Doing Laundry On the Road - Winter 2018

This morning was a chilly 38 degrees
at Hi Jolly Campground
in Quartzsite, Arizona
this morning!

It was also laundry day. 

Luckily I brought a 50 foot line of paracord. 

I hung one in from a tree and one and from my van.

I separated my items and decided to do underwear first, 

then blouses, then pants, then socks. 

I did my sheet last because I wanted to let it soak.

I put about 3 inches of hot water in my black bucket and put in my underwear. After letting it soak for maybe 10 minutes, I used the plunger “washing machine“ that I purchased to agitate the clothes. It actually worked great and I’m really happy with it. I originally brought a top for the bucket. It went to my son’s beer making kit but I quickly learned that the hole for the handle of the plunger needs to be in the center not around the outside edge. Oh doh!  When you’re getting ready to do this van dwelling trip, there are things that don’t occur to you until you’re actually in the middle of the process.

After plunging the underwear then I washed each piece separately. It’s much easier to plunge one item at a time than to try to fill the bucket and plunge it. I think the clothes get cleaner doing one item at a time. Luckily, with this lifestyle, there are not huge piles of laundry.

After everything was washed I fed my water to a local tree and put 3 inches of clean water in the bucket. I wrung as much water out of the clothes as I could and then added each piece to the clean water. This would’ve been a great time to have my great grandmother’s wringer to wring those clothes out. 

But I managed OK.

I used safety pins to hang my clothes out. This was a trick I learned on the Camino Santiago. It’s especially handy for here in the desert where the wind can quickly ruin your wash by knocking it off the line.

So that’s it. My laundry is finished. The sun will come around this way in about an hour and I expect everything to dry quickly in the breeze.  It feels so good to have it done and I actually enjoyed this experience. And an extra bonus is that wonderful smell of clothes that have dried in the sunshine.  

I’ll sleep really good tonight!

Ma Cato used to tell me I was born in the wrong century and that I would’ve been a great pioneer. I can remember her saying, “most people couldn’t live that way, Sis, but I believe you could and you’d be happy!”

I agree with her. 

I love being out here in the wilderness. 

And I’m happy to do these menial chores without the modern conveniences.

I’m using the rinse water to give my van a quick wash on the inside 

and get some of the desert dust out of it. 

So laundry day also turned into cleaning day a

nd I finished by 10 AM. 

Not bad!

View from my van door:

Doing Laundry on the Camino

I've had a few folks ask about doing laundry 

while on the Camino.

I think I've blogged this before.

But I can't find it so here goes…

If you are walking on your own 

and staying in albergues, 

there will almost always be a place 

for you to do HAND laundry 

and hang it out to dry.

If you are walking with us on our Best of Both, 

here is a list of what I know to be true:

SJPP:  Hand laundry in bathroom and racks to dry

Roncesvalles:  Hand laundry in laundry room and racks to dry. Also washing machines (lavadoras) and dryers (secadoras)

Zubiri:  Hand laundry and dry on line in back yard

Pamplona:  May be possible to wash small loads in sink and hang on balcony

Puente de la Reina:  Lavadoras and secadoras. Also a line to dry.

Estella: Hand laundry and dry on rack

Los Arcos:  Our hospitaleros will do your laundry for very little cost

Viana:  Wash in sink and dry on lines on balcony

Logrono:  Not sure. Hotel may offer service.

Burgos:  Not sure.  Hotel may offer service.

Astorga:  I washed clothes in the sink here and hung out on balcony BUT this is an expensive hotel so they may complain.

Rabanal:  Wash in sink and dry on lines on patio

Acebo:  Not sure but I assume they have hand washing facilities

Ponferrada:   Hotel will do laundry for a fee

Villafranca:  Hospitaleros will do laundry for a small fee

Sarria:  Not sure but assume they have facilities

Portomarin:  Albergue has lavadora/secadora and hand washing options. Lines to dry outside.

Palas:  I washed in sink and dried in window

Castaneda: I assume they will have a sink and lines to dry outdoors

Pedrouzo: Sink and lines to dry outside

Santiago:  Hotel may have facilities - otherwise wash in sink and hang in window or bathroom

Washing By Hand

Oh my! This is a lost art, isn't it?

Well, you're about to learn to do it just like grandma did!

First, buy yourself some hand washing soap. 

I use Fels Naptha but there are others, like Lirio.  

Go to the market and look in the laundry aisle. 

