Washing Clothes

[SRM]

I have been looking all over the site and I can find answers to: what type soap ( I have bought camp suds), what do you need to dry ( I am bringing clothes line and pins) what to wash and when (I guess when your friends on the journey give you a lot of space and you are not being introspective ) and many other topics. But, I am a man and the way I wash is to dump everything at the same time in a washing machine and when the cycle is ended I put everything in the dryer for a very long time to make sure nothing is wet when that cycle is over. ( for some of you , you might guess that I am a single man ) I have never washed anything by hand in my life, nothing in my wardrobe can be described as delicate. Is there any place that will give a lesson on how to do this ? Some of my wives said I am capable of taking instructions and I have learned to ask directions, at times. Any help would be appreciated.

Technologically and domestically challenged,

Stephen

 

[Ahhhs]

You'll be fine. You'll know when to wash...it's when you can't stand yourself anymore. Throw the clothes in a sink full of water, slosh them around with some soap, rinse well with clean water, hang up. Ta da!

And apparently some places have washing machines.

I'm using Dr. Bronner's bar soap. Easy to travel with.

Best of luck.

 

[MichaelSG]

Some people will tell you that taking a clothes line is just excess weight. I took one on my last camino and found it extraordinarily useful. I used binder clips instead of clothes pins though as they took up less space.

For washing, camp suds works although I prefer Woollite or some other "normal" manual washing soap. A bar of clothes soap may be more convenient but several people I met using that method said they hated it. I suggest putting a small amount of soap in a bucket or basin (or dry bag/ scrubba), swoosh it around for a few minutes, squeezing and swirling, dump everything, squeeze out the clothes, refill the bucket with clear water, rinse the clothes, swishing swirling and squeezing, dump again, wring dry and hang.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

I have been looking all over the site and I can find answers to: what type soap ( I have bought camp suds), what do you need to dry ( I am bringing clothes line and pins) what to wash and when (I guess when your friends on the journey give you a lot of space and you are not being introspective ) and many other topics. But, I am a man and the way I wash is to dump everything at the same time in a washing machine and when the cycle is ended I put everything in the dryer for a very long time to make sure nothing is wet when that cycle is over. ( for some of you , you might guess that I am a single man ) I have never washed anything by hand in my life, nothing in my wardrobe can be described as delicate. Is there any place that will give a lesson on how to do this ? Some of my wives said I am capable of taking instructions and I have learned to ask directions, at times. Any help would be appreciated.

Technologically and domestically challenged,

Stephen

Hy , as Ahhhs say . There are albergues with washing machines and dryers , but when not hag your wash at a line and dry it in the wind.
Enjoy and have a great Camino , Peter .

 

[Cailin O Eire]

I walked Sarria to Santiago last year and I recall in one of the hostels they had washing machines and dryers, just pop in the 2 or 3 euro and The machine will work for you, in other places we were using sinks and hanging the clothes anywhere we could!!
Buen Camino

 

[SRM]

You'll be fine. You'll know when to wash...it's when you can't stand yourself anymore. Throw the clothes in a sink full of water, slosh them around with some soap, rinse well with clean water, hang up. Ta da!

And apparently some places have washing machines.

I'm using Dr. Bronner's bar soap. Easy to travel with.

Best of luck.

Thanks Ahhhs, my nose doesn't work as well as others, I will probably watch more on how people react to me. I like to shower every day so shouldn't be too bad. Lol
Maybe see you along the way,
Stephen

 

[Ahhhs]

I'm expecting that my clothes (or myself for that matter) won't be as clean or look as nice as they do at home.
It's all part of the adventure.

Buen somewhat earthy Camino,
Laurel

 

[SRM]

Some people will tell you that taking a clothes line is just excess weight. I took one on my last camino and found it extraordinarily useful. I used binder clips instead of clothes pins though as they took up less space.

For washing, camp suds works although I prefer Woollite or some other "normal" manual washing soap. A bar of clothes soap may be more convenient but several people I met using that method said they hated it. I suggest putting a small amount of soap in a bucket or basin (or dry bag/ scrubba), swoosh it around for a few minutes, squeezing and swirling, dump everything, squeeze out the clothes, refill the bucket with clear water, rinse the clothes, swishing swirling and squeezing, dump again, wring dry and hang.

Thanks Michael, went with camp suds to try and get multi purpose soap. Figured as we go along I can change if needed. I have light weight polar max base layer and shorts that they say won't pick up scent as bad so I guess a little swishing will probably get them as clean as my washer does with as much as I pack in. . Also got black so I won't look dingy.
Thanks for the help,
Stephen

 

[Al the optimist]

I have never needed a clothes line. I do carry a spare set of shoe laces which I could use if necessary. I use pins to hang up the washing.

 

[Anniesantiago]

As several people mentioned, there are more and more albergues with washing machines so don't worry. Also don't worry about stinking. We all stink (well, many of us) on the Camino. Last year I washed my Macabi skirt one time. The only thing I wash regularly are underwear and socks.

