Hand-Washing My Clothes - One Part of Nomad Life I’ll Never Love
I can't use a public laundromat or even wash my clothes at a friends house. It's just how it is when you're allergic and hyper-sensitive to modern-day, chemical-laden laundry products.
The fumes alone can cause breathing problems. Washing my clothes in machines that most likely contain toxic-to-me products - that stick to my clothes and doesn't come out - is just asking for a more serious problem.
There are products I can use but most people don't use them - nor do I know what's in the machine after someone else used it.
Over the past 10+ years of living nomadically, I've tried a multitude of laundry options. I always came back to washing by hand in the sink, wrapping the wet clothing in a towel to wring out the excess water, and hanging it up to dry.
When I'm in the van, this isn't easy. I forgo making hot water, just using cold water. I also find it annoying to haul water in and out just for laundry.
If it's raining outside, I can't wash clothes at all. Wet clothes inside the van on a rainy day just won't dry and it makes everything in the van damp.
At a hotel, it's much easier to wash clothes by hand. I don't have to physically haul water in and out and I have hot water at my fingertips!
Hanging the clothes to dry is easier too - more room, more airflow.
I still dislike doing laundry by hand but it's much easier at the hotel.
Now that I think of it, when I lived in a house, I never liked doing machine laundry either.
Just sharing my thoughts... or possibly procrastinating about that little pile of laundry staring me in the face.
Connie 🌼
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