Pro Traveler Tip...clothes washing..what do you do?

[1leglance]

I saw the recent Pro Traveler Tip about quick dissovle soap for clothes washing and wondered what others do?

Personally I am a huge fan of Dr Bronners http://www.drbronner.com/ as I use the stuff to wash my clothes, my dishes, my body, my hair and anything else needed....although I have not used it as tooth paste yet even if they do say that is ok

The 2oz bottle can go through airport security and since it is concentrated I have made that bottle last a couple of months at just a drop at a time.

The Peppermint and Lavender are the 2 I have liked the most over the years.

What else do folks use for clothes or camp washing?

 

[java]

Haven't used Dr Broners in years. Love that mint. Going to have to buy some now....

I usually just use biodegradable camp soap for everything. Jump in the lake for a bath.

 

[madmax718]

I've used all the bio soap stuff- but really just enjoy using dawn for all cleaning purposes (except body). It is also biodegradable, and does a heck of a lot better job of removing funk and oils out of dishes and clothing than dr broners. Dr broners I end up having to use so much just to get anything clean.

 

[1leglance]

Good tip on the Dawn...I have always had good luck with the Dr Bronners but will pack a bit of Dawn on the next outing to compare.

Also I will say when in Latin America the cost of getting your laundry done is SOOOO cheap I usually just pay someone....feeds money into the local economy and gives me a good chance to interact....that is on family trips where we have enough clothing to make it worthwhile.
When solo traveling I only have 1 pair of everything other than socks so not enough laundry to pay for.

 

[goodtimes]

It all depends on where we're going, how we're getting there, & what we're doing once we get there.

On motorcycles or on foot, I have one set of clothes on, one ready to go on, and an extra pair of sox/underwear. We hit a hotel ever day or three, and wash dirty clothes & riding gear in the shower.

When we're taking the truck & camper, I pack 5 or 6 days worth of clothes & hit the lavandaria as needed. There's plenty of room - so we take more clothes than we really need.

I've never had good luck with Dr Bonners for anything that is *really* dirty. Dawn works great for pretty much everything (although some say it dries their skin out). So does the green concentrated camp soap that you can get at pretty much any outdoor gear store. I do like Dr Bonners for general clean up of 'me' -- especially in the afternoons after a nap, just not much else.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I use Sea to Summit soap flakes most of the time. The advantage to flakes is that they can't spill or leak, always get through TSA, and they're very compact. I do use Dr. Bronners from time to time, but like all soaps, just because they're biodegradable that doesn't mean they're harmless to the environment. As such, I try not to use these things in the wilderness, or if I do, I make sure they're used far from a natural water source where UV will quickly neutralize them.

 

[editedforsafety]

I've brushed my teeth with peppermint Dr. Bronners *key word* once. Made my mouth taste like I gargled peppermint bong water. I like it for washing myself, but prefer the tea tree variety. For bar soap, I prefer Kirk's Castile. Fairly scent free, not that expensive, and does a good job.

I washed clothes with Dr. Bronners, but I'd rather use almost anything else. I've had good luck with a little grated Fels Naptha, Borax, and Arm & Hammer washing soda. Used very sparingly. Cheap, works well, and no worries of it leaking. The Fels Naptha has to be grated as finely as possible, and you can't use too much unless you want to do a ton of rinsing. A little goes a long way.

 

[BigSwede]

I just use whatever soap is handy...shampoo usually.