You are looking for a BAR of soap, not a liquid. 

 If in doubt, ask some nice lady,

 "Este es para mi ropa?"

It looks like this inside the wrapper.

Or, another brand might look like this.

Sometimes they have really nice gentle soap for baby clothes.

Once you get the bar, cut it into 4 or 5 pieces.

Share with friends! 

You don't want to carry all that weight, 

and soap is very inexpensive 

and easy to find on the Camino. 

Remember to bring a baggy to keep the soap in.

So now you have your soap.

Next, locate the laundry sink.

It is most likely outside and looks like this:

Grab one of those plastic bins 

that are usually stored under the sink 

and put your clothes in it.

Those are also good to soak your feet in,

by the way!

Fill it with some COLD water. 

You won't have a choice.

 It's always cold! 

Now, rub the soap into your wet clothes.

Then rub them together, squeeze, etc.

Keep working until you make some nice suds!

Rinse.

Empty the water.

Put fresh clean water in the pan.

Rinse again until all suds are gone.

Wring out as much water as possible.

One thing you will find useful are laundry spin dryers. 

They're like an electronic salad spinner 

and they spin your clothes nearly dry! 

You must BE CAREFUL to balance the load.

 If they start jumping around 

and knocking against the sides loudly, 

STOP and re-balance the load.  

When you use these, 

your clothes dry in as little as an hour.

Your clothes are clean!

Now hang them to dry.

You might find a regular clothesline outside.

You might find a line right outside your balcony window.

More often, you will find a rack that looks like this one:

I always take safety pins instead of clothes pins 

to hang up my clothes.

They are less likely to blow off the line

or to walk away.

They also weigh nothing.

So there you go.

Don't be offended.

I know most of you probably already know 

how to do this.

But you'd be surprised how many people

have never hand washed their own clothes.

Be aware that if you have the hotel do the laundry,

it could shrink into something unrecognizable.

They use HOT HOT HOT water to wash 

and HOT HOT HOTTER air to dry.

I prefer to do my own laundry.

Good thing my Macabi skirt only requires washing 

every few weeks!

Buen Camino!

Annie

Joe does laundry in SJPP

PS:  I just found my old blog. 

Here is the link if you are interested.

There are some fun photos there:

doing-laundry-on-camino.html

Buen Camino!

Annie

Prettying Up on the Camino

When people are packing their sundry bag for the Camino, they often find themselves wondering what to take and what to leave behind.  

I have one suggestion:  SIMPLIFY

One of the first things you will notice about Pilgrims is 

they are not beauty book material.

You won't see curling irons or pantyhose,

nor will you see eyeliner and mascara.

Nobody cares if their pants matches their shirt.

Most have chosen their clothing because of the WEIGHT 

rather than the looks.

Their shoes are not clean,

but mud-spattered and dusty.

Their socks are grey, not white.

Their hair is either chopped short for ease of washing (often in cold water)

and care, or twisted up inside a ballcap.

Nor do they bother with makeup and beauty routines.

Shower time on the Camino is short and very sweet.

A person lolligagging in the shower, using up all the hot water, 

while fellow pilgrims stand groaning in line, 

will soon find themselves confronted.

You get in, soap up, rinse, and get out.

And if the water is hot, you thank God and St. James.

You won't see pilgrims standing in front of a mirror at night 

doing a beauty routine.

They're too tired.

They've been on their feet for 6 to 8 hours.

Nor will you see primping in the morning. 

After the first one or two hospitaleras shoo you out of the building at dawn

with the wet cold cream still on your face... 

after your dripping sweat leaches your makeup into your eyes,

blinding you and leaving you resembling a zebra...

and once you realize that every single OUNCE you are carrying 

makes a huge difference in whether or not your feet 

are going to carry you through to Santiago
or blister up like a pig on a spit, 

well, 

you begin to get the picture.

The moment that light bulb goes off is a moment of freedom.

I've seen so many pilgrims reach this point.
They immediately begin unloading their pack
with no thought of cost or loss.

It's a defining moment on the Camino

when you realize just how much you can happily live without.

You not only gain precious hours, 

you gain a sense of who you REALLY are under the facade. 

As you drop weighty items, 

as you leave behind un-needed equipment and clothing, 

you find yourself also dropping routines you thought were important,
and trains of thought in which you were invested,

in favor of time spent being human, 

connecting with others, 

and living your life unfettered.