Regarding soap. When you pay to use the machine, soap is included always in my experience. For your underwear washing, go to the hardware store or market in any village and pick up a bar of Fels naptha or other cold water washing soap for under 2 euros. Cut it in about thirds and share with other pilgrims. Or buy some ivory and use it for hair, body, and underwear.

Easy Peasy

 

[Felipe]

You can wash by hand your daily clothes (probably the results would not pass "the mom test", but it will work) and in medium to big cities, try a more thoroughly cleaning, including pants, etc. If your albergue does not have washing machines (or there is a long queue, as it happens), look for the shops with the sign Lavanderia autoservicio -there are many.
Good washing!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I wrote this blog last December about doing laundry on the Camino.
It might be helpful:
http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2013/12/doing-laundry-on-camino.html

I wrote another one in 2011 and was amazed how much had changed in 3 years. From "no washing machines" to "many washing machines" most likely due to the increase of pilgrims the last 3 years.

Last year I found machines in many places.
The places I list in the blog are where our groups walk, but when I walked the whole route by myself, there were plenty of opportunities for machine washing. I just prefer hand washing.

 

[Fritz]

I found there were many alburgues with washers and dryers. I think in Roncesvalles, the "dryer" was a centrifuge, so clothes were a bit damp. There were a few times I wished I had safety pins to anchor my drying socks a bit better to my backpack while hiking. But I never lost a sock. A hat, yes, but not socks.

 

[Icacos]

I wrote this blog last December about doing laundry on the Camino.
It might be helpful:
http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2013/12/doing-laundry-on-camino.html

I wrote another one in 2011 and was amazed how much had changed in 3 years. From "no washing machines" to "many washing machines" most likely due to the increase of pilgrims the last 3 years.

Last year I found machines in many places.
The places I list in the blog are where our groups walk, but when I walked the whole route by myself, there were plenty of opportunities for machine washing. I just prefer hand washing.

Gosh, Annie, your blog looks most interesting, especially your 'blog inside your blog.' I look forward to reading it thoroughly when I get a chance.

Thanks Ahhhs, my nose doesn't work as well as others, I will probably watch more on how people react to me. I like to shower every day so shouldn't be too bad. Lol

Sorry, Stephen, but showering on its own everyday isn't enough; clothes, especially if you tend to sweat a lot, still need to be washed regularly. This is where I find lighter, quick-drying clothes come in so handy, and they're so much easier to hand wash. If you are fortunate and there is lots of sunshine, hang your clothes to dry. We used our fair share of washers and dryers - sometimes the self-serve coin operated ones, or sometimes the hospitaleros offered this service at a price - but sometimes the clothes were returned to us not entirely dry ..... somewhat understandable and forgivable given that the hospitaleros were sometimes working well into the night to get everyone's laundry done.

Oh, and be sure to thoroughly rinse your clothes after washing them. Clothes that have a residue of soap in them, when combined with sweat, can reek to high heaven.

Buen Camino

 

[Englishprof302]

Stephen- Laundry for me on the Camino was much easier that I expected it to be...in fact, I did no hand washing at all. Some albergues have washing machines and dryers and you do it yourself for 3 euros or so, others will do your laundry for you (more expensive but worth it). Another pilgrim said you would know when it was time to wash clothes, and that is right--don't be afraid of wearing that pair of shorts again, or shirt. I made sure that I had ample underwear and socks (5 pair each). I used those tiny laundry sheets, little 1X2 (use 3 or 4 to get some real sudsing action, but they worked fine.

 

[jmcarp]

And don't forget to bring a "universal stopper" (rubber circle 4"/10cm in diameter cut from an inner tube). While most albergues have laundry sinks, very few had stoppers for the drain. As for soap, I used Ivory for everything.

 

[Kiko]

Even if there are machines, its 5 minutes work to wash by hand and uses a helluva lot less natural resources than a washer/dryer will.
If you're a grown man and you have never washed clothes by hand then I'm really at a loss for words!
Takes all sorts i guess

 

[tpmchugh]

I have been looking all over the site and I can find answers to: what type soap ( I have bought camp suds), what do you need to dry ( I am bringing clothes line and pins) what to wash and when (I guess when your friends on the journey give you a lot of space and you are not being introspective ) and many other topics. But, I am a man and the way I wash is to dump everything at the same time in a washing machine and when the cycle is ended I put everything in the dryer for a very long time to make sure nothing is wet when that cycle is over. ( for some of you , you might guess that I am a single man ) I have never washed anything by hand in my life, nothing in my wardrobe can be described as delicate. Is there any place that will give a lesson on how to do this ? Some of my wives said I am capable of taking instructions and I have learned to ask directions, at times. Any help would be appreciated.

Technologically and domestically challenged,

Stephen

'Technology' there are a lot of albergues that just have a sink and you do it the old fashioned way by hand.I think I used washers only 4 times the whole way. Clothes lines...quite often it was a hedge or a fence but most places had clothes lines. The only thing I missed out on was the clothes pegs. To wash by hand I just bung it in the sink with the same soap I shower in and give it a good rub and rinse. If there are still grass stains or ketchup stains, who cares, its the camino not the catwalk

 

[SRM]

I wrote this blog last December about doing laundry on the Camino.
It might be helpful:
http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2013/12/doing-laundry-on-camino.html

I wrote another one in 2011 and was amazed how much had changed in 3 years. From "no washing machines" to "many washing machines" most likely due to the increase of pilgrims the last 3 years.

