Yes, still washing clothes by hand.
My life has transformed itself into a never-ending search for places to hang laundry. Backpacking and business have combined together, and I always have to have clean clothes available — an odd new demand for me.
I only carry a small daypack, and in it I only have two and a half sets of clothes. I always need to be washing something, and it’s rarely in large enough quantities to warrant paying to wash a full load via laundromat. So every morning I aim to wash a few pieces of laundry by hand, which only takes around ten minutes or so.
The challenge is finding a place to hang it to dry.
In some countries that have a tradition of hand washing or sun drying clothes, this isn’t a problem. But in countries that rely on electric clothes driers this can get tough.
So every time I pull into a room that I intend to sleep in I’m looking for a window I can open to hang clothes to dry in. Sometimes, this takes a little creativity.
This is just part of the daily work of travel. It’s something to keep you focused, to keep you paying attention. Which is not a bad thing.
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About the Author: VBJ
I am the founder and editor of Vagabond Journey. I’ve been traveling the world since 1999, through 91 countries. I am the author of the book, Ghost Cities of China and have written for The Guardian, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Diplomat, the South China Morning Post, and other publications. VBJ has written 3723 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.
VBJ is currently in: New York City
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