The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Share Your Badassity => Topic started by: TheBeardandTheBohemian on January 23, 2017, 02:01:26 PM
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My wife and I (and our dog)are traveling the country and needed to do laundry however the nearest town was 45 minutes away we didn't want to spend the money and gas to drive to a laundromat so we decided instead to use our biodegradable soap and wash them in the lake we were camping at(for free)and hung them to dry. I definitely got some looks from the people flying by on their boats but still did the friendly wave with a grin.
Was wondering if other people had done some frugal things while on the road to save money and if so feel free to share them?
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I definitely try to do this everyday while on a backpacking trip. Either in a lake, stream or a public restroom.
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My wife and I (and our dog)are traveling the country and needed to do laundry however the nearest town was 45 minutes away we didn't want to spend the money and gas to drive to a laundromat so we decided instead to use our biodegradable soap and wash them in the lake we were camping at(for free)and hung them to dry. I definitely got some looks from the people flying by on their boats but still did the friendly wave with a grin.
Was wondering if other people had done some frugal things while on the road to save money and if so feel free to share them?
Hope the lake you have access to is cleaner than the ones I frequent. If I did that I'd smell like, well, dirty lake water, hah.
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My wife and I (and our dog)are traveling the country and needed to do laundry however the nearest town was 45 minutes away we didn't want to spend the money and gas to drive to a laundromat so we decided instead to use our biodegradable soap and wash them in the lake we were camping at(for free)and hung them to dry. I definitely got some looks from the people flying by on their boats but still did the friendly wave with a grin.
Was wondering if other people had done some frugal things while on the road to save money and if so feel free to share them?
Hope the lake you have access to is cleaner than the ones I frequent. If I did that I'd smell like, well, dirty lake water, hah.
Me too, I prefer clear moving water for camp laundry :).
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Thank you for using biodegradable soap....it's important. Camp suds is a good one. Can be used for laundry, dishes and shampoo!
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Water is clean but within the hour it smells like it did before we washed it. CAMPFIRE. Thanks for the info definitely will use the streams once we come across some
My wife and I (and our dog)are traveling the country and needed to do laundry however the nearest town was 45 minutes away we didn't want to spend the money and gas to drive to a laundromat so we decided instead to use our biodegradable soap and wash them in the lake we were camping at(for free)and hung them to dry. I definitely got some looks from the people flying by on their boats but still did the friendly wave with a grin.
Was wondering if other people had done some frugal things while on the road to save money and if so feel free to share them?
Hope the lake you have access to is cleaner than the ones I frequent. If I did that I'd smell like, well, dirty lake water, hah.
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You really shouldn't use even biodegradable soap directly in the water, it's against leave no trace ethics :-/
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Another vote for washing in clear, rapidly moving water. Who knows what parasites (microbial, nematode, etc) you may catch in your clothing "net."
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How dirty were the clothes that they needed soap? Usually on extended camping trips just washing and drying in the sun is plenty to keep the funk down until the next trip to civilization.
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We had been camping for 11 days. We try to be as conservative as possible and I did read that water is a natural detergent so next time I'll have try that
How dirty were the clothes that they needed soap? Usually on extended camping trips just washing and drying in the sun is plenty to keep the funk down until the next trip to civilization.
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When we camp we carry a five-gallon bucket with a lid. We put in a little soap and warm water, dump in the clothes and let them soak overnight. Better yet, we put the bucket in the back of the truck and let everything slosh around while we drive to our next destination. When we arrive, we rinse the clothes, ring them out and hang them to dry. This wouldn't work well for big, heavy garments, but for socks, T-shirts and undies and the occasional pair of shorts it is a great, lazy way to do laundry. And it doesn't use that much water.
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That is an awesome idea thank you. When you rinse do you use other water you brought with or where does it come from ? Campsite ?
Any other tips of how to live frugally while on the road ?
When we camp we carry a five-gallon bucket with a lid. We put in a little soap and warm water, dump in the clothes and let them soak overnight. Better yet, we put the bucket in the back of the truck and let everything slosh around while we drive to our next destination. When we arrive, we rinse the clothes, ring them out and hang them to dry. This wouldn't work well for big, heavy garments, but for socks, T-shirts and undies and the occasional pair of shorts it is a great, lazy way to do laundry. And it doesn't use that much water.
