Uses for a disposable pillowcase

[BarbaraW]

Somewhere in the depths of this forum there’s a reference to keeping the disposable pillowcases (provided in some albergues) to use as a mat in showers. In Ponte de Lima albergue, where no bed covers are provided, a very experienced French pilgrim in the next bed calmly slipped one onto her pillow, while the rest of us tried various unsuccessful ways of covering ours. They were very slippery pillows. She told me that she always carried one with her and found it useful for many things.

I kept my next disposable pillow case and used it as an auxiliary towel. It worked as well as my expensive pack towel. Intrigued, I took it home and weighed it. 12 grams, less than half an ounce. I washed it. It stayed intact and dried very quickly.

Does anyone else keep and use theirs? What other uses might they have?

 

[Lindsay53]

The towel idea intrigues me. I have found pack towels are inefficient and a pain to use. If a disposable pillowcase can do the job maybe a disposable sheet will work even better?

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I think this is a great idea for an item doing double duty. Thanks for sharing it! Nearly 7 years on the forum and I've never heard of this tip before

I will add (and I've said this before a couple of times) that I use a thin flannel "baby towel" purchased at a resale shop for $1. It works a charm, is lightweight, absorbs all the water quickly and dries super fast. It was a tip given by @Anniesantiago in 2015. It's only negative for larger people or very long hair is it might be a bit small, but two could be sewed together easily.

 

[markie6]

I've picked up a few pieces of rubbish ( trash) with mine at times and kept it until next available bin

any extra use must be good

 

[roving_rufus]

This has just given me an idea - I lost my pee-rag 2 days ago and tonight I am staying in a municipal pilgrim gite in France with disposable sheets and pillow.... I wonder

 

[Camino Chrissy]

This has just given me an idea - I lost my pee-rag 2 days ago and tonight I am staying in a municipal pilgrim gite in France with disposable sheets and pillow.... I wonder

Also, if anyone finds your "said article" and picks it up...

 

[C clearly]

This has just given me an idea - I lost my pee-rag 2 days ago and tonight I am staying in a municipal pilgrim gite in France with disposable sheets and pillow.... I wonder

I would be surprised in the material in the disposable pillowcases has enough absorbency for that purpose. As a towel, it might serve somewhat better, by smearing and brushing water off the skin.

Here's an idea... use and re-use the thing as a pillowcase! Prior use as towel or pee rag would not be advisable! However, it might work as a buff.

 

[BarbaraW]

Just tried it round my neck. Surprisingly warm and comfortable, slightly fetching even. Too small to make any other type of wearable I think. But the possibilities of a whole bedsheet........

 

[Keikochan]

That's a good idea! I never thought of taking a disposable pillowcase with me, but I do take a disposable sheet from the first albergue I can get it. It's light enough and can be used as just a right-sized curtain for the side of a lower bunk and if you can get the bunk close to the wall, it gives you a perfect privacy. I wonder if they provide us one in the private hostels and albergues on the Camino Portugues I'm going to do in September.

 

[C clearly]

Think in reverse... I have a silk tubular scarf that I've used as a pillowcase. It weighs only 15g but is a bit small. Next year I'll make the right size so it might weigh 25g. More washable than the disposable material, and possibly even more fetching!

 

[LouLou]

I’ve packed up and taken the disposable sheet and pillowcase to the next Albergue that I had read didn’t supply them… i was the envy of room in the muni in Ponte de Lima in April….

 

[Camino Chrissy]

For albergue life I always have brought an extremely cheap bottom sheet and pillowcase from a $5 set purchased at my local "Dollar Store". Although I would never use them at home, they weigh nearly nothing, fold up tiny, and have some very "fetching" patterns to choose from.

 

[Wippe]

Somewhere in the depths of this forum there’s a reference to keeping the disposable pillowcases (provided in some albergues) to use as a mat in showers. In Ponte de Lima albergue, where no bed covers are provided, a very experienced French pilgrim in the next bed calmly slipped one onto her pillow, while the rest of us tried various unsuccessful ways of covering ours. They were very slippery pillows. She told me that she always carried one with her and found it useful for many things.

I kept my next disposable pillow case and used it as an auxiliary towel. It worked as well as my expensive pack towel. Intrigued, I took it home and weighed it. 12 grams, less than half an ounce. I washed it. It stayed intact and dried very quickly.

Does anyone else keep and use theirs? What other uses might they have?

Disposable pillowcases are perfect to keep your dirty clothes untill you have a place to do your laundry.

 

[C clearly]

Disposable pillowcases are perfect to keep your dirty clothes untill you have a place to do your laundry.

Do take note whether both ends are open! Having to tie a knot at one open end will seriously reduce its capacity!