Washing your clothes

[Interpreter]

How often do you get to a place where you can wash your clothes? Do you hang it to dry?

 

[SYates]

Every albergue on the Camino Frances has a place where you can wash your clothes by hand and also some washing lines where you can hang them. Many also have coin operated washing machines / dryers that you can share with others to keep costs down. Buen Camino, SY

 

[Interpreter]

Every albergue on the Camino Frances has a place where you can wash your clothes by hand and also some washing lines where you can hang them. Many also have coin operated washing machines / dryers that you can share with others to keep costs down. Buen Camino, SY

Thank you!

 

[ebrandt]

I washed clothes most days by hand and hung them out. Even with mud in April I was able to keep them in good shape. And they mostly dried -- sometimes our socks and the cotton undies my husband loves were wet and had to dry the next day hanging from our packs. I have to say that I tried to avoid the washing machines and dryers -- I used them maybe once a week or every 10 days. The washers were generally top loaders with strong agitators and the dryers in particular are $*!$ on clothes -- always high heat. Plus even with two of us we had to join with others to justify a full load of laundry...

 

[naplesdon]

Not to mention the crazy cost of using washing and drying machines. It's 5 to 9 euros for a load of wash and sometimes 1 euros for 10 minutes of drying time. Equals the cost of an albergue for one night for a load of smelly clothes. After a week or so you will be smelling like a pilgrim (aka homeless bum) so why worry about the laundry?

 

[ebrandt]

Not to mention the crazy cost of using washing and drying machines. It's 5 to 9 euros for a load of wash and sometimes 1 euros for 10 minutes of drying time. Equals the cost of an albergue for one night for a load of smelly clothes. After a week or so you will be smelling like a pilgrim (aka homeless bum) so why worry about the laundry?

I agree -- cost, high heat, everything mixed together in one load, static electricity..... April was pretty muddy so we did reach times when I just couldn't get our socks and pants clean and they went in the washer. And one time, I slipped and was covered in mud from head to foot -- in my fleece, etc. I think in 35 days we washed in the washer 4 times. Really -- hand washing with a decent soap (I like Dr. Bronners in a bar) works great. L

 

[scruffy1]

You cannot be a true pilgrim unless you are frequently seen walking along with a couple pair of socks or some unmentionables flapping in the breeze to dry from your backpack. I, alas, cannot bear synthetic cloth and wear cotton everything and wool socks - jeans since you never ever know if they are dirty or not - and pay the price laundrywise - takes so much time to wash and forever to dry, still and all, a small price to pay.

 

[ebrandt]

Scruffy -- You and my husband would get along just fine....

 

[xin loi]

Washed clothes EVERY day. Bought a clothes line and more Clothes pins as soon as I could as most Albergues did NOT have enough lines. Several times I had people hanging clothes on my line while I was still hanging it up. And watch your stuff if wearing expensive clothes. Had my Under Armour stuff stolen twice while hanging on a line.

Washing machines were 8 Euros per load! Surprised how many people carried lots of dirty clothes and then washed them once per week.

 

[hecate105]

Stamping on your clothes whilst in the shower saves water and soap...
My top tip would be don't take bright red pants (proper Bridget Jones ones) as they are SO visual hanging from your backpack/pannier!

 

[MechEngr69]

I just finished the CF arriving in Santiago on May 5, 2015. Line drying worked well with lightweight synthetics, as long as you get them on the line by 3 PM, and either the sun is shining on your clothes, or the air is both dry and windy where the line is. Up in the mountains, such as at Foncebadon or at O'Cebreio, it was windy but the air was too cold and damp to dry anything completely. If the air does not dry the mud on the road, it is too damp to dry clothes. It was worth the 6 to 8 euro for both washing and drying to get everything clean once a week. The washers in private albergues tend to be front loaders since they use less water. I found some dryers dried the load completely in 20 minutes, others were painfully slow. At one I paid 2 euro to finish dryng some clothes that had drip dried on a line for a couple of hours, but that particular dryer had no electric heat, just ambient air. I should have looked closely at the electrical wiring - it was too small to have the heater hooked up. Don't be afraid to ask the manager of the albergue if they can dry your clothes in the machine, even if there in no sign or notice about such.

