Comments on: Zen and the Art of Laundry on the Road

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:32:18 +0000

@Karen: I’m laughing as I write this. Just as I was about to respond to this comment I realized we had laundry waiting at the lavanderia and it was closing in 30 minutes so I went running out the door to rescue our precious laundry as tomorrow is a holiday Yes, travel really does make you appreciate the small things

By: Karen Catchpole

Karen Catchpole — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:09:38 +0000

Audrey, I’m right there with you. During our multi-year Trans-Americas Journey through North, Central and South America very few things make my eyes light up like the use of washer and dryer (or avacados or artichokes). Guess travel really does help you pare your priorities down…

By: Daniel Noll

Daniel Noll — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:04:58 +0000

@Ali: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it…and glad it brought you back.

@Simon: “Rome was built quicker than it takes an Italian washing machine to do one load.” — am laughing.

By: Simon P

Simon P — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 07:30:42 +0000

So true about European washing machines – you just about have to wait all day for them to finish! It seems to me as though Rome was built quicker than it takes an Italian washing machine to do one load.

By: Ali

Ali — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:22:16 +0000

This was hilarious! And I had a few flashbacks to my own laundry experiences on my RTW.

By: Daniel Noll

Daniel Noll — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 06:08:09 +0000

@Dan: I’m glad that I did a decent job making interesting hay of the travel laundry process. However, I feel bad saying this but the Scrubba looks no more sophisticated than my dry bag. I’m also not convinced that it would handle particularly heavy clothes, which are notoriously the most difficult to wash on the road.

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:51:51 +0000

I used to be a shower clothes washer, mainly because I hate paying for laundry when travelling (around eastern Europe last year most hostels were charging 5-8 Euro per load!) so I can relate to the points in your blog. I also agree with the other comments, that you have made a mundane topic really interesting (well done).

I said above that I “used” to be a shower clothes washer. That was until I met a guy last year in Poland. He has invented a travel device (Scrubba wash bag) for washing clothes and I was lucky enough to be given a prototype to use for the rest of my travels. It is essentially a sealable bag with an internal washboard and it made washing clothes really easy. He recently sent me a link to a video he shot using the Scrubba on a train, somewhere I never contemplated doing laundry. Thought you may find it interesting: http://youtu.be/a8-vUN8nJT0

By: Daniel Noll

Daniel Noll — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 02:58:16 +0000

@ACNM: I’m even ready with a few more

@Jade: Pre-soaking your travel laundry in the shower — I like it. I won’t hold it against you that you don’t do your laundry start to finish.

Drip dry, TMI. Kidding, kidding. This whole thing is about sharing, after all.

@Sonja: Thanks for tip on REI detergent. I feel like I’ve seen it. When we return to Berlin, I’ll have to look for it. (By the way, we thoroughly appreciate products that you can depend on, assuming they are available anywhere, then finding out the hard way they’re not.)

I love the story of Guatemala, watching turtles and the Dr. Bronner soap — shower gel, shampoo and laundry detergent. 3-way…I’m laughing. Oh and Lake Atitlan, now that’s civilization. I remember landing there after hiking and camping our way there from Xela.

Thanks for making me laugh…and bringing back some good memories.

By: Sonja

Sonja — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:48:46 +0000

I’ve been reading your blog on and off for probably about a year now but have never commented. But this post reminded me of detergent you can by in Germany especially for handwashing/travelling. You may know it http://www.germangoodies4u.com/beauty/518-rei-in-der-tube.html
It comes in a little tube and is SO practical. I thought being able to buy this sort of thing was completely normal until I travelled to New Zealand and was shocked to discover you couldn’t get it there. I’ve been living in England for almost three years now and you can’t get it here either…so I will make sure to stock up on it next time I’m in Germany!

When I was in Guatemala I worked for a sea turtle project in a remote little village, so for 5 weeks I was hand-washing my clothes with biodegradable Dr. Bronner soap…which also doubled as shower gel and shampoo haha. Then I spend a week at Lake Atitlan and had my clothes machine washed for the first time. Heaven!

Keep up the great blog!

By: Jade - ouroyster.com

Jade - ouroyster.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:59:24 +0000

hahaha I just loved this! i do my laundry in the shower! well, I let it get nice and pre-soaked in the shower, and then I wash it by hand in the sink as I drip dry. too much info? lol