Bathing, Brushing, Bathroom

A common question that I am asked is how do I shower while traveling.  The answer is that I usually don't shower, rather I take sponge baths in the back driver-side seat of the Prius.

Once curtains are put up for privacy,
this is where I bathe and brush teeth in the Prius.

I've tried both baby-wipe type products and paper towels, but I've settled on cotton wash cloths with either water or rubbing alchol.  The wash cloths don't rip or fall apart while cleaning myself in such a small space.

For daily bathing -- wash cloths, spray bottle of
plain water, spray bottle of witch hazel solution,
lotion and deodorant.

For cleaning my face andost of my body, I spray plain water then wipe with a clean cloth; repeat until clean. For the stinky parts, I use rubbing alcohol.  I tried witch hazel, a natural astringent, but didn't like how my skin felt afterwards.

My washing order usually follows the same routine -- face, upper body, feet, crotch. If my feet are especially dirty, I'll clean them separately with a paper towel. I wash before bed to keep my night cloths and bedding as clean as possible. And I also wash before dressing in the morning.

In order to accommodate this routine, I bring 20 cotton wash cloths with me because I do laundry every 10 days.

For washing my hair, whether on the road or not, I only use hair conditioner.  Somehow the conditioner does a great job of cleaning and getting the oil out of my hair. I've had this habit for about a decade. On the road, it works good because I only need to bring one product.  Between washings, I use a small amount of corn starch as a dry wash if needed.

To wash my hair I try to find a campground with a shower.  But, when that's not possible, I wash my hair over a bucket.  First I spray it wet with plain water, then rub in the conditioner. Using warmed water, I rinse it over the bucket. My hair usually needs to be washed about every 10 days.

For daily brushing -- SonicCare tooth bush, spray bottle with water,
floss and toothpaste.

I brush my teeth using a SonicCare toothbrush that uses batteries.  To rinse and clean the brush, I spray with plain water.  The spittle is disposed of in a bottle which is later emptied and cleaned.

The Prius is "self-contained." So, that means I have a bathroom (of sorts). I put the curtains are up for privacy.

A laundry detergent bottle is used for pee.

While driving, I try to find public restrooms to use. But, in the middle of the night, I pee in a 32oz yogurt container, then transfer to a 64oz liquid laundry detergent bottle.  A towel is draped on the seat to catch any accidental drips.

Freshette, a female urinary device, used for peeing
standing up (while hiking) or in the bottle (if needed).
The clear tube extends out for use.

When hiking I use a female urinary device called a Freshette that allows me to pee standing up.

For poo -- a 2-gallon bucket with a bag liner (a Double
Doodie liner in this pic) and a Luggable Loo Seat Cover.

When no public restroom is available, I poo using a bucket and a Luggable Loo seat cover. It's a bit awkward, but it works. I line the bucket with a Double Doodie bag (made for human waste), then line that with grocery bags.  The expensive Double Doodie bag acts as a back up in case the plastic bags leak.  After use, the grocery bags are placed in a zip lock sandwich bag.  If I can't throw that away immediately, it's stored in an odor-proof stainless steel canister.   I use rubbing alcohol and hand sanitizer to keep everything clean.

2/1/11, 8/3/17