It’s the first question people ask when someone says they live in their van, “But, how do you shower? How do you clean your clothes?” These questions are often followed by a humorous jab, “You and your van must stink!” (We don’t, and it doesn’t.) While staying fresh and clean on the road is a little more challenging than it is in a traditional apartment or home, it is absolutely doable. After years of trial and error, we’ve got some tips and tricks to make vanlife hygiene a breeze.
SHOWERING
Living on the road, we have come to realize that daily (or twice daily) showers are not really necessary. It’s important to stay clean, but a lot of us shower far more often and for far longer than needed. So our first tip would be to reduce the amount that you shower! It’s good for your hair, your skin, and the environment. When it is time to freshen up, there are a few ways to get squeaky clean (or close enough) when you’re living or traveling in a van.
1. With your van sink
Our builds are designed so that you can thread the sink faucet out the side window of the van and use it to shower outside of the van. You can also use the faucet to spray down bikes, surfboards, and other gear so that you don’t track mud and dirt into your van.One of our optional add on features, the collapsable shower system, takes it a step farther. The system comes with a collapsible shower basin, a drain through the bottom of the van, shower curtain, and heating element for hot water.You can use the sink inside the van if you just need to rinse your hair, wash your face, or freshen up with a quick wipe down. We recommend buying a few quick dry towels like these from PackTowel, which have an antimicrobial treatment so they don’t get musty. They take up less space and dry faster than a traditional towel, and we find they are just as absorbent. They are also perfect for when you need a good old fashioned sponge bath.
2. Get a gym membership
This is a favorite option for many van lifers because it’s a two for one solution to personal hygiene. You get a place to work out and a place to shower. There are several gyms that have locations nationwide so you’ll never be far from a rinse station. The gym with the most locations nationwide is Anytime Fitness. Their monthly membership costs vary based on location, but the average is around $36/month, and the membership gives you access to all of their gyms after a month of being a member. Other popular options include 24 Hour Fitness ($52/month for national access, $47/month for regional access), Planet Fitness ($23/month plus a $40 annual fee), and Gold’s Gym ($55-$60/month).
3. Get the inside scoop
Many truck stops offer showers for truckers. For a small fee (and a few confused looks from truckers) you can use the showers services as well. Many campgrounds also have showers, but generally they are only available to people who are paying for a campsite. We can’t recommend poaching a shower without paying for a campsite (but we aren’t going to rat you out either.) Then there are the wildcard recreation areas that have showers available to the public, such as Great Sand Dunes National Park here in Colorado, which has a few showers near the trail out to the dunes. These are harder to plan your hygiene around, but they are a nice surprise when you stumble upon them during your travels.
4. Truck stops, campgrounds and recreational areas
Apps like iOverlander and websites like FreeCampsites.net crowdsource information about campsites, but they also list information about amenities like water access, dumping stations, and showers. ¡Overlander is our top choice for this function, you can filter by what kind of amenity or location you are looking for and the app will show you on the map where it is. If you filter for showers it will show you rec centers, community centers, truck stops, and other locations that offer showers. You can also filter by amenity on FreeCampsites.net, but it is more focused on campsites. It does list a handful of truck stops, rest areas, and other places that might have showers or be of use to travelers. Using both in tandem all but guarantees success in finding a shower, campsite, or anything else you might need on the road.
Laundry
Laundry on the road can be tricky, but there are many ways to ensure you have clean clothes wherever you are. To start, get comfortable with the idea that you don’t need to wash after every use! The only items that truly need to be washed after every use are underwear, socks (although, we definitely rewear our socks), sports bras, and other skin tight athletic wear. Everything else can go for a few uses before needing a wash. If you’re worried about odor, we recommend an old theater costume hack. Mix up a solution of alcohol and water in a spray bottle and give a light spritz to any items that might start to have an odor. This will kill odor causing bacteria and extend the time between washes. When it is time to do a load of laundry, below are a few of our favorite routes.
