One of Seven Methods for Doing Laundry While Traveling
There are many methods for washing clothes on the road - sink washing, portable wash bags, laundromats, and yes, even "shower washing."
I go into the pros and cons of each approach in my post The 7 Methods of Doing Laundry While Traveling, but I wanted to specifically call out this weird yet unique approach to cleaning your clothes.
The point of this post isn't to tell you how to clean your clothes in the shower (hopefully that's obvious), but it is to let you know that - while it may feel weird - it's also easy, reliable, effective and... not as weird as you might think!
I thought I was crazy for doing this until I read this great post on the REI expert advice blog in regards to packing light; which made me feel slightly better - specifically the part where it says "wash items while you're showering," - so it's nice to know I'm not completely insane.
Sanity aside, there's no way to sugarcoat it, so let's just jump in.
Washing your clothes in the shower is weird, yes, but it's only weird the first time, and then - if you're already used to hand washing your clothes - it becomes one of the easiest ways to wash your clothes, especially if you're only washing a few small items.
The most extreme one-bag travelers, those packing <20L backpacks, make it a daily habit and hand-wash their socks and underwear every single day; those packing a bit more, in the 30-40L range, may hand wash a few items during the week while getting full-service laundry once every week or two. In any case, hand-washing and shower-washing are common practices in the one-bag world.
I hand-wash socks, underwear, and workout shorts every few days, and when I'm short on time or feeling frisky, I wash my clothes in the shower.
You simply bring (or wear) your dirty clothes into the shower (that's the weird part), and hand wash them as you undress. It's fast, and simple, and no one even knows you're doing it (unless you're putting on a show).
An important thing to note here is that this method only works with lightweight, quick-dry fabrics - I've never tried it, but I imagine washing jeans in the shower would be a nightmare.
But if you're rocking quick-dry hiking pants and shorts (as I recommend in 8 Tips for Packing Fewer Clothes), you should be good to go - it's the same material used to make modern-day swim trunks, so it's thin, lightweight, and easy to hand wash - and you can't tell me you've never washed your swimsuit in the shower.
Remember to bring a "clean clothes" bag (i.e. your portable wash bag or portable wash basin) - so you have a place to put them after they've been cleaned.
A few things to note...
1) You can use shampoo, body wash, or bar soap on your clothes, they're technically more gentle than traditional detergents, but it comes with a caveat - because they're more gentle (i.e. less powerful), they won't be as effective for getting stains out.
2) If you plan on hand washing regularly and want to travel prepared, consider general-purpose camping soap or laundry soap bars.
3) Even if you wash your clothes regularly, you'll eventually want a more thorough, machine-wash, "professional" clean - clothes need to soak and go through a thorough rinse in order to be truly clean, so don't throw your washer out the window just yet.
I highly encourage you to try this at home - especially if you're planning a big trip or attempting "extreme" minimalist travel for the first time; once you have the process down, it can easily integrate into your normal morning (or afternoon, or evening) routine.
Shower washing is, and always will be, a little too weird for most people, but for those of you who try it, you'll be rewarded with more time, a smaller backpack, and a story to tell your grandchildren (who won't even know what a washing machine is).