spectrum. I only carry one set of clothing in various layers and wash them wherever and whenever it's practical. Sometimes that's during a swim, in a public park restroom sink, at a warmshowers host, a motel bathroom--very seldom at a laundromat. (Wash, dry, and soap costs about $4 and that's money I'd rather put into ice cream.) I carry a small scrap of bar soap and don't use it in a natural water source--scrubbing and rinsing does the trick. In cold weather I don't sweat as much and don't need to launder as often, and then I'll look for some kind of mechanical heat. The shorts, which I believe are important to keep very clean, I wash every day, put them on wet, and wear them dry. Or if it's raining they just stay wet and that's OK.

Luckily, those I tour with have the same ideas and don't mind not smelling perfumed all the time. If you share a tent with someone, be sure you agree on this!
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Old 09-16-14, 06:36 PM
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I have 2 sets of cycling clothes. I wash the clothes I've ridden in at the end of each day. I usually stay in a campground or motel and so I just take them into the shower with me and wash them with shampoo - simple, but I've also used sinks, standpipes and streams. The next day I wear my 2nd set of clothes and if anything isn't dry from the night before hang it off the bike to fully dry while I ride. Here are my padded under wear and socks arranged to dry while I ride.


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Old 09-16-14, 06:46 PM
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Sometimes you just have to be creative. However, this does not work well with the CF bulbs.


Or stop early enough in the day to let clothes dry.
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Old 09-16-14, 06:57 PM
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Originally Posted by nun
I have 2 sets of cycling clothes. I wash the clothes I've ridden in at the end of each day. I usually stay in a campground or motel and so I just take them into the shower with me and wash them with shampoo - simple, but I've also used sinks, standpipes and streams. The next day I wear my 2nd set of clothes and if anything isn't dry from the night before hang it off the bike to fully dry while I ride. Here are my padded under wear and socks arranged to dry while I ride.

Have you ever tried bringing a salad spinner? Just joking, of course, but tonight, as I was spinning some lettuce, I thought, "You know, this might work for some smart wool socks!"
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Old 09-16-14, 07:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Doug64
Sometimes you just have to be creative. However, this does not work well with the CF bulbs.


Or stop early enough in the day to let clothes dry.
Yeah, I've done the old lampshade dryer, too. But you're right about needing the right kind of bulb! I've never used a clothes line; usually I just drape damp clothes on my tent, but then that slows down packing up for the next days ride.

Last winter there was a craze of YouTube videos about using a candle and clay flowerpot as heat sources. I went winter car-camping and brought some along to see if they could warm up a tent. They couldn't. However, I was able to dry some socks . . . after about an hour.
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Old 09-16-14, 07:42 PM
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Originally Posted by arfer1
Have you ever tried bringing a salad spinner? Just joking, of course, but tonight, as I was spinning some lettuce, I thought, "You know, this might work for some smart wool socks!"
Ha Ha. No I haven't. I wring my clothes out. If I'm in a motel I put the clothes inside a towel to wring them out, that gets them surprisingly dry. At a campsite I hang them on a clothes line, but if it's humid I sometimes have to use the bike as a clothesline the next day.
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Old 09-16-14, 07:43 PM
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Quick tip, don't try to dry synthetic materials in a microwave.
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Old 09-16-14, 08:03 PM
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I have not tried this yet, but I have noticed that all of the motel rooms have hair driers. I have not done any bike touring but often need to dry my swimsuit after a hot tub soak and I usually just wring it out and hang it up in the shower. Next time I think I might try finishing up with the hair dryer. Might work with bike togs as well with care.
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Old 09-16-14, 10:31 PM
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Originally Posted by nun
Quick tip, don't try to dry synthetic materials in a microwave.
Thank you for that!
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Old 09-16-14, 10:34 PM
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Originally Posted by jlcop
I have not tried this yet, but I have noticed that all of the motel rooms have hair driers. I have not done any bike touring but often need to dry my swimsuit after a hot tub soak and I usually just wring it out and hang it up in the shower. Next time I think I might try finishing up with the hair dryer. Might work with bike togs as well with care.
John
I've used a hair dryer to dry socks and to warm up ski boots . . . I guess you could bring one along and use at campgrounds that have electricity. Usually I try to get primitive or non-electric sites, but I've sometimes strolled over to an empty electric site to charge my Kindle.
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Old 09-16-14, 11:05 PM
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We usually use a laundromat ... or the laundry at a campground, hostel, or hotel.

And we carry a bottle of inexpensive shampoo. I use it on my hair, we use it as body wash, we use it to wash dishes, and we do our laundry with it. No point in carrying several different soaps.
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Old 09-17-14, 04:54 AM
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I have used a variety of methods depending on the location and the tour. On short tours using a sink and hanging things out to dry is what I do most of the time. Longer tours I would hit up a laundromat every now and again. I always carry a minimum of 3 set of under clothes.

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