 

[ricitosdeplata]

Do clothes start to smell because they are mildew from not drying or because of the natural oils that accumulate? Here at home I've been using vinegar to soak my training clothes and I've avoided odors. Also have heard that backing soda will help keep the odor down. Have considered bringing along a small amount of sports detergent to use.

 

[KinkyOne]

Stamping on your clothes whilst in the shower saves water and soap...

Brilliant tip not many are aware of!!!

My top tip would be don't take bright red pants (proper Bridget Jones ones) as they are SO visual hanging from your backpack/pannier!

 

[frasert]

Sometimes the washing machine cycles are so short that the clothes are hardly cleaned anyway. And those dryers are so hot that synthetic gear shrinks.

You seem to become immune to your own smell. I remember thinking I was nice and clean at the end of my last Camino until my son who picked me up from the airport said " you reek"

 

[ebrandt]

Do clothes start to smell because they are mildew from not drying or because of the natural oils that accumulate? Here at home I've been using vinegar to soak my training clothes and I've avoided odors. Also have heard that backing soda will help keep the odor down. Have considered bringing along a small amount of sports detergent to use.

We didn't have any problem with this. Most stuff dried most of the time. If it didn't, it hung on the pack during our walk. Or we packed it slightly damp and then got it out first thing to dry the rest of the way. I will say that other than my husband's tightly whities, we had mostly quick dry clothing -- either synthetic or merino. L

 

[cher99840]

I washed my panties, sock liners, and tee shirt everyday without fail. I usually washed my hiking pants and long sleeve button up shirt every two or three days depending upon their condition. I also washed my outer socks every two or three days. Most of my laundry was done in the shower. If you've never lived like this (only two outfits and cleanliness is up to you), I highly recommend that you practice wearing and washing for about a week before leaving home. Once you get your system down, it's no more burdensome than showering and brushing your teeth.

 

[MTtoCamino]

It totally depended on what time I finished walking. The shower was the most important so I was clean in my bag. If it was early enough I would use the machines if available. If not I washed them in the shower.

Every day it seemed my pack was drying something as I walked. In the Albergues my walking poles became clothes lines. The biggest thing was finding soap. I lost 2 towels so just small kitchen towels I. Found worked better than the hiking towels. More comfortable to use very easy to clean.

 

[FurnessTravellers]

Stamping on your clothes whilst in the shower saves water and soap...
My top tip would be don't take bright red pants (proper Bridget Jones ones) as they are SO visual hanging from your backpack/pannier!

Not too sure I would do this. I came home with a fungal infection under a toenail, and even though I was careful and wore thongs in every shower you don't know what others are doing! We had a routine after a couple of days- book in, shower, wash clothes, relax! If the weather was bad we generally found our clothes dried hanging on our bed, plus I enjoyed the chatter and camaraderie that went on around the wash troughs in the albergues.

 

[CK007]

I washed clothes by hand, be it in a wash basin or the showers every day (only took along 2 of everything). Clothes pegs comes in very handy for when drying clothes whilst walking! The attached picture shows what I'd do on those rainy days if something was still damp by lights-out.

 

[Donna W]

I saw a suggestion back a few months ago from someone in this forum regarding the "Scrubba" wash bag. I ordered one from Amazon.com (I've pasted the link below) and it arrived in a very timely manner. It's pricey, but doesn't weigh much (I don't have the exact weight), but I'm planning to bring it on my Camino in August/September. It has an internal washboard-type surface that gently helps get the clothes clean. Anyway, thought I'd pass the idea along in case anyone is interested and didn't see the original posting.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BUI7HFC/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[cher99840]

I saw a suggestion back a few months ago from someone in this forum regarding the "Scrubba" wash bag. I ordered one from Amazon.com (I've pasted the link below) and it arrived in a very timely manner. It's pricey, but doesn't weigh much (I don't have the exact weight), but I'm planning to bring it on my Camino in August/September. It has an internal washboard-type surface that gently helps get the clothes clean. Anyway, thought I'd pass the idea along in case anyone is interested and didn't see the original posting.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BUI7HFC/?tag=casaivar02-20

Have you tried it yet? How much trouble is it to rinse? Amazon says it weighs only 5 oz. "Only" is relative.

 

[Donna W]

Have you tried it yet? How much trouble is it to rinse? Amazon says it weighs only 5 oz. "Only" is relative.