Last year I found machines in many places.
The places I list in the blog are where our groups walk, but when I walked the whole route by myself, there were plenty of opportunities for machine washing. I just prefer hand washing.

Thank you Anniesantiago, I need to stop being amazed by all the information so freely given on this forum. If everyone on the Camino is half as nice as everyone I have come into contact with on this forum, the rewards from this journey are going to be unbelievable. Thank everyone who has taken time with my question . Buen Camino.

 

[Marqued]

I will be giving the Scrubba a shot I'll let you know how it goes

 

[SRM]

I will be giving the Scrubba a shot I'll let you know how it goes

Thank you very much, all help appreciated.

Stephen

 

[Marqued]

I start my Camino next Tuesday, I'll let you know how it goes. I also got one of those bungee clotheslines that doesn't need pins.

 

[SRM]

I start my Camino next Tuesday, I'll let you know how it goes. I also got one of those bungee clotheslines that doesn't need pins.

Thank you Marques, Buen Camino !

 

[fraluchi]

[...] I am a man and the way I wash is to dump everything at the same time in a washing machine and when the cycle is ended I put everything in the dryer for a very long time to make sure nothing is wet when that cycle is over.

That's perfectly OK, as long as you can stay in an albergue with these facilities. If you have enough spare clothes changes until the next washing and drying machines availability, plus a well furnished wallet, you can do the Camino in a whiffy.

 

[SRM]

That's perfectly OK, as long as you can stay in an albergue with these facilities. If you have enough spare clothes changes until the next washing and drying machines availability, plus a well furnished wallet, you can do the Camino in a whiffy.

I am willing to learn new ways of doing things. everything will be new on this adventure. I might even be a better man for it.

 

[Kiwi-family]

My six year old did all her own handwashing - it really is not onerous! Two years later on our second camino she was busy teaching some twenty-somethings how to wrap your trousers round a chair leg to wring them out more effectively when your siblings (or mates) refuse to give you a hand. Unfortunately I can't take credit for that - don't know where she picked it up, but it was a tip that worked a treat for me thereafter;-) I just taught them how to wet the clothes, soap them, scrub them and rinse them until the water ran clear. Funnily enough, we found that handwashing can actually be BETTER than machine in terms of getting grime out (certainly not as gentle on the clothes, but very effective).
What took longer to teach them was to put TWO pins through the socks on the outside of their packs if they had not dried overnight - we had to go back for dropped socks more than once.

 

[Phillip]

I taking a latex clothes line with me on the trip. It looks like a bungee cord and you don't need clothes pins to use.

 

[SRM]

View attachment 16658I taking a latex clothes line with me on the trip. It looks like a bungee cord and you don't need clothes pins to use.

Looks good, I may have to try one.

 

[hunsta]

@SRM. Ive always found the best and easy method to washing clothes on the road, is to wash them when you shower. Wash what you want to wash while still wearing it. Wash. Scrub. Remove. Wring. hang.. Worked for me on hundreds of motorcycle runs. And has been said before. Jocks and socks being a regular. The rest every couple of days. Everyone else will stink the same. Oh and the spare shoe laces work great.

 

[Ahhhs]

I'm going to go crazy and pack an extra pair of socks and an extra pair of underwear (they weigh nothing)
so I won't have to wash EVERY night. What's a little dirt among friends?

 

[Bajaracer]

Team up with other pilgrims to split the costs of having the albergue machine wash your clothes, its usually €3 a load, after it gets washed, take your damp clothes and hang them to dry on the clothes line or drying rack, they dry fast if the weather permits especially during the summer when it's hot and windy.
I bought a 24 pack of plastic clothespins for €1 and left half of them at an albergue, some places have no clothespins at all so bring your own or you'll find your clothes laying in the dirt.

 

[Tia Valeria]

A tip I was given about washing clothes with soap:- the first rinse water should be no colder than the wash water, otherwise the soap sets in the clothes rather than rinsing out. Second rinse can be cooler or cold. If you have a trek towel then shower and get dry etc, wash clothes and then roll damp clothes firmly in the towel to remove more moisture. Twisting the towel roll of clothes is OK if they won't be damaged by stretching. I never twist my socks but do twist the shirts.

 

[Al the optimist]

Whoever posted the first tip I read about using nappy (diaper) pins would be my pin up if I could remember who it was.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Campsuds is a great product - you don't know need anything else for washing by hand. For the occasional machine wash (every 3 or 4 days, when there is a machine) I bring a few Tide 'pods'. Rest of the laundry equipment is a sink stopper (is that what they are called in English?) and a few extra pins because those are often in high demand and low supply, and necessary when threre is a lot of wind.

There are days I have not believe the stench of my cloathes after a day's walk, especially on hot days. Washed everything, could not have done otherwise. Other days, I can think of May 2013 when the weather was unsually cold, I didn't wash as much, other than undergarnments and socks - and muddy pants.