Travel Hygiene: Methods & hacks to stay clean

Toilet Hygiene

Bucket of water

Used throughout south-east Asia and called the Tabo in the Philippines. In India, there is usually a community bucket full of water next to the toilet from which you cup water out of using your left hand and splash onto your anus. Meanwhile using your fingers to rub free any fecal matter. If you are lucky there will be a faucet from which you can get water (not necessarily clean water) running into the bucket for you to perform the same action. Another technique is for the user to raise up slightly from the toilet seat and pours water towards the small of the back where the space between the butt cheeks is. The water naturally flows down and over the skin and washes the area. This usually leads to the restroom areas to be wet.

The bidet

A second shallow toilet installed next to a regular toilet, that one squats over to wash the area. These usually have hot/cold running water and can squirt, rinse and spray into the anus area causing any debris from toileting to wash free. Some folks may also supplement with soap.

The electronic bidet toilet seat.

Basically, a bidet integrated into your existing toilet seat. These devices, controlled with the push of a button are designed to wash and then dry the area, without the user leaving the seat. Some are simple and some are full of hi-tech features.

The bidet shower spray.

The Arabs call it a Shattaf, (sounds like shit off, which is basically what it does), but this is nothing more than a handheld water shower that connects to the water inlet valve for the toilet via a T-connection. Room temperature water is sprayed on the anus after the business is done. As with the Tabo, hand washing the area with soap is an unmentioned option. These sprays are often called diaper sprays or nappy sprayers because they can also be used to wash off most of the baby poo from your baby’s diaper before tossing it in the bleach pail. The baby poo just goes right down the loo. The downside to using a handheld shower spray in a colder climate is, in winter, the tap water can be extremely cold. In some places, these are called the Muslim bidet and other names, because the Muslim world is apparently quite particular about keeping clean down there. But if your bathroom is in Thailand or Saudi Arabia, to name a couple of places, you’ll probably have a sprayer adjacent to the toilet, and the water will not be a cold shock.

The sprayer pipe.

In Egypt, you are likely to see a curved brass pipe at the back of the toilet bowl. This is water spraying at it’s most basic. Just turn on the tap and a jet of water shoots towards the butt for hands-free washing, or manually assisted soaping, like the Tabo. Although this is a topic not many of us want to discuss, it is obvious that the eastern way of cleaning is the most hygienic way of doing so. Even though most western cultures see these activities as uncivilized. Whichever route you choose as long as you wash your hands afterward with soap and water you’ll decrease your risk of infections.

Sink showers

Sometimes finding a shower or bathtub is not always possible, especially if you are camping, doing outdoor labor or find yourself temporarily homeless. If you have access to clean running water, however, taking a "bird bath" can keep you smelling fresh, looking good and feeling your best. It might not be the most comfortable or easiest way to clean yourself, but you will feel better than not having bathed at all.

Splash warm water on your face and neck, lather the soap and wash your face and neck, either with a wet washcloth or with your hands. Soak the washcloth in lukewarm water and gently wring it. Rub the washcloth all over your body to moisten your skin. Lather the soap and apply it to your body, focusing on places that tend to collect bacteria, such as the underarm area, inner thighs, genital area, buttocks and behind your ears. Rinse the washcloth, wring it and scrub your body with it, making sure you get all the soap off your skin. Rinse the washcloth again, wring it and repeat as necessary. Dry yourself off with a towel. Fill the plastic cup with warm water and turn off the faucet. Bend over the sink, making sure your head is close to the bottom of the basin. Pour the water over your head. Repeat until your hair is very wet. Apply shampoo, lather, rinse by pouring a cup of warm water over your hair, and repeat with a conditioner. Towel-dry your hair or use a hairdryer.

Things Needed:

• Tall plastic cup


• Bar of soap or liquid soap


• Towel


• Washcloth


• Shampoo


• Conditioner (optional)


• Bath towel


• Hair dryer (optional)

Washing clothes in the sink and shower

Aloksak Bag Method

An Aloksak is a large heavy-duty ziplock bag, that is known for its durability and waterproofness, the bags are able to withstand underwater pressures down to 190 feet deep for two weeks! But it’s also lightweight and easy to pack. They come in many sizes, but for laundry, I use a 16″ x 24″. I also use the Aloksak for storing my dirty (smelly) clothes. To wash with it, firstly dump in a pinch of detergent, fill with hot water and mix everything up for 5 minutes with your hand. Imagine the oscillating action inside a washing machine. Finally, zip up the bag and allow your clothing to soak in the soapy water for another 10 minutes. To rinse clean you can either refill the bag with fresh water, use a sink, or my personal favorite method jump in the shower and wash your clothes while you shower!

Sink Wash Approach

The sink approach is pretty simple also. Plug the drain of a sink, add soap, fill with hot water, and handwash your clothes. It’s one of the most popular ways for backpackers to clean their garments. For heavily soiled clothing you can allow soaking overnight. There’s even a universal drain plug specifically made for travelers. Otherwise, you can roll up a sock and wrap it with a plastic bag and stuff it into the drain. Rinse your clothes in the sink when done.

Coin-Operated

Coin-operated laundromats can be found all over the world, usually in larger towns & cities. Sometimes hostels or guesthouses will even have a few machines. Many will often have WiFi, and it’s a great place to meet people.

Local Laundry house

In most countries, there is a family run laundry usually within a short stroll in every neighborhood. Family run laundromats can have your clothes washed and smelling good in a few hours! However, the overnight wait is typical. Depending on the country, most neighborhoods have a small (or large) family-run laundry operation based on their home. Your clothing is weighed on a scale to determine the price. Sometimes you can choose between machine drying (quicker but more expensive) or line drying in the sunlight.

How To Dry Your Clothes

If you’re washing clothes with the Aloksak bag or sink techniques, finding a fast and efficient way to dry them is key. When it’s sunny out, and your guesthouse or hostel has a clothesline outside (often on the roof), line drying in the fresh air only takes a few hours. But if the weather is bad, or you’re forced to dry them inside, here’s a little trick I use to speed things up. Find a dry towel, lay it on the bed, place a garment on the towel, and roll it up tight. The dry towel will suck out some additional moisture, allowing your clothes to dry faster when hanging inside on a rope or travel-friendly elastic laundry line.

Recycling or re-wearing clothes

To help reduce the amount of laundry I do, it’s common for me to re-wear pants & shirts until they start to look or feel dirty. Wearing your clothes until they’re actually soiled makes sense if you’re on the move and want to save some time.

 

I talk more in-depth of travel issues in my Amazon Book. Check it out here.