I’ll share a secret with you: life on the road is not always as glamorous as Instagram makes it look. With a need to conserve water most of the time, the dust storms and sweaty bushwalks begin to compound and you’ll realise quite quickly that staying clean is a skill. When you’ve lived in a caravan as long as I have, you’ll come to develop some creative solutions that keep you fresh without draining the water tanks.
The good news is you don’t have to stop playing in the mud or cut your remote trips short. Simply read on to learn some of my favourite hacks for laundry, showers and hygiene on the road.
A 4X4 Ford Ranger travelling through a dusty road in Australia's outback
Showering
Arguably one of the best parts of travelling in a caravan is having your own private bathroom. We’re lucky enough to have a layout in our van where the toilet and shower are separate, not combined, so showers feel as luxurious as they did when my home was not on wheels. Unfortunately when you’re off-grid and saving water, showers can’t always be an everyday occurrence and when you do have the privilege they’re very quick. Thankfully, there are a few hacks that can help you here:
The On/Off Method
I’m not sure if this technique has a proper name, so I’ll refer to it as the on/off method. Essentially you turn the shower on just long enough to wet yourself, turn the tap off whilst you lather in your soap/shampoo/conditioner then turn it back on just long enough to wash the suds off. The in-between moments where you’re usually standing under the water is where you’ll find yourself literally pouring litres of your precious water down the drain for no reason. You’ll be surprised how much H2O you save just by this simple hack.
Seek out Public Showers
If a long shower is essential (I get it, you don’t always want to stand there shivering with the water off whilst you lather up) then seek a public shower. Local public swimming pools, service stations, roadhouses and local gyms often have facilities you can either use for free or pay a small fee for. It’s rare that this will cost you more than $5; worth the money I reckon!
A woman swimming at a beach in Australia
A Mini Wipe-Down Routine
Not a full shower, but a huge water saver, is simply using a cloth to wipe yourself down. You’ll only need to wet it once or twice and you can even add a dab of soap to the cloth if you like. It won’t leave you feeling squeaky clean but you’ll be a little fresher and have the ability to remain remote for longer.
Use Products like Dry Shampoo and Baby Wipes
If you don’t have access to water or really don’t have the flexibility to take from the tanks, then grab yourself products such as dry shampoo and baby wipes. They can keep you feeling and smelling fresh for days on end and extend the time between essential hair washing.
Utilise Fresh Water Rivers
Although you can’t take your soap in, a freshwater river swim can be a saving grace when you’re on an extended remote run (such as a trip up Cape York). If you’re heading past a swimming opportunity or camped next to a fresh water river, pop on your bathing suit and jump in for a paddle. It’ll wash the dirt off just enough that you’ll be feeling refreshed enough to comfortably continue on.
A fresh water billabong in Australia
Laundry
Life on the road is dirtier than city-life, there’s no doubt about it, you’re out in the elements, you’re crawling under your vehicle to check what that mysterious noise was and you’re likely spending more time on dirt roads than ever before. Our clothes end up copping it tremendously, resulting in a lot more dirty clothes than your caravan washing machine can likely keep up with.
Take Advantage of Laundromats
With a bit of planning ahead, you can drop your laundry off at a laundromat in town whilst you enjoy a coffee or meal locally. Then you can swing back, throw it in their drier and head off to sightsee whilst that’s going. Sure, it’ll cost you a few dollars, but it saves you from touching your water supply in your van when running your own washing machine.
Pack Enough Clothing that you can Last 2 Weeks Off-grid
Having staple items in your wardrobe that you can mix and match will allow you to extend the time between essential washing days. I think a good rule of thumb is 2 weeks worth of clothes. That way you’re not overpacking, adding weight to your setup and taking away essential space, and you can push out your laundry days to fortnightly which is very achievable most of the time.
Keep your Space Ventilated
Hygiene isn’t just restricted to your body, it also comes into play with your living space. Opening up windows and roof hatches to allow your caravan to air out will do you a world of good to avoid dampness, musty smells and accumulating dust. I personally already open the windows up every chance I get because I love fresh air circulating through my space, but if you’re somewhere chilly and you’re avoiding that cold breeze, you may need a reminder to ventilate!
Exterior of a Snowy River caravan with the door open
Have a Regular Space-cleaning Day
The dust, dirt and grime in your vehicle and caravan interior can build up at what seems like the speed of light. Rather than having a full-day scheduled in the calendar of cleaning, which, let's be honest, constantly gets put off because it’s such a dreaded, huge job, regularly and quickly clean your space. Whether that’s giving the tables a wipe-down each night after dinner, dusting the shelves of a morning, or sweeping the floor daily, you’ll be saving yourself time in the long-run and you’ll be maintaining hygiene day in and day out. Don’t give it the chance to build up.
Woman wiping down a bench inside a caravan
Keep it in Perspective
There are going to be times you won’t have any water left to shower in, can’t wash your favourite shirt and will be feeling downright dirty. Stay flexible and allow it to be part of the journey! You’ll look back on this time one day and laugh at how the tan you thought you had was instead a layer of thin bulldust or the crazy amount of red that you saw on the shower floor when washing your hair after a trip to Broome!
Cleanliness and hygiene can make a big difference to how comfortable you feel on the road and when it’s your full-time life, it’s something that needs to be prioritised. With these easy timesaving and water saving hacks, staying clean can be extremely achievable.
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