5 Van Life Laundry Options While On The Road

When you need to get some clean clothes, it can be a challenge to do van life laundry. When living on the road it's common you won't have direct access to a washing machine or dryer like you would in a typical house or apartment.

Not to mention, you're limited to a small space in a van. It may seem pretty simple to put clothes in a hamper and do laundry, although you also have to consider how you plan to store your dirty clothes. 

Here are 5 van life laundry options you can use while living on the road:

1. Find A Local Laundromat

This is the most common option as it's the most practical, and you can usually find one close by just by doing a simple search for "laundromats near me".

2. Use A Portable Washing Machine

​You also have the option to get a portable washing machine. These range from hand crank to electric designs that can be stored inside your van. These do take up extra space, and can be too small to wash bedding or large towels. Yet for a small load of clothes they can work great!

3. Ask A Friend or Family Member

​When traveling around, you can also opt to visit a friend or family member ​and use their washer and dryer. Of course this isn't always an option, but something you can do when ​​visiting certain locations.

4. Wash Clothes ​By Hand

​Washing clothes by hand can be great option if you're staying off grid or camping without water or electric hookups. This could be in a sink, bucket, bin, or even inside a Scrubba Wash Bag.

If you ​plan to hand wash your clothes while camping, ​be sure to use a biodegradable soap such as Dr. Bronner's Liquid Soap. This way, your soapy water is safe to dump on the ground ​while remaining environmentally responsible.

5. ​Drop Off/Pick Up Laundry Service

​Similar to dry cleaning, you can drop off your clothes to some laundromats. They'll wash, dry, fold, and iron your clothes. This type of service typically charges per pound, and you can pick them up later or by the next day at the latest.

If you plan to stay in a city for a few days this can work great so you don't have to spend an hour or two camping out in the laundromat parking lot.

How To Store Your Clothes For Van Life Laundry

With only 100 square feet (more or less depending on the size of your van), you have to get creative with where you plan to store your dirty clothes. It's also important to have a designated place for your laundry similar to how you do for a fridge or toilet.

The two most popular options are to either use a hamper bag or basket:

In addition to a hamper bag or basket, you may want to consider installing a laundry shoot in your van.

​By doing this, you avoid potential odors from clothes. If there is any smell it would be underneath the bed where you wouldn't have it ​affecting your living space.

How Often To Do Laundry In A Van

It's most common to do laundry about once a week. When living in a van, you often won't have the space for a lot of clothes. You'll often find your storage bag filling up quite quickly, and doing laundry every 4 to 7 days.

In terms of what needs washed, there's clothes you wear on a daily basis, workout clothes, undergarments, and socks. For the many van lifers that are hikers and climbers, those outdoor clothes will need to be washed as well.

It can get annoying to do laundry so often. Although when only doing one load at a time, not splitting up lights and darks, and doing them all together it's not so bad. It may take about 30 minutes to wash and 20 minutes to dry, so you can get in and out of a laundromat within an hour. The other alternative options may take longer.

To Conclude

​Doing laundry while living the van life isn't as difficult as it may initially seem. Once you have a process for doing things, it becomes much simpler. You may even want to alternate between a few of the options in this post based on what you need to wash.