Van Life Laundry: How to Wash Clothes on the Road
Doing Laundry on the Road in the UK
Doing Laundry while living in a campervan/motorhome or on a road trip in the UK can seem tricky, but with planning and our guide, we have everything covered.
If you’re living in a campervan/motorhome or on a road trip in the UK, doing laundry can be a challenge. When we started Van Life we, at max went away for 2 weeks. So most of the time we could pack enough clothes to make it last. Now we live in our campervan, it’s a very different situation.
With a little bit of planning and preparation, you can keep your clothes clean and fresh throughout your travels, whether that’s for a road trip or full-time van life. In this blog post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about doing laundry while on the road.
Embrace the freedom of the open road and explore the UK's breathtaking scenery from the comfort of your campervan or motorhome. Don’t stress about the small stuff we have you covered.
NEWSLETTER: VAN LIFE DESTINATIONS, TIPS & HACKS
Table of Contents
- Where to do your laundry on a van life road trip
- Laundromat
- Self Service 24/7 Outdoor Launderette
- Rent out an Airbnb to do Laundry
- Do Laundry at a Friend’s House
- Hand Washing
- Portable Washing Machines
- Campsite laundry facilities
- Drying Clothes
- Tips for Efficient and Effective Laundry on the Road
- The Best Way to Store Dirty Laundry in a Campervan
- How to Dispose of Your Dirty Laundry Grey Water
1. Do your laundry at a Laundromat.
Surprisingly there’s still a huge amount of Laundromats around the UK and these can be found through Google Maps. Depending on how you travel these can be conveniently placed in urban areas. These can be great if you can get parking nearby. Pop in, load up the machine and come back once it is finished. A drawback with using a laundromat is you may not be able to access these easily. We’ve found some nearby campsites which are ideal but a lot of times parking can be tricky. So plan ahead.
How to find a good laundromat on a Road Trip
Laundromats
If you prefer to use a laundromat, here’s what you need to know. Laundromats are self-service laundry facilities that are usually located in towns and cities. They are equipped with washing machines and dryers that you can use for a fee. Here are some pros and cons of using laundromats:
Pros
- Laundromats are convenient and easy to use.
- They have large-capacity washing machines and dryers.
- They can clean clothes more thoroughly than hand washing.
Cons
- They can be expensive. So check pricing before you arrive
- They may not be available in rural areas
- Check Google Reviews for cleanliness of the machines if you can
- They may not be open 24/7
Here are some tips for finding and using laundromats while on the road:
- Use a laundromat locator app to find laundromats near you.
- Bring your own detergent and fabric softener. We tend to use liquid tablets for ease.
- Bring plenty of change for the machines. We keep a stash of change for these situations.
- Sort your clothes by colour and fabric type before washing. We have made it so all our clothes can be washed and dried at the same time. Old me wouldn’t have been happy with this. But time is money on the road so we wanted to get our laundry done quickly and efficiently.
2. Self Service 24/7 Outdoor Launderette
If you don’t know about these, you can thank me later. At service stations (petrol stations), car parks and supermarkets. They are an absolute godsend. Why, you might ask. Well, we’ve just spoken about how using traditional laundrette can have drawbacks. Parking and access are the main issues. That’s where these become the answer. We use Revolution Laundry and a few other similar companies whilst travelling around the UK. A lot of the self-service laundrette we’ve used are at service stations and pretty much every time we've parked by the machines.
Revolution Laundry is probably the most popular company we’ve seen in the UK. But as we say there are others like Kiswash, which we used in Moffat.
Using
Washing liquid
These come with laundry liquid and even softener for an additional charge. To be honest, for an all-in-one machine, you can’t complain. You just need your clothes and money.
Size of washing machine
A lot of these come with two sizes of washing machines. They’re either 9kg and 18kg or 20kg. We tend to go for the larger size as we can get clothes, bedding and blankets in one wash.
Size of dryer
There’s only one dryer and this is usually large capacity at around 20kg. So you can fit a lot in.
Cost
£ - Washer
£11 (20kg machine) for around a 40-minute wash. There are different settings you can pick from, so the cost may vary depending on the cycle you select.
£ - Dryer
This is usually in a large machine around 20kg and is £3.50 for 15 mins. Generally, all our washing is dry in 30 to 45 minutes. We found selecting 30mins and checking from there works best.
