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vegpedlr
Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2014
Posts: 774
Location: TBD
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 Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:24 am Post subject: Backwoods laundry? |
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Just got back from a weekend mtb race. Onlly saw 2 Westys and 2 Eurovans. No Bays. I love seeing old Bay Westys still doing what they were designed for.
Anyway, when I finished, I was filthy, and while hosing down my body was simple, I was left with nasty bike kit. I don't mind being a little rough when camping and washing everything back in town. But the bike kit was a whole 'mother level. Any suggestions for simple hand washing of bike clothes that won't destroy the environment? I don't need to be fresh as a daisy, but Inwould like to look a little better than Leo in The Revenant and not kill ecosystems in the process.
Thanks! |
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foodeater
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Joined: July 13, 2007
Posts: 1318
Location: Newburgh, NY
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:29 am Post subject: Re: Backwoods laundry? |
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I worked on this project a few years back as a designer, helping to sort out some issues. I've never actually used the final product, so I cant fully vouch for it, but it (or something similar) may suit your needs. You would need some sort of container to catch the used water.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Laundry-POD-LP001WHT-Whi...op?ie=UTF8
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PDXWesty
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Joined: April 11, 2006
Posts: 6243
Location: Portland OR
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:36 am Post subject: Re: Backwoods laundry? |
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Take a look at a product called the rinse kit. It was developed by a friend. I think REI is selling it now too.
http://www.rinsekit.com/product/rinsekit/
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MidwestDrifter
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Joined: June 13, 2012
Posts: 769
Location: Kicking Around Australia
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:37 am Post subject: Re: Backwoods laundry? |
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Get a bucket with a lid. Cut a hole in the top for a plunger or similar tool for agitation.
Fill with water (warm or cold) and biodegradable detergent. Agitate as needed. Drain and rinse. For a cleaner rinse wring the clothing out before and after the rinse.
To save water you can capture your shower water re-use for the wash cycle.
Hang drying is the easiest method. However, if you are just looking to reduce the funk/smell from your gear, a single wash and wring can make a big impact. Don't let the clothing sit wet for more than 8 hours or so in warm weather. As the smell with only get worse. Once its dry the microbial action will come to a standstill.
If you have a place to store/dispose of the water. Adding a bit of febreeze or similar odor removal agent to the rinse make a big difference.
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2000 Jetta TDI
1982 Diesel Westy W/ ABA I4 hybrid (Sold)
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mustard675
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Joined: January 14, 2016
Posts: 84
Location: San Diego
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:51 am Post subject: Re: Backwoods laundry? |
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| MidwestDrifter wrote: |
Get a bucket with a lid. Cut a hole in the top for a plunger or similar tool for agitation.
Fill with water (warm or cold) and biodegradable detergent. Agitate as needed. Drain and rinse. |
This works surprisingly well. Haven't camped and had to do laundry but I use one of these at home for my working-on-car clothes as a pre-wash. A plunger would also probably work.
http://www.amazon.com/EasyGoProducts-Hand-Powered-...ge_o03_s00
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vegpedlr
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Joined: June 07, 2014
Posts: 774
Location: TBD
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:07 am Post subject: Re: Backwoods laundry? |
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Great ideas!
That rinse kit looks awesome for hosing down body and bike, and the wand looks like a good idea, but they might be bulkier than I want.
What about detergent? I'm most concerned about what to use that will help clean, but not poison anything. Sometimes "biodegradable" isn't what you think. Any recommendations? |
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MidwestDrifter
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Joined: June 13, 2012
Posts: 769
Location: Kicking Around Australia
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:17 am Post subject: Re: Backwoods laundry? |
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You can make your own basic detergent with borax and baking soda. Its not as good as the off the shelf kind, bit it does work. Hot water would be helpful as well.
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2004 Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter (Custom Camper)
2000 Jetta TDI
1982 Diesel Westy W/ ABA I4 hybrid (Sold)
Epic Road Tripping since 08/05/12 | http://VagariesAbound.blogspot.com/
My Current Build | http://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41215 |
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SCM
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Joined: January 26, 2011
Posts: 3115
Location: Bozeman MT
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:38 am Post subject: Re: Backwoods laundry? |
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| vegpedlr wrote: |
Great ideas!
That rinse kit looks awesome for hosing down body and bike, and the wand looks like a good idea, but they might be bulkier than I want.
What about detergent? I'm most concerned about what to use that will help clean, but not poison anything. Sometimes "biodegradable" isn't what you think. Any recommendations? |
"Campsuds" is a biodegradable laundry/body/ soap (maybe even safe to use as toothpaste, I forget) that's been around forever. The main thing is to avoid using soap with phosphates which can contribute to algae growth if it gets into waterbodies.
IMHO you're overthinking both the level of effort needed to wash your stuff and the environmental impact of doing so. A 5-gallon bucket with some water from a creek and some agitation with your bare hands is probably plenty good enough to deal with a post-race kit.
Even with some sort of soap, your post-race laundry efforts are probably going to be less environmentally harmful than washing your stuff at home once you consider the energy usage and all the different mining/manufacturing processes required to meet that demand. I personally would have more environmental concerns with regard to the manufacture of the plastic gizmos included in any "wash kit" than I would with the occasional splash of a dilute detergent solution onto the ground - just stay 100 feet from waterbodies to be extra safe.
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newfisher
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kamzcab86
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tristessa
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Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:16 pm Post subject: Re: Backwoods laundry? |
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| mustard675 wrote: |
| This works surprisingly well. Haven't camped and had to do laundry |
I -- and most of the junior staff -- did laundry that way for a month one summer when I was working at a remote Scout camp when I was 17; that and a clothesline and you're set. The other option was a 60-mile round trip on Forest Service and logging roads, which killed a significant part of the single "day" (mid Saturday to mid Sunday) we had between camp sessions. |
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Type17
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Joined: April 24, 2012
Posts: 300
Location: Chicagoland
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 2:50 pm Post subject: Re: Backwoods laundry? |
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I wash my kits in two 5 gallon buckets with water and Dr Bronner's magic soap. One bucket to wash, the other to rinse. Just work it all by hand. If I'm at an area I can dump it with gray water, I'll do that. They say it's biodegradable, but I prefer to not dump it on the ground if possible. Sometimes I'll just rinse them in plain water and hang dry till I get home if I'm not too far out and don't want to haul around dirty water to the next dump spot.
I use the same soap for washing myself and my dishes, it can even be used to brush your teeth in a pinch. It doesn't get as clean and odor free as using my washing machine at home with more powerful detergents but it's good enough to go for another ride the next day.
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tam_shops
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Joined: November 15, 2012
Posts: 1530
Location: Vancouver BC
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| Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:54 am Post subject: Re: Backwoods laundry? |
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| Type17 wrote: |
| I wash my kits in two 5 gallon buckets with water and Dr Bronner's magic soap. One bucket to wash, the other to rinse. Just work it all by hand. |
^^I just use my dish washing/rinsing tub. I have two boys that get covered in mud where ever they go. I find the trick is to change the water often. Gets all the mud/dirt out. I dump the water (with out soap) on a tree. Once the mud/dirt is out, I use a bit of dish soap to see if I can get the marks out, otherwise I don't worry about it, they're just going to get dirty again anyway. I have way too much stuff I probably don't need anyway, there is no way I have room for a special laundry washing tub, I think I'd bring more clothes first, as they squish down flat and can squeeze in anywhere. LOL
tam
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