Whether you’re a seasonal caravanner or are always living in a caravan, you need to do laundry at some point. You can’t wear the same clothes on repeat without washing when you’re going to stay in a caravan for a long time. Also, you can’t go back home to do laundry and come back again to your camping site. So, the easiest for you’ll be if you can do laundry in a caravan.
You can do laundry in a caravan. You can do this in multiple ways, including the nearest laundromat, on-board washing machines, dryers, hand washing, etc. Deciding on choosing any is totally up to your convenience.
Here we’ll explain how do you do laundry in a caravan without the need of going home or shopping for new clothes.
Ways To Do Laundry In A Static Or Touring Caravan
Either you have a small caravan or a spacious one, you can do laundry in a caravan. Here are different ways you can do laundry in a static or moving caravan:
1. Go to the nearby laundromat
The first option that crosses every caravaner’s mind is a laundromat. They find it the easiest to the unwashed clothes to a laundromat. This option is especially good for the caravanners who have little space in their caravan and can’t have a washing machine.
But before you go to the laundromat, have a look at the following things:
You’ll have to wait for hours when your clothes are being washed. It surely won’t be fun to watch your clothes spin around. Therefore, you can take something with you to keep yourself engaged. It could be anything such as a magazine, phone, book, etc.
Take your own detergent and fabric softener because they will be highly expensive if you get these from the laundromat.
Take a basket with you in which you can keep the dirty clothes while going to the laundromat. It’ll also help to store your washed clothes when you leave the laundromat.
2. On-Board Washers and Dryers
The easiest and economical way to do laundry for most caravanners is to have on-board washers and dryers. The choice of the right appliances will depend upon many factors such as space, budget, time for washing, etc.
The most popular on-board washer and dryer for caravanners is a combo washer/dryer. It’s a two-in-one laundry appliance, which means your clothes are washed and then dried in the same machine. Moreover, they help you save space as you don’t need to buy a washer and dryer separately.
Although it’s easy to use, the capacity for washing and drying clothes is limited due to its small size. In addition, you can’t even overload it and will have to wait for a while to dry clothes.
Another less popular option is a stackable washer/dryer. It’s faster at washing and drying clothes than a combo washer/dryer. It also has more clothes washing and drying capacity with less water use. But the major problem is that it is huge and will need a considerable amount of space in your caravan.
3. Hand Wash and Dryline
Washing clothes by hands and then drying on a portable clothesline is another popular method many caravanners use. This method is cheap and feasible as you don’t need many things. A detergent, basket, rope, clothespins, tubs, and a washboard are all you need.
You can tie the rope to different trees on your camping site for drying your clothes under the sun. Many caravanners find it fun to wash their clothes under the blue skies with the lovely nature all around them.
How To Dry Laundry In A Caravan
Once you’re done with the laundry, the next big task for you is to dry it. However, the best thing to do this is to do it free by using the sun and the wind. But that’s isn’t the only option.
If you’re drying your towel or other clothes in the caravan, you’ll have to keep a close check on the humidity and condensation inside the caravan. Both of these can lead to mold in a caravan.
To avoid this, here are some handy options you can use to dry laundry in a caravan, either static or touring:
• Clothes horse/ Airer
• Portable camping clothesline
• Permanent awning clothesline
• Tie a rope to a tree
• Portable small hangers
You can easily find guides on how to use these laundry drying tools.
Tips For Reducing Laundry In A Caravan
No matter how many options you have to do laundry, it’ll need time and energy when you’re enjoying a trip. If your trip is short, days or weeks, here are some ways you can reduce laundry in a caravan:
• Leave PJ’s – sleep in your next day’s clothes
• Don’t make a pile of clothes; wash them often
• Try to wear the same clothes more than once (if they are not dirty or smelly)
• Place the clean clothes in the drawer to avoid them falling on the floor or getting mixed in the dirty clothes pile
• Prefer clothing items that have a long wear-life, such as jeans and skirts
• If clean clothes have small dirty patches, wash the small spots only
• Put the clothing in the air that doesn’t need to be washed yet
Summary
Being on the camping site doesn’t have to compromise on the necessities of life, such as cooking food and washing clothes. You have a kitchen for cooking in a caravan, but what confuses most people is how to do laundry in a caravan.
You can do laundry in a caravan in multiple ways, including a nearby laundromat, getting your own washer/dryer, or washing the clothes by hand. You can dry the clothes inside and outside the caravan. Again, you have a lot of options for drying your clothes too.
With so many options, if you still find it hard to do laundry while staying in a caravan, you should focus on ways to reduce the laundry. Some of these are listed in the post. By using these ways, you can save the time required to do laundry and have more time to explore the beautiful sceneries around you.