Here are some suggestions for prettying up on the Camino.
In the end, it's YOUR Camino,
and these are only suggestions,
not rules.
There are as many ways of doing a Camino

as there are pilgrims.

However, these ideas are what works for me.

BODY WASHING.   

Buy a bar of soap. Cut it in half. 

Give half away (extra weight). 

Use it for washing your body and your hair. 

If you live near a health-food store like Whole Foods, buy handmade soap... 

or order it on Etsy. 

Hand made soap is great for both body and hair washing.

One of my favorite body/hair washing soaps is Liggets Shampoo Bar.  

This bar is small, lightly scented, and lathers well in cold as well as warm water.

It leaves your body and hair feeling clean. 

It's lightweight, and will last the 6 weeks of the Camino 

if you keep it dry between showers.

You can find it online.

You also could simply bring your favorite soap or buy a bar in Spain. 

A mesh bag that can be safety-pinned to the outside of your backpack

will allow the soap to air out and dry between showers.

(Don't forget safety pins)

Don't bother bringing a hair-dryer.

Figure out a way to do without.  

Remember, any electric appliance you bring will not only mean more weight,

but it will mean bringing plug adaptors and carrying them

and hoping there is a plug somewhere near your bed.

Many of the places you will stay are older buildings,

some erected before electricity was common.

Not all will be able to feed your need for electrical outlets.

I always cut my hair in a short pixie before walking. 

That way I don't even need to bring a comb!

I just wash, dry, and go.

 To dry yourself, don't bother with expensive micro travel towels. 

They smear the water all over you instead of sopping it up. 

Instead, consider an old worn cotton dish drying towel.  

Or cut an old terrycloth towel into thirds and take 1/3 to dry your body.

DEODORANT.  Buy a travel size and pick up more in Spain if you run out.

PERFUME.  Please don't bring it.
First, it's heavy.
Second, it's unnecessary.
Nobody wants to smell it except maybe you.

Instead, smell the smell of the wildflowers,
the forest, and the clean morning air. 

Perfume gives some people a migraine, leaving them very cranky...

It feels like an assault to people who have allergies.
In an albergue room full of pilgrims,
one person slathered in perfume
can really make the rest of us suffer.
Generally, those who DO wear fragrance don't realize how strong it is.
Please, leave the fragrance at home.

CLOTHES WASHING

Much of the laundry you will be doing on the Camino will be by hand.

Unlike the USA, there are not convenient laundromats in every neighborhood 

or even in every village. 

Self service laundry is pretty well unknown in Spain. 

Most people either do their own laundry 

or take it to the laundry to be washed for them.

Most of the laundry you will be doing on the Camino will be in COLD water.

Regular laundry detergent is not safe to carry in your backpack. 

If the bottle opens, you have a mess.

It's also not always made for cold water washing. 

The best product I've found is Fels Naptha soap. 

It is MADE for cold water hand washing. 

It comes in a large bar that can be cut into thirds or fourths and shared. 

It lasts a long time.

It gets clothes clean, 

and you'll learn to use and love it.  

You can buy it in St. Jean Pied de Port at the hardware store 

or in just about any tienda in Spain.

It will cost under 3 euros.

This soap has a long history, and I love looking at the old advertisements. 

Ask your great-grandmother what she used to do her laundry!

Most albergues provide a place to hang your clothes - 

usually a folding rack.

I always take a little elastic clothesline or rope, just in case. 

You can pick them up in travel stores like Rick Steves online, 

or you can make your own.

These also come in handy when you want privacy in your bunkbed...

just hang them between the bedposts, hang some clothes, 

and voila! 

Instant privacy!

Don't bother with an electric toothbrush. 

Just bring the old fashioned kind, and a small travel tube of paste.

It's lightweight, easy to replace, requires no electricity,

and you can pick up more toothpaste in Spain if you run out.

Add a comb and you're ready for pilgrimage!

If you have exceptionally dry skin, 

you can pick up lotion in Spain.

You can try bringing a small tube of your own, 

but you may have difficulty getting it through security unless it's a very small size.  

You can also get any first aid supplies you may need on your first day in Spain.

St. Jean Pied de Port has a nice farmacia, as do most larger towns.

That's it.

That's all you need.

It should all fit into a 1 quart ziplock bag.

I challenge you to try it.

I can't say it enough:

Buen Camino!

Annie

See my website at 

www.anniecarvalho.weebly.com

for more information about
Guided Walks on the Pilgrimage Trails of Europe
and
Walking the Camino Santiago