Washing Clothes..... (1 Viewer)

[St Piran]

Can anyone give us some tips on keeps a supply of clean clothes whilst traveling.

Hot water or cold water?
Soap powder or nothing?
Drying when weather is poor?

What are the outside laundries like - The ones you see at French supermarkets?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[vwalan]

we use washing liquid from lidl.
works atreat in our twuntub .
doesnt every one have a washing machine in their camper . hee hee .
local laundry is too expensive for us .

 

[Wildman]

cold water plus cold water bio powder, half fill a bucket insert washing then fix lid. Stand it in the shower tray before driving to the next site, then empty and rinse. Wring out and hang to dry. Failing that find a laundromat, but simple enough to take sufficient for 3 weeks at a time anyway.

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[jezport]

We get great feedback on these http://www.parrotsol.co.uk/index_files/Page366.htm
Ive even tried one myself, and they work really well

 

[Jim]

We bought a copper Posser at an antique shop in Stratford last week. Works a treat.

 

[vwalan]

yes , i have an ally posser came from germany . that and a big rino bucket works a treat . if you have spare room a mangle off ebay helps . over the years have had washboards . single tub machines . used laundries , could almost start a museum . ha ha .
nice acme wringer with stand . takes big sheets etc.

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[wizzer59]

We've just spent three weeks in France (still here) and have used 2 camp sites in that time, both had washers and dryers.
So that's what we do, wait till we stink then pop into a site and clean up

 

[Gromett]

I have aprox 6 weeks worth of clothes. I do a laundrette run once a month usually but can stretch it a bit. In emergencies I have a twin tub in the back of the van but that is a lot of work.

 

[Yorick]

I take 3 spare pair of undies. That sees me safely through 4 weeks

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[laird of Dunstan]

I take 3 spare pair of undies. That sees me safely through 4 weeks

Man your posh ,I don't even have 3 pairs of undies , I just borrow the wife's anyhow
mind you with a kilt I don't need any

 

[iandsm]

When in France the larger Intermarche or Super U stores have laundry facilities. The machines are larger (up to 18gk ) and more efficient than those on sites and they're cheaper too. So every 10 days or so, one of us does the laundry while the other does the shopping we than have lunch or a snack and by that time all is washed and dry. properly dry. Costs around 12 euro for 18 gk wash and dry.

Much cheaper than going to a site and paying for a pitch and sometimes over the top for a small machine and a dryer that isn't that good. You also have the advantage of parking within a few yards of the machines unlike on a site where you might have to lug your washing a long way from your pitch

 

[Yorick]

I read somewhere that some camp sites let pay a few Euros and then can use their showers and launderette

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[Taran_Las]

I use the laundry in the town I'm in. Just like being a student. Yellow pages/Google gives the address.

 

[Allanm]

We do just as iandsm does. We also take the opportunity to fill up with fuel and gas and empty everything stinky out. I've also been known to wash the van while the clothes are drying.
We tried a campsite laundry once. Domestic washing machine that took forever to wash and dry and cost a fortune.
If you don't need shopping, Sunday is best.

 

[peterc10]

We take enough cloths to keep us going for a couple of weeks and then visit the laundrette when we run out. Wash and tumble dry and fold away. Sometimes need 2 machines because of different wash temperatures (I am told). Much easier than this hand washing. We rarely use camp sites nowadays so we just use one in town or at a supermarket.

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[St Piran]

Thanks for your time to reply.

Guess what..... we are off to the Super U store today to get some washing done lol

 

[Southdowners]

I bought an antique posser on Ebay.

My washing procedure:

I have a large tubtrug and 2 smaller ones. I use the 2 smaller ones to collect water from the site tap as I can carry them easily like a bag.

I use warm water & my usual liquid detergent in the large tub - posser the first batch of white articles, place them in spin drier (bought for under £100 from currys), spin out the soapy water into smaller trug and pour soapy water back into big trug.

Add coloured items into large trug and repeat process.

Get clean water and pour some into spinner, spin, repeat, spin and then take out. Items are really dry - more so than with an automatic machine.

I can do a fairly large wash in this way as the soapy water is recycled.

 

[peterc10]

I bought an antique posser on Ebay.

My washing procedure:

I have a large tubtrug and 2 smaller ones. I use the 2 smaller ones to collect water from the site tap as I can carry them easily like a bag.