I haven't tried it yet, but here's a link to the actual website where they give a step-by-step explanation about how it's used plus a video demonstration. And you're right, "only" is definitely a relative term! Having done quite a bit cycle touring in the past, I know wash basins aren't always the best. I'm also planning to hike the Appalachian Trail in the future where there won't be wash basins, so I think the device will be a good investment. I'll post something after I've actually used it!

Here's the link:
http://thescrubba.com/pages/using-your-scrubba

 

[jpn321]

I haven't tried it yet, but here's a link to the actual website where they give a step-by-step explanation about how it's used plus a video demonstration. And you're right, "only" is definitely a relative term! Having done quite a bit cycle touring in the past, I know wash basins aren't always the best. I'm also planning to hike the Appalachian Trail in the future where there won't be wash basins, so I think the device will be a good investment. I'll post something after I've actually used it!

Here's the link:
http://thescrubba.com/pages/using-your-scrubba

I am on the Camino Frances right now and love my Scrubba. It gets the clothes really clean( if they're really dirty, I might wash/rinse again before hanging up) the key to getting it to work is getting as much air as possible out if the bag, first before you roll the top to close and then use the valve to get the rest out ( BTW, you have to squeeze the valve while pushing the air out, otherwise it won't work). I quite like the rolling, scrubbing motion, sort of like kneading bread. Took a few tries to get the hang of it but like it a lot.
Also using safety pins to hang clothes; haven't lost anything yet. Won't thwart clothes thieves though. Guess my stuff isn't high end enough

 

[nidarosa]

Actually the same principle works with normal drybags too if you are carrying them. Try before you go and see if it works for you - works out cheaper if it does!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Kanga is the one who mentioned it and wrote this morning that she is using hers every day with great success.

 

[Stivandrer]

OMG: the only time and place where cleanliness is NOT next to godliness must surely be on the Camino.

Your woolen socks does not need a daily wash, only every second day and then only a short soapy rinse, not in a washing machine but by hand. Your socks are your guarantee to the wellbeing of your feet, and after some time they are formed by your feet, then do not wash the life out of them. Rinse carefully in a wash basin and airdry...
Layers on your upper body is best taken care of if they are woolen; they can go days before they go stale and only need frequent rinse in the basin and then airdried.
Please do not spend you precious days with washing and washing, you are in a survival mode and nobody is watching how clean you are, you are not graded either, as to perfect your wardrobe is. So please go easy on the washing, unless you really really ewnjoy it !!!!
If you really do want to look spick and span in Santiago, then do what most do; sent forward your best clothes forward to Santiago . Most of my mates I could hardly recognize as they had dived into their Samsonite companion, shed their pilgrim skin and looked the perfect tourist ....

 

[Inbar]

Do your clothes actually dry overnight? I've decided to try a little experiment and washed my hiking clothes by hand. My pants and shirt dried off quickly. But the sports undies and coolmax socks are still damp almost 10 hours later. And wearing damp socks/undies is so much worse than wearing damp pants/shirt... Wrong choice of fabric? Or is this normal... (I know you can dry them over your bag, just trying to figure out the best way to do this)

 

[cher99840]

My undies dry as quickly as my shirts and pants. My hiking socks do NOT. That is why I don't wash them everyday. As long as the layer next to my skin (liners) are clean, I'm good with that.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Do your clothes actually dry overnight? I've decided to try a little experiment and washed my hiking clothes by hand. My pants and shirt dried off quickly. But the sports undies and coolmax socks are still damp almost 10 hours later. And wearing damp socks/undies is so much worse than wearing damp pants/shirt... Wrong choice of fabric? Or is this normal... (I know you can dry them over your bag, just trying to figure out the best way to do this)

As you have experienced not all items dry well overnight, especially the thicker socks, or those made of merino. That is why you see people walking off in the morning with their items of clothing attached to their backpack so they finish drying during the day. When it rains a lot in the afternoon I now sometimes opt not to wash items I will need the next day and may not dry. But I have been lucky, that have never happened on those days when I walked in the albergue at the end of the day with clothes whose smell I cannot stand. And there are those days. Eurk! So quite normal. Since these are small items, bring an extra pair, or change your socks for lighter ones.

