Washing - soap, shampoo or detergent

[Valinsky]

Hi,

I´m asking anyone who have any experience; what´s the easiest and the most convenient way to do the daily washing?
I don´t want to carry more grams than necessairy.

Thanx in advance

// J (with 29 days until start)

 

[Tia Valeria]

I take shampoo and a little soap, Terry just takes his shower soap. It depends which is best for your skin/hair. Then simply take enough to do the hand-washing too. If you are using soap some-one gave the tip to buy it now, unwrap it and it will harden and therefore last longer. We usually take a part used piece rather than a full bar and it lasts OK.
Washing machines are different - soap/detergent powder was provided in the cost, but it was in a hotel in Melide.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

A multi-use soap, like Camp suds in the U. S., works for shampoo, shower and laundry. Eight ounces lasts me for the entire Camino.

 

[Sojourner47]

As with Tia, a half-used bar of ordinary non scented soap, does for everything: self and clothes.

 

[Valinsky]

Thx for your answers, it seems that I´ll manage sub 7 kgs on my back and then I´ve included a half bar of random soap.

// Jan

 

[Sojourner47]

Don't forget to cut the excess length off your toothbrush handle......

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Hej!
I think it's a good idea to test the soap first. If the clothes really get clean.
I've found out that some soaps just don't work, such as some if the 100% olive oil soaps. It became a kind of green slime (sorry) glued to the clothes and was difficult to rinse. There are good soaps made for washing clothes with, but some smell awful, (like WC-duck) and are too strong to wash yourself with.
So after lots of testing I'm taking two (half) soaps. One for clothes (it's called marseille soap and smells ok) and one very mild (smells nothing) for myself. And I'm also taking some detergent powder (Y3 small packs) as it weighs nothing and it's not fun trying to wash dirty hiking pants with a little bar of soap.
And shampoo etc for my hair of course.

Am leaving in less than three weeks and my bag is 4,7 kg at the moment.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Don't forget to cut the excess length off your toothbrush handle......

I'm sure you have drilled holes in it too. :lol: :wink:

 

[JabbaPapa]

Real savon de Marseille (the green or pale ochre stuff, made with olive oil) is great, but it can be hard to find even inside France -- might be findable in SJPP if you arrive early enough on the day before departure to go looking ?

Poor quality mass-produced imitations of it are easy to get hold of though :cry:

 

[Valinsky]

Don't forget to cut the excess length off your toothbrush handle......

I´ve cut the straws of the toothbrush to half of their length and pulled away every second straw and finally drilled several holes in the handle and filled them with helium. Kidding................!!!! :lol:

 

[Anniesantiago]

I carry one bar of Liggett's for bathing and shampooing

The best option for hand laundry can be purchased in Spain. It is a cold water bar specifically made for hand washing. It is similar to Fels Naptha and has many names. I'm particularly fond if the cocoanut bar made for baby clothes. You can buy it in any market in Spain. Cut a bar into 3 pieces and share with other pilgrims. Cost is around 3 euros.

In every place where a washing machine was found, soap was provided in the cost of use. So there is no reason to carry machine detergent.

 

[jrosado1]

Has anyone tried those little leaflets of soap and laundry soap. I bought them for the weight consideration, but haven't tested them out yet

 

[Anniesantiago]

I've used them. They are fine for bathing. Didn't like them for laundry.they seemed to want to 'gum up' on my clothes. A slice of Fels Naptha works better for me.

 

[Valinsky]

Don't forget to cut the excess length off your toothbrush handle......

I'm sure you have drilled holes in it too. :lol: :wink:

Det finns gränser

 

[Pattii]

I have yet to try them but a friend of mine turned me on to them. They are dry leaf soaps...body wash ..laundry soap...conditioning shampoo. 50 leaves per pack and 0.5 oz per package He said they were pretty good...no gumming if you work the lather up first...
http://www.backcountrygear.com/toil...and-travel-pocket-laundry-wash-50-leaves.html
thats the link to the laundry soap and here is the link to the page they are on. Now I have no idea if these are accessible in Europe etc. but I bet there is something else similar. I thought they were brilliant!

