Washing clothes .... What do you do? (1 Viewer)

[Allan & Loren]

just wondering what everyone does about washing clothes when you're travelling for several weeks.

I've looked at a few options but can't make my mind up between finding a launderette, buying a travel twin tub or hand washing and using a spin dryer.

 

[Huwmari]

I hand wash every couple of days, wring by hand and hang up either in the shower using coat hangers and pegs or outside on a hang-on-the-window contraption. If the weather is bad or I have jeans or bedlinen and towels to do we use the machines to be found in supermarket car parks, particularly Intermarche, or a launderette.

 

[buttons]

I find that most sites have laundry facilities, if not then a weekly launderette trip...

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[Cat53]

Wash by hand. Drip dry in shower. Take quick drying non iron clothes.

 

[Carol]

Got one of those Rotary Driers, if we are staying a week or more put it up then just wash things through and peg out, no problem, often it gets shared with those camping around us.

 

[Littlewheels]

I've looked at a few options but can't make my mind up between finding a launderette, buying a travel twin tub or hand washing and using a spin dryer.

Those Toy Looking! Twin Tubs are much much better than they look we use one on extended trips and if you get organized with the availability of water they are quite brilliant and I think about £70.00.

We are always nervous of Launderettes!! You never know what went through it before you, Incontinence in the night springs to mind

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[vwalan]

twintub washer . works off the inverter batteries ,solar.
its like being in lost in space . find water . clean stream font or something in the middle of nowhere and if its sunny . go for it . as a kid watching lost in space i never ever thought i would be able to power washing machines etc from solar . but we can .
they arent as good as washing machines in the house as 5-10 minutes is nothing like the time it takes in an auto wash machine . but they work. the spinners are fantastic . been using mine got sechand 7 years ago. great bit of kit . mind i still take the posser and my mangle just in case.

 

[Alistair33]

We're not at the stage to have decided yet but have invested in a small spin dryer and a plastic box to use as a 'washing' machine while we drive

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Have a night on a site with a laundry once every 10 - 14 days. That's when we're abroad.

Never away in the UK long enough to worry about it.

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[haganap]

I marry Nikki

 

[irnbru]

Loren once your away for a few weeks you will get into some sort of system.

Mine was to fill a large container when we either had an aire stop with free water or we had paid for 120 litres and couldn't fit it in tank. I done hand washing and hung it out at wilding spots. We went on a site twice and did a proper wash. If it's only for you and Allan I would forget the twin tub. You could use the space for something more useful.

 

[JJ]

Jack Reacher has the solution...


JJ

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[Stroppy Bird]

If we are away for less than 2 weeks we generally don't bother washing anything though I may do the odd little bit of hand washing.

For longer trips we bought one of the twin tubs. As @Littlewheels said, they are much better than you think they would be. I try and pick a sunny day then run the tub off the inverter and hang the clothes out on one of those window airers on the sunny side of the van. The spinner on the tub works extremely well (so long as you don't overload it). It just fits under the fixed bed in our 6m PVC.

We decided against using launderettes due to never knowing what someone has used the machine for before you. As a student and then living in a rental property with no washing machine when I got my first job I had 3 loads of washing ruined from whatever had been washed in the machine previously. This was despite checking the drum before using.

The added bonus of having the twin tub is that my washing machine at home keeps threatening to pack up. I have resurrected it three times over the last couple of years but at least when it does finally go I won't feel quite so pressured into getting whatever machine is available to replace it immediately.

 

[Yorick]

I'll ask the missus when she's finished washing my bike

 

[vwalan]

I'll ask the missus when she's finished washing my bike

mind get rid of the mrs and the washing is at least cut by half. hee hee.

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[Stealaway]

Pack it all black sacks under the bed and wait till you get home. How many cloths can you wear in a month to warrant washing them?
Plus -- You are on holiday.

 

[bellabee]

We go to a site with a washing machine, once a week. With any luck, the weather will be good enough to dry everything outside. Failing that, you an also use the site dryer.

 

[Yorick]

mind get rid of the mrs and the washing is at least cut by half. hee hee.

