One of the practical questions for anyone travelling in a camper for long stretches is: what about dirty laundry? Without a washing machine on board (except in very well-equipped motorhomes), you have to find your own solutions. The good news: keeping on top of your laundry is easy with a couple of options and tricks, and it also lets you travel with far less clothing, saving space and weight. Let's take a look.
Using a launderette
The most convenient option for long trips. Many campsites and service areas have coin-operated washers and dryers, and towns and cities have self-service launderettes. Use a stop every so often to run a big load with everything in it. Convenient, quick and sorted.
Hand-washing
For everyday items and small loads (underwear, T-shirts, socks), hand-washing is simple:
- A foldable basin or the sink itself, with mild soap.
- There are portable manual "washing machines" (hand-cranked, plunger-style, or bags like the Scrubba) that wash with little water and effort.
- Wring well (rolling in a towel helps) so it dries faster.
Use a small amount of soap, and ideally a biodegradable one, especially if you're travelling through nature.
The challenge: hanging out and drying
- A foldable outdoor drying rack (pegged or line-style) takes up little space and solves air-drying.
- A line with pegs between the roof rack and a tree or the awning.
- Drying indoors only with good ventilation (wet clothes generate a lot of humidity and condensation; see condensation).
- Make the most of sun and wind: hang things out on a good-weather day.
The trick that changes everything: pack less
If you wash reasonably often, you need far fewer clothes, which saves space and weight. Combine this with layered, versatile clothing. We cover this in clothing and packing.
In summary
To keep on top of your laundry in a camper, combine launderettes at campsites/towns for big loads with hand-washing for everyday items, plus a foldable drying rack for air-drying. The step to take today: get a basin or a manual "washing machine" and a foldable drying rack; with that, you'll wash on the road, carry half the clothing, and gain space and weight in the camper.