 

[Tia Valeria]

Has anyone tried those little leaflets of soap and laundry soap. I bought them for the weight consideration, but haven't tested them out yet

I took some and found that too many were needed to get a good wash and that my hand had to be thoroughly dry before touching them. If not they melted and stuck together. A small piece of soap and a 100ml of shampoo were much better and easier to use.

Best use of the soap leaves was the plastic 'box' which opened out to make a mini paint palette.

 

[Pattii]

lol...so don't try them hey... Ok. So the soap bar it is! and omg my PAINTS! I almost forgot (hurries and jots them down on the list and wonders exactly how many colours I would need to bring...and thanks God that they are water colors!)

 

[Tia Valeria]

Pattii:- I took 8 half-pans in mini holders, cut off paint brush, small pencil with a rubber on the end and a bottle cap for a mini water pot. This all went into a ziplock type plastic bag. Paper was cut to approx postcard size so it could fit in my pocket, also in a thin plastic cover.

 

[Pattii]

thats excellent!...thank you ...I'm sooo glad you mentioned it...

 

[Bajaracer]

Lagarto bar soap for washing clothes, buy it at a local store when you get to Spain, cost- .70 cents euro, break it in half and give away the other half to another pilgrim or leave it at the wash sink.

 

[JabbaPapa]

whooops forgot I'd already posted in here ...

 

[johnsondav]

Has anyone tried those little leaflets of soap and laundry soap. I bought them for the weight consideration, but haven't tested them out yet

I have used them, and found them to be worthless. They get all "gummy" & then it is hard getting it out of your clothes.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

They get all "gummy"

This is a widely reported flaw. Your pack can become quite moist on the inside with damp clothes, a towel that was packed before it was completely dry, and a sleeping bag that absorbed a pound of water the night before and has not been aired. The soap leafs sit in there and become a glob of paste after a week.

 

[hecate105]

Ecover washing up liquid. Take a small bottle (strong plastic) and it will wash you, your hair, clothes and anything else you care to clean...(and totally natural)

 

[hnguyen]

Has anyone tried those little leaflets of soap and laundry soap. I bought them for the weight consideration, but haven't tested them out yet

I packed the leaflet soap and shampoo from REI for my first camino (CF) last year for weight saving reasons. I found them to be useless. First, you need more than 1 leaf to have any effect. Second, the leaves stick together easily at the first hint of dampness (and dampness is pervasive when you walk in snow/rain!!) So I gave left them at the "free" table at the albergue in Roncevalles. I ended up using just small bars of soap for the rest of the 33-day camino, for everything: shampooing, showering, laundering....

 

[Anniesantiago]

Ecover washing up liquid. Take a small bottle (strong plastic) and it will wash you, your hair, clothes and anything else you care to clean...(and totally natural)

Many airlines will not allow liquids so it depends on where you're flying from.
Also, liquids have a nasty habit of opening in your bag and getting everything slimed.
I prefer a dry bar for bathing/shampooing and for clothes washing.
But to each his/her own

 

[Bajaracer]

Get a tube of Norit Viaje when you get to Spain for €2 works well in cold water (because that's all the wash sinks have)

 

[Winchester09]

My solution was a bar of fairy all purpose soap. Not liquid so no airport worries. The entire bar lasted me for all four months and I still had over half left (or would have had I not lopt a 1/3 off in Bordeaux). Worked perfectly both in the shower and in a basin with my clothes...and even both at the same time with the human trample washing machine method lol.

 

[purplepilgrim]

Hi,

I´m asking anyone who have any experience; what´s the easiest and the most convenient way to do the daily washing?
I don´t want to carry more grams than necessairy.

Thanx in advance

// J (with 29 days until start)

I used just plain 'savon de Marseille' for my clothes, body and even hair (!!!!) and it worked well. You can find it easily in France in any supermarket in the laundry section or the soaps, deodorats etc section. I bought the unscented variety and it lasted quite well and I replaced it as necessary in Spain. It lasts longer if you use one of those nylon mesh shower 'balls' which dry in no time at all, especially when hung on your pack!!

 

[poesraven]

I am taking Dr Bronners Pure Castile peppermint soap. it is all in one soap. -body, hair. laundry.& teeth.

