Doing laundry along the Invierno

[alaskadiver]

We’ll be starting in a couple months and I was finalizing some details. We are only staying 3 albergues and the rest have to be pensiones and hostales. In reviewing their facilities, I don’t see any mention of washing machines or any laundry areas.
What have you who have walked this route end up doing? Is there room in the pensiones to hang clothes for 2 or 3 people?

We’re staying at the following places:
Albergue in Villavieja (has washer- no problem)
Casa Socorro
Hostal La Torre II
Pension Do Lar
Pension Paco do Sil
Pension Casa Pacita
Hotel conde de Lemos
Torre Vilariño
Hotel Mogay
Casa rural San Pedro de Viana (laundry facilities advertised)
Albergue Centro Lalin (no issues here)
Hotel Ramos

Just trying to get an idea of what others ended up doing.

 

[Deleted member 39006]

You won't go far wrong with a tube of travel wash and a portable clothes line for your daily washing requirements. For an 'everything in' laundry sessions, I seldom plan but just take advantage of a washer/dryer as and when I find them.

 

[peregrina2000]

We’ll be starting in a couple months and I was finalizing some details. We are only staying 3 albergues and the rest have to be pensiones and hostales. In reviewing their facilities, I don’t see any mention of washing machines or any laundry areas.
What have you who have walked this route end up doing? The wash in the bathroom sink trick and hang in the shower to dry?
We’re staying at the following places:
Albergue in Villavieja (has washer- no problem)
Casa Socorro
Hostal La Torre II
Pension Do Lar
Pension Paco do Sil
Pension Casa Pacita
Hotel conde de Lemos
Torre Vilariño
Hotel Mogay
Casa rural San Pedro de Viana (laundry facilities advertised)
Hostal Caracas
Hotel Ramos

Just trying to get an idea of what others ended up doing.

I have washed my clothes in hundreds of Pension sinks or showers. One trick I learned long ago was to use the towels to squeeze the clothes. After wringing the clothes, roll them up in the towel making a tube. Take one end of the towel in each hand and twist. Clothes will be almost dry. If it’s summer I won’t need a towel to dry off and I’m always dry by the time I have finished with my clothes. And I always have my microfiber towel if needed for my body.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

We are only staying 3 albergues and the rest have to be pensiones and hostales.
Hostal Caracas

In Lalin, the albergue is super and has a coin-op washing machine and drier.
I would much prefer to stay there than at a hotel / hostal. That said, I get quite creative with the facilities that some hotels provide.

 

[Albertagirl]

We’ll be starting in a couple months and I was finalizing some details. We are only staying 3 albergues and the rest have to be pensiones and hostales. In reviewing their facilities, I don’t see any mention of washing machines or any laundry areas.
What have you who have walked this route end up doing? The wash in the bathroom sink trick and hang in the shower to dry?
We’re staying at the following places:
Albergue in Villavieja (has washer- no problem)
Casa Socorro
Hostal La Torre II
Pension Do Lar
Pension Paco do Sil
Pension Casa Pacita
Hotel conde de Lemos
Torre Vilariño
Hotel Mogay
Casa rural San Pedro de Viana (laundry facilities advertised)
Hostal Caracas
Hotel Ramos

Just trying to get an idea of what others ended up doing.

I stayed in Hotel Ramos near the end of my camino in 2017. I found the private bathroom quite adequate to wash my usual amount of clothing. Hung up, it was dry by morning. I can see how this would be more challenging with two people sharing a room or in damper weather. I walked this part of the route in dry November weather. Buen Camino to both of you.

 

[MikeJS]

I use a bar of soap and a sink or shower.

 

[gollygolly]

I use a bar of soap and a sink or shower.

Agree - though I take with me a small cut-off from a large bar of Marseille soap (in Spain look for Jabón de Marsella) and occasionally use a scouring pad, which is great for quickly removing stubborn stains in cold or warm water. Hang on en elasticated extending line to dry....and at least it is freshly laundered, even if no ironed.

 

[t2andreo]

Peregrina2000 above, has the basic formula correct. I do hand wash in the sink, wring out as best I can, then do the "roll & stomp" using the yoga towel I carry with me. The roll & stomp is as Peregrina2000 describes.

She wrings her rolled clothes... I step on mine, as I am a stout fellow and this gets a lot more water out, but whatever does it for you is correct.

My preference is to use my Gaiam Yoga towel (without the grippies), so it is long enough to wrap around my prodigious torso if I am in a semi-public shower setting. One does not want to blind others... Even damp from drying me, it remains absorbent enough to handle the roll & stomp.

My towel is bright orange, In an emergency, it is signal panel. It is also large enough to use a a throw, over me for warmth when sleeping. It is microfiber, so it dries easily. Folded, it fits in a one-gallon ziplock bag. Usually, when not needed, it rides in the very bottom of my rucksack.

Another "trick" I use is to extend one of my hiking poles to the maximum length. I then position the pole over open armoire doors or window shutters to form a railing for hanging stuff in the air. You can use hangers to hang clothes to dry. Without hangers, run the pole through both armholes of your shirt as though you were making a scarecrow. It works just fine.

I even carry two very large 'S' hooks and two long 'trash can' liner holding rubber bands. I can suspend my hiking pole from an available curtain rod or bunk bed frame using this lashup. When not used, this 'kit' rides in a one-quart ziplock bag in my rucksack. Weighs less than 50 grams...

I buy the trash can bands in my local supermarket. They are intended to hold liner bags on large trash cans. I found the 2 1/2 inch plastic 'S' rings in some store, somewhere... I bought the largest 'S' hooks I could so they fit over all manner of curtain rods in hostels and over cylindrical bunk bed frames ubiquitous in albergues.

Hope this helps.

 

[MikeJS]

Most importantly, ensure the things you are washing regularly are made of material that dries very quickly!

 

[StFina]

Step 1 - Get in the shower with all your clothes on
Step 2 - Wash/rinse your clothes on your body
Step 3 - Walk around until dry.

I did this during my 2012 Camino Frances in the summer, and got by with only the clothes on my back and a spare. Really looking forward to going on the Invierno this April.

 

[alaskadiver]

In Lalin, the albergue is super and has a coin-op washing machine and drier.
I would much prefer to stay there than at a hotel / hostal. That said, I get quite creative with the facilities that some hotels provide.

The albergue in Lalin is full on the day we arrive. So had to make alternate arrangements. Very creative use of a hair dryer

Update: The owner of the Albergue contacted me and squared