Paying
Cash and card
The Revolution Laundry machines are card payments. But the other companies that do the same service sometimes are cash only. So a word of warning is to be prepared or scope out where you can get cash and change from if you need it.
Finding
We find these services through the following apps and websites. We then pin these to our Google Maps, which comes in helpful when planning routes.
- Google Maps
- Park4Night
- Revolution Laundry website
What to remember
- Set a timer for your washing or drying. They sometimes send a text to say it’s done. But we’ve found the timings to be wildly off. So the timer on your phone is the best.
- Don’t leave your washing in the washer or dryer for longer than it needs to be. Other people need to use these machines so be kind and get yours out when it’s finished.
Drawbacks
The main drawback we’ve had is when we have been in Scotland with pretty cold weather, the washing machines don’t work correctly. We couldn’t get a definitive answer but it seemed the water was frozen and not making it to the washing machine. We tried a few places that had the same machine in one area and all had this issue. So be warned and if you can check ahead before arriving.
3. Rent out an Airbnb to do Laundry
We have rented an AirBnB from time to time to see family and friends. This is a perfect opportunity to do your washing whilst you are staying there. Just make sure when looking you pick somewhere that has a washing machine. Don’t forget you might also want to find somewhere with a dryer depending on the time of year. You get more bang for your buck when you’re in the Airbnb.
4. Do Laundry at a Friend’s House
This may or may not seem cheeky but if you have nice friends and family they may let you use their washing machine when you pop over. Check this out with them before, no one wants to be that guy! But on the whole, a lot of your friends and family won't mind a wash here or there. It also means you can see your friends or family and have one less thing to do whilst enjoying time with loved ones. Double win for the team.
6. Use a Portable Washing Machine in Your Campervan
Portable Washing Machines
This isn’t something we have tried yet but we see a lot of people adopting these. Portable washing machines are small and compact machines. They're designed for washing on the move. Using a portable washing machine, you add water, washing liquid, and your clothes. Then turn on the machine and you are off. The dirty water drains and you can add clean water to rinse your clothes.
Here are some pros and cons of using a portable washing machine:
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Compact and lightweight.
- Save you time and money.
Cons
- Electricity or a hand crank to operate.
- Small capacity.
- Don’t clean clothes as well as a full-sized washing machine.
7. Campsite laundry facilities
This has become a favourite of ours next to the roadside self-service laundry facilities. You can check the campsite facilities before arriving. Not every campsite has laundry facilities but the ones that do, usually have a large washing machine and separate large dryers. We’ve found these to be slightly cheaper than the roadside ones we use. Also, it does mean that you can kill two birds with one stone and relax whilst your washing is on. This for us is the best use of time.
Drying Clothes
Drying clothes can be one of the bigger challenges when it comes to doing laundry and washing clothes on the road. Here are some tips and tricks for drying clothes while on the road:
- Dry in a well-ventilated area.
- Clothesline or drying rack.
- Use a hair dryer to dry small items like socks and underwear.
- A warm sunny day is the best for drying laundry.
Tips for Efficient and Effective Laundry on the Road:
- Plan Ahead: We plan our routes so we know where we’re heading. This helps us see what’s on our route. We then plan our laundry stops on our route.
- Pack Wisely: We have been strict on the number and amount of clothing we pack. We have tried to only have clothes that dry quickly. We also take liquid tablets for ease and storage.
- Dry clothes naturally: This is for when the weather is good. As we live and travel in the UK this isn’t the most efficient way. But when the sun is shining, it gets dry.
- We have made a rule that everything has to be able to be washed and dried together. This goes against everything we would have done in a house. But the luxury of time and space isn’t on our side anymore. So it all has to go in at once.
- Check if the machine is
card, cash or change!
The Best Way to Store Dirty Laundry in a Campervan
Ideally, we’d have a separate compartment in the van for our laundry. But instead, we have a laundry bag. This goes under our front seat and when filled we head to do laundry.
How to Dispose of Your Dirty Laundry Grey Water
The best place is to find a motorhome/campervan waste water disposal point. In England and Wales, this is most likely to be a campsite. In Scotland, you can find a few alternatives outside of campsites. We used the Campa website to find places where we could dispose of and fill up again. Scotland is a lot more van life and motorhome-friendly.
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