 

[whariwharangi]

The Botafumeiro used to swing every day in order to mask the odour of unwashed pilgrims.

It occurs to me that if we all stopped washing, the Botafumeiro would swing more often.

 

[alexwalker]

I'm sure you have drilled holes in it too. :lol: :wink:

How on earth did you know that??? On the serious side, I am not obsessed with weight. I just carry it, but I do consider what I put into my backpack.

 

[poesraven]

I also heard that about the Botafumeiro. it was to hide the scent of the BO from the pilgrims. While I would like to see it swing, I still need to bathe.

 

[soumie]

I'm taking Dr. Bronner's unscented baby-mild pure castile liquid soap. It's good for everything.

 

[jeffrey r aitken]

I'm taking Dr. Bronner's unscented baby-mild pure castile liquid soap. It's good for everything.

I 2nd that completely, It is the best i use it everyday at home also. Low environment impact cleans awesome does not dry out hair or skin leaves a nice long lasting smell. I use the lavender https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...5LC9nGXjTUAKpWH11mRVuw&bvm=bv.62788935,d.aWcr

 

[inspiredjen]

I brought a 3oz tube of shampoo and used that to wash my bod, hair, and clothes until it ran out. Worked great! When it was gone, I refilled it with shampoo samples from the Parador. :cough:

 

[Bajaracer]

I'm taking Dr. Bronner's unscented baby-mild pure castile liquid soap. It's good for everything.

Dr. Bronner's liquid soap is horrible for doing laundry in cold water, albergue deep sinks are all cold water, they sure don't have hot water!
Try it before you leave.

 

[lfamiglio]

I am using LUSH bar shampoo for much of my washing on camino now.

 

[Kanga]

The Botafumeiro used to swing every day in order to mask the odour of unwashed pilgrims.

It occurs to me that if we all stopped washing, the Botafumeiro would swing more often.

Great idea (cough cough, laugh laugh)!

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Hi All,

MODS, I hope it's okay for me to make this known here because, it's relevant. If not, PLEASE tell me where I should post this: I make really nice soaps (without Parabens, SLS or Pthalates), and have just released two All-Purpose Bars (skin, hair, laundry, dishes...but not teeth). I also make customized soaps, so if you have need for a no added fragrance or any other special requests in a soap, that would be my pleasure to create for you! These are helping to fund my camino. Please take a look: https://www.etsy.com/... "GALICIA" for Normal to Dry Skin/Hair: https://www.etsy.com/... "MESETA" for Normal to Oily Skin/Hair: https://www.etsy.com/...

 

[domigee]

Looked like 'just the ticket' for me and was going to give it a try but...too far away (re shipping charges ). The olive oil bar seems super too.
Never mind, there seem to be quite a few people on here on your side of the pond. Good luck with it and
buen camino

 

[darronb]

I have a bar of green soap I picked up from the states. Think it was called backwoods or woodsman soap ( might not be called that at all) It's great used it for everything from normal washing and shaving to cleaning clothes etc etc. Came with a handy bag to pop it in to once finished. Just wish I could remember properly what it was called as have nearly used it all.

 

[Tincatinker]

Hi All, MODS, I hope it's okay for me to make this known here because, it's relevant.

You have already posted about your commercial venture, which is also plugged in your by-line. Ivar depends on donation and advertising revenue to support this forum. Perhaps a donation would be relevant...

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Done! Thanks @Tincatinker

 

[jo webber]

I tried the dry "leaf" soaps on our last trip to Europe, does not work well at all. For the Camino I will have shampoo for hair and body, and dishwashing soap for laundry. I tried the dish soap I use at home and it takes out everything except heavy petroleum build up in socks (using cold or hot water).

 

[Saunterr]

I've had good success with a bar of Sunlight soap for everything. Not a liquid, so convenient for flights, and lasts forever. I keep it in a ziplock bag.

 

[Casserole]

I know this is an old thread, but for anyone new doing research - I used Head and Shoulders for EVERYTHING. Even washing my clothes. I tried Dr. Broners, but it made my skin feel weird.

 

[Walkandwalk]

I used a natural soap for washing clothes and it worked fine. Also a small shampoo bottle for hair and body, and when it ended I just bought another one.