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When we camp we carry a five-gallon bucket with a lid. We put in a little soap and warm water, dump in the clothes and let them soak overnight. Better yet, we put the bucket in the back of the truck and let everything slosh around while we drive to our next destination. When we arrive, we rinse the clothes, ring them out and hang them to dry. This wouldn't work well for big, heavy garments, but for socks, T-shirts and undies and the occasional pair of shorts it is a great, lazy way to do laundry. And it doesn't use that much water.
+1 this works pretty well : )
On washing your clothes in the lake, did you have to get out an auger to get through the ice first? lol jk, you must be further south, that's pretty awesome! Nothing more refreshing and enjoyable than getting all cleaned up in a crisp stream or lake. : )
BTW, I remember hearing from someone that you might be able to freeze dry clothing in sub zero temps, never tried, but I would like to.
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My best laundry story is this: On an Outward Bound cycling trip circumnavigating Nova Scotia, we got caught in a tropical storm and ended up camping overnight in a credit union's parking garage (with permission). On the side of the building, at chest height, was a downspout for the roof. We showered, washed our hair, shaved our legs, and did our laundry. The rainwater was warm and the volume strong. We strung up a clothesline inside and everything was dry by morning. It was a thrill to be clean and have clean clothes to wear!
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Were In Lake Ouachita southern part of Arkansas with is extremely warm to the weather we're used to up in Iowa
When we camp we carry a five-gallon bucket with a lid. We put in a little soap and warm water, dump in the clothes and let them soak overnight. Better yet, we put the bucket in the back of the truck and let everything slosh around while we drive to our next destination. When we arrive, we rinse the clothes, ring them out and hang them to dry. This wouldn't work well for big, heavy garments, but for socks, T-shirts and undies and the occasional pair of shorts it is a great, lazy way to do laundry. And it doesn't use that much water.
+1 this works pretty well : )
On washing your clothes in the lake, did you have to get out an auger to get through the ice first? lol jk, you must be further south, that's pretty awesome! Nothing more refreshing and enjoyable than getting all cleaned up in a crisp stream or lake. : )
BTW, I remember hearing from someone that you might be able to freeze dry clothing in sub zero temps, never tried, but I would like to.
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That is badass
My best laundry story is this: On an Outward Bound cycling trip circumnavigating Nova Scotia, we got caught in a tropical storm and ended up camping overnight in a credit union's parking garage (with permission). On the side of the building, at chest height, was a downspout for the roof. We showered, washed our hair, shaved our legs, and did our laundry. The rainwater was warm and the volume strong. We strung up a clothesline inside and everything was dry by morning. It was a thrill to be clean and have clean clothes to wear!
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You really shouldn't use even biodegradable soap directly in the water, it's against leave no trace ethics :-/
This. My understanding is that "biodegradable" means biodegradable in soil, but not in water. I know you meant well, but please carry water away from a lake/stream and wash/rinse there.
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Was wondering if other people had done some frugal things while on the road to save money and if so feel free to share them?
on a college road trip we slept on the side of a road... definitely got some funny looks
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I tried sleeping in my car once on a long trip only to be awakened by a police officer tapping his flashlight on my window. Move along...
These days there is Walmart and Sams. Not as brave as I used to be so I'd restrict car camping to a van with few windows I think i.e. invisible.
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Many many things are biodegradable, doesn't mean they are good for the lake or rivers. Especially "closed" bodies of water like lakes.
I realize that the boats cruising by are also leaking gas and oil into the water but still this is not cool.
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Many many things are biodegradable, doesn't mean they are good for the lake or rivers. Especially "closed" bodies of water like lakes.
I realize that the boats cruising by are also leaking gas and oil into the water but still this is not cool.
We weren't sleeping in the car but outside on the side of the road
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What does where you are sleeping have to do with it?
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I think it was meant to be a reply to the comment above the one they quoted.