I use warm water & my usual liquid detergent in the large tub - posser the first batch of white articles, place them in spin drier (bought for under £100 from currys), spin out the soapy water into smaller trug and pour soapy water back into big trug.

Add coloured items into large trug and repeat process.

Get clean water and pour some into spinner, spin, repeat, spin and then take out. Items are really dry - more so than with an automatic machine.

I can do a fairly large wash in this way as the soapy water is recycled.

My god that sound like hard work. And not many of us have the room for trugs let alone a spin dryer.

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[Southdowners]

Hi Peter,

No, it doesn't take long - I've described every step and probably given the impression that it takes ages. I do a large wash in around 20 mins.

As for space... the spin drier sits inside the large tub, the smaller ones sit inside the drier - so doesn't take up much space. I know not everyone has massive amounts of space but plenty of folk do and I thought might be interested in the way I do it.

 

[Forestboy]

Hi Peter,

No, it doesn't take long - I've described every step and probably given the impression that it takes ages. I do a large wash in around 20 mins.

As for space... the spin drier sits inside the large tub, the smaller ones sit inside the drier - so doesn't take up much space. I know not everyone has massive amounts of space but plenty of folk do and I thought might be interested in the way I do it.

That's pretty much how we do ours, little twin tub we've had for years and a couple of buckets does everything except really heavy towels. We have a big garage and it sits in the corner with the booze crate and bbq on top of it.
On a 3 month or longer trip we'll occasionally use a site laundry for the heavy items or to have a big spring clean and washing day otherwise the little twin tub suffices.

 

[davanne]

Just arrived at the Motorhome aire in Neufchâtel en Bray there is a washing machine and dryer here.
It's a lovely little aire at the side of the campsite.
And free wi-fi too

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[trophychap]

Daughter bought a small twintub ages ago when the kids were all little and 10 of the family used to go on carp fishing holidays - they still have it in their caravan and we would be welcome to borrow it, but find it easy enough esp since we usually stay on aires, to use Laundromats wherever we happen to be when we have bed linen and towels, we only carry a couple of changes of both plus eg beach towels.

Smalls we wash in a bucket as we go, retractable line over the shower- as fitted by Pilote at the factory - dead useful.

 

[Yorick]

There are a lot of confusing answers here


Surely the answer should be ... "the missus takes care of that stuff"

 

[peterc10]

Just arrived at the Motorhome aire in Neufchâtel en Bray there is a washing machine and dryer here.
It's a lovely little aire at the side of the campsite.
And free wi-fi too

Yep. lovely Aire isn't it. When we were there in April the paying machine wasn't working and had to phone the owner to let us out. Has he got it going again?

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[davanne]

Yep. lovely Aire isn't it. When we were there in April the paying machine wasn't working and had to phone the owner to let us out. Has he got it going again?

Not sure ....a German couple were just leaving and they seemed to be having trouble so he came and let let them out..but I think the machine had worked it seemed to be something wrong with the card.....we will find out tomorrow when we leave

 

[peterc10]

When we were there there was a notice on the paying machine saying it was out of use and giving a phone number to call

 

[Eeyore]

We left there last Wednesday and, as we left, the rep from the barrier firm arrived with his computer to try and get the system working. Excellent aire, beautifully maintained with one very frustrated owner. Hope it has been sorted. We felt for the owner !

Did you cycle the Voie Verte across the road ?

OT: I try to keep on top of the washing while we are away by doing lots of little hand washes in a bucket, using the same bio laundry liquid that we use for the loo. This has the advantage that it doesn't make any foam so is easy to rinse with less water used. Bed clothes and towels are done in a launderette or campsite laundry though I don' t like the latter as you often get white scum left on clothes because people have used powder and it has not dissolved properly - I think. I only carry one spare set of bed clothes and towels no matter how long we are away for but do carry far more clothes than I ever wear.

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[peterc10]

Did you cycle the Voie Verte across the road ?

Spring 2014 we stayed a couple of nights and tried out our new electric bikes on it heading in the direction of Dieppe. Didn't go too far because it was bloody cccccold.

 

[Judge Mental]

hand wash every few days and use washing up liquid. hot water if available....then..... use a machine on site for sheets and towels

 

[superfozzy]

I use chemical free soap nuts. They are very economical and environmentally friendly. My husband made me a washing machine and I bought a mangle from ebay. Job done.

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