Laundry options are limited somewhat for nomads. Since a residential washer and dryer simply won't fit (or have enough power) in all but the largest of vehicles (buses, Class A RVs, etc.), most people do their laundry at a laundromat (also called launderettes), or at the homes of friends or relatives.
When you live in your vehicle and go to a laundromat, you have the advantage of being able to be "at home" while parked outside waiting for your laundry to get done. Simply set a timer to remind you when to check your laundry. And you can't forget your favorite laundry detergent at home because your home is just parked outside! In this way, van life laundry is almost easier than in a conventional home.
Laundromats are also a convenient option to recharge your devices while you wait.
In addition to standalone laundromats, you may also find washers and dryers at truck stops. There may be machines at private campgrounds (especially RV parks), hotels, apartment buildings, and dormitories, but you will usually need to ask before using these, since they are often only to be used by paid guests or building residents.
Ventilation
Ventilation of dirty laundry isn't essential, but is helpful. Allow clothes to dry out a bit before putting them in a ventilated (mesh?) bag. This will prevent mildewing and reduce odors, making your clothes easier to clean. When designing your van build, ensure that your dirty laundry storage space allows airflow. Consider a small ventilation fan to draw air through your clothing and out of the van. For example, you could add an intake vent in your laundry enclosure, and another vent from your laundry enclosure that leads to your toilet area, and a powered exhaust fan from your toilet area to the outside. In other words, air will flow from inside your van, through your laundry, then past your toilet, and then outside. This will help reduce smells in your living space.
If you have a fixed shower stall, it could be used as a drying room if you have a heater vent pointed into it near the floor and an exhaust vent near the ceiling.
If there will sometimes be a temperature differential between your laundry enclosure and the rest of your living space, ventilation is even more important, since there could be condensation in the enclosure. For example, if your enclosure is very cold and it's adjacent to the warm interior of your van, condensation could form.
Fresher laundry
If your clothing doesn't smell fresh after washing, double wash your clothes or use vinegar as an additive. Many stinky microbes can live through the washing machine! Especially important if you have any rashes or fungal stuff going on.[1]
Keeping yourself clean will also help your laundry stay cleaner between washes.
Laundry storage
See the tip in the Ventilation section above about allowing airflow through your laundry storage.
If you have a storage unit that you visit regularly, you can keep most of your dirty laundry there until laundry day. This keeps smells out of your vehicle and gives you more space.
Do less laundry
Fabric choices matter! Wool or cotton base layers will retain less odor than synthetic fabrics. See this post for additional information.
Laundromat alternatives
If you're not near a laundromat (or laundrette), or to save a bit of money, you may wish to try washing your own clothes with these alternatives. Manual washing is a normal fact of life for many off-grid families.
For vehicle dwellers, there are some important limitations to consider: washing laundry uses a good amount of water, particularly if running separate wash and rinse "cycles". Remember that wash water doesn't have to be potable; if you find a rest area with non-potable water outlets it could be a sign to do laundry.
Washing
Dr. Bronner's is probably the most used soap of for all uses inside vans. Normal laundry detergent can be used, although it will require a rinse "cycle". Use as little detergent as required. No-rinse washing with ingredients like a bit of vinegar or bleach may be preferable offgrid in order to preserve water. See this post on testing several laundry methods and this blog post.
Portable washing machine
There are small electric washing machines that may be workable: “I have a washing machine with a spin dryer. $100 and is better than home machines.[4]”
Bucket and plunger washing
A common off-grid clothes washing solution is a bucket with a laundry plunger. These plungers differ from toilet plungers because their design forces water back-and-forth through the laundry. Demonstration video. A regular broom handle will screw into the plunger, allowing standing operation.
“ You can make a great washer with 2five gallon buckets and a plunger. Drill holes in the bottom of one. Place it inside the other, with clothes inside the innermost bucket and plunge away! To wring out, take the no-hole bucket and nest it in the holed bucket with the clothes and sit on it. Then line dry to complete. No electricity required and it doubles as a laundry hamper.[5] ”
Large bucket and foot stomping
If you have a large sturdy bucket or even an empty cooler, you can use your feet to agitate your dirty laundry similar to the traditional way grapes were crushed for wine.
“ I found this very effective. The laundry came out much cleaner than when I use a washing machine. ... The key is to not use your arms. Using my feet ... was a lot less tiring. Hang drying was no big deal really. There was something old fashioned and fun about it. And I saved over $10 not going to some gross laundromat.[6] ”
Tumbler washing
You can use a laundry tumbler: “So at laundry time, I go into the Walmart and get a gallon jug of water and pour it in the washing machine. Then I add a dash of chlorine bleach, stuff the laundry in, screw on the lid, and crank the machine for three minutes. The chlorine cleans and disinfects everything, and also bleaches out the surface dirt. I can then remove the clothing one piece at a time, wring the water out, and hang it up to dry (I have a number of hooks on the walls of the van specifically for drying laundry.) Since the chlorine evaporates away, I don’t have to rinse them. T-shirts dry in just a few hours, and jeans are usually dry by the next morning.[7]”
Washing bags
Scrubba and similar camping wash bags work by filling with clothes and washwater. As the hiker walks or van moves, the water sloshes around and cleans the clothes.
“ I use a dry bag. Load with a handful of clothes, add soap, then water, close it up and play hackey sack with it for a few minutes. Open it and roll out the soapy water, then fill it again with water for a rinse cycle. Repeat last step until the water coming out is clear. Wring, then hang dry.[8] ”
Wash board
Washboards or scrubbing boards are an old-school method for cleaning your clothes. See this thread on wash board use.
Drying
Drying laundry in your van with electricity won't really be possible unless you're connected to shore power. Clothesline drying is the most common method of off-grid clothes drying. Lines can be stretched across open doors, tent poles, hung from awnings, etc.
Wringing removes excess water before drying; this speeds drying time, reducing the opportunity for mold/mildew to grow, and keeps water from dripping in the drying area. Rollers squeeze water out of wet clothes. Buttons and other breakable items should be laid flat before going through a roller. Example products: Wringmaster off-grid laundry wringer, Lehman's Best hand wringer Salad spinners and similar hand-powered devices may be used to fling out some water, but they are difficult to balance and will have very low capacity. Some have reported good luck with powered spinners.
In below-freezing weather, you can hang wet clothing outside and allow it to freeze. Your clothing will dry in freezing temperatures! If there is snow on the ground, the added reflectivity will sun-bleach your clothing faster, which may or may not be desirable. To line dry items faster, you can beat frozen clothing with a rod to dislodge ice crystals, which lets them fall to the ground. This removes a significant amount of water from your clothing, but should only be used with durable fabrics.
Clothing choices
“ What really helps both methods is the clothes I choose to begin with. They're almost exclusively campwear, beach wear, sports wear, that sort of thing. My work outfits are dark, plain-colored board shorts or swim trunks with the webbing cut out, and long-sleeve black DriWorks shirts. My "going out" clothes are just decent looking performance garments meant for camping/hiking/outdoorsy stuff, and a couple decent polos. The only cotton stuff I have anymore are socks, underbritches, and a couple denim jeans that I try not to wear.[9] ”