 

[Inbar]

Thanks Anemone and Cher

 

[SYates]

Do your clothes actually dry overnight? I've decided to try a little experiment and washed my hiking clothes by hand. My pants and shirt dried off quickly. But the sports undies and coolmax socks are still damp almost 10 hours later. And wearing damp socks/undies is so much worse than wearing damp pants/shirt... Wrong choice of fabric? Or is this normal... (I know you can dry them over your bag, just trying to figure out the best way to do this)

Sun, wind and low humidity help ;-) As for attaching clothes in need of drying to your backpack - safety/nappy pins! SY

 

[Sirage]

I suggest a bit of relaxation, this is a Camino, not a fine French or New York Cafe. The difference between damp and dry undies is about 10 minutes.

 

[Inbar]

Haha, I have very little experience when it comes to wearing damp clothes. You learn all sorts of things on the Camino I suppose

Buen Camino

 

[Interpreter]

Thank you everyone for comments and suggestions!

 

[Anniesantiago]

Buy one Macabi Skirt and never wash it.
It doesn't hold dirt.
And if you do wash it out in a sink, it dries in 2 hours.
As everyone said, no problem - lots of places to do washing on the Camino (or to have it done for you)

 

[alipilgrim]

Bring extra socks!

 

[hecate105]

I was careful and wore thongs in every shower you don't know what others are doing!

Wow! ahem, in the UK 'thongs' are VERY skimpy knickers that show off your bum.... are they something else too?!

 

[mspath]

They are flip flop sandels often made of plastic or rubber and held on by your toes.

 

[FurnessTravellers]

Oh my goodness!!! Yes they are also called flip flops in other countries. Here in Aus we call them rubber thongs.

1. 

 

[FurnessTravellers]

I suggest a bit of relaxation, this is a Camino, not a fine French or New York Cafe. The difference between damp and dry undies is about 10 minutes.

We build 'em tough here in Aus, don't we??!!

 

[MichaelSG]

What I have brought on all three Caminos is a thin cord for a clothes line. You can't always find space when an albergue has a line and some albergues and most pensions / casa rurals don't have them easily available so I have found this lightweight addition to my pack invaluable. On my recent Camino Ignaciano, I needed it every day except for two. I also carry small binder clips to use as close pins. Nothing ever blows off the line an it would be hard for someone to accidentally take the wrong thing. The line also helps me make a few more friends. For detergent, I used Woolite which I brought with me. 12oz lasted a month for two of us. Underclothes were washed daily, wool socks usually every other day and outer clothes when then were dirty or didn't pass a real smell test after the day's hiking. Finally, I used a lightweight waterproof drybag to wash the clothes in as it cuts down on the mess is normal sinks and cuts down on the water & detergent needed.

 

[hecate105]

Ah - flip-flops - now it makes sense! It will still make me giggle the next time I enter an albergue shower...

 

[FurnessTravellers]

Ah - flip-flops - now it makes sense! It will still make me giggle the next time I enter an albergue shower...

Oh it will make me cringe, can't even imagine what it must be like to walk the camino in a thong!!!!!!!! (Or thongs for that matter!)

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

...undies and coolmax socks are still damp almost 10 hours later...

Do you lay them out and roll them up on your towel first, to squeeze out as much water as possible before hanging to dry?

 

[Sebastian Cohen]

SO, DIRTY (oh sorry for shouting).....clothes is more than just smelly clothes. Smelly clothes is the easy part of the equation.

Excessive sweating, dead skin cells, dirt from the Camino etc. etc. equals dirty clothes equals bacteria growth. This next to your oh oh so soft skin and the inevitable chafing equals??? Yes, it's not good. Ok, at least it's ok for a weekend hike, but we are talking days and days of hiking. Why shower if your clothes are still dirty?

Now let's (talking to myself) not get totally overboard here, but clean clothes is just as much about cleanliness and hygiene as it is about being able to finish the Camino. If you get bad chafing and it starts to seep clear liquid, the dirty clothes might (MIGHT) get it infected. Stay as clean.....as possible.

As for actually washing the clothes, I have bought a though (marine-type) dry-sack. This is heavier than regular lightweight waterproof sacks. THIS IS MY NEW WASHINGMACHINE! A little soap (of any kind really) some water (as hot as you feel is comfortable), then shake, rattle and roll that dry-sack until you feel it's time for some vino tinto.