I do like her cooking and cleaning so might keep her a bit longer

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[Mikey RV]

Turn my pants inside out after two days.

 

[Robert Clark]

We've got a twin tub like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122063477704

The BIG benefit is the spin dryer which means clothes dry quickly

 

[vwalan]

Pack it all black sacks under the bed and wait till you get home. How many cloths can you wear in a month to warrant washing them?
Plus -- You are on holiday.

dont you go away for 6 months . oops sorry ,never mind.

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[Stealaway]

dont you go away for 6 months . oops sorry ,never mind.

It's alright for some. I'm pretty sure even we couldn't manage for six months - we just don't have that many changes of underwear!

 

[sylvester1954]

Amazed about those that shirk at the idea of using a laundrette in fear of what or who went before them. I always believed that hot water and detergent was used in washing machines, cleaning agents are they not? Sounds like those that confess that they wash their hands after being handling bank notes. Methinks 'elf n safety' are having a giggle on this?

 

[vwalan]

It's alright for some. I'm pretty sure even we couldn't manage for six months - we just don't have that many changes of underwear!

morocco is good get up at 9 in morning . put swimming shorts on go for a swim or surf . come back put the ones on you wore yesterday. nice and dry. keep them on all day . in evening wear djalaba . nice and warm by campfire . in morning same again . might have the odd t shirt if it gets cool in the day. ha ha .
no socks only wear sandals.
do folk really stay in uk in winter?
thought everyone left . its packed abroad.

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[Stroppy Bird]

Amazed about those that shirk at the idea of using a laundrette in fear of what or who went before them. I always believed that hot water and detergent was used in washing machines, cleaning agents are they not? Sounds like those that confess that they wash their hands after being handling bank notes. Methinks 'elf n safety' are having a giggle on this?

Yes, it is a fear, but it's based on experience. As I previously said I've had 3 loads of washing ruined in the short time that I used laundrettes. I also know some dog owners who won't wash their dog blankets in their own machine but take them to a laundrette instead as they don't want 'the rest of their stuff getting covered in dog hairs'.

With regards to bank notes and money in general - they are filthy. A summer while a student working in one of those arcade money changing booths taught me that.

 

[appydaze]

Turn my pants inside out after two days.

Then back to front on the next two days....

 

[The general]

Turn my pants inside out after two days.

Old army trick ! Brings back memories

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[Minxy]

We don't do any washing when away unless absolutely necessary. We take enough undies etc to last the whole trip (45 days plus a few spare!), extra sheets, towels, and plenty of clothing so we don't need to do any washing when away unless something gets dirty that can't wait such as a tea spilt on a blanket etc, then it's rinsed out/hand washed as required, same with the dog towels if they get muddy/dirty etc (we have quite a few with us as our monsters like splashing about in the sea/rivers etc) so we'll rinse them out. We had to do some regular hand-washing though as our Romy was occasionally wetting her bed in the night so in the morning the cover was removed and washed/rinsed out (the bed itself is waterproof) and by afternoon the cover was dry and put back on.

Obviously the downside is that we need to carry the items in the first place and also be able to store the dirty washing to bring it home so if we were short of storage this wouldn't be an option, but we're not fortunately, in any case carrying a twin-tub washing machine would eat into the storage space anyway, so if we did need to wash whilst away it would either be a launderette, or handwashing/using a posser and bucket.

 

[EX51SSS]

I hand wash every couple of days, wring by hand and hang up either in the shower using coat hangers and pegs or outside on a hang-on-the-window contraption. If the weather is bad or I have jeans or bedlinen and towels to do we use the machines to be found in supermarket car parks, particularly Intermarche, or a launderette.

+ 1

 

[EX51SSS]

morocco is good get up at 9 in morning . put swimming shorts on go for a swim or surf . come back put the ones on you wore yesterday. nice and dry. keep them on all day . in evening wear djalaba . nice and warm by campfire . in morning same again . might have the odd t shirt if it gets cool in the day. ha ha .
no socks only wear sandals.
do folk really stay in uk in winter?
thought everyone left . its packed abroad.

There's more here now than ever. For every Brit that goes abroad for whatever reason, 10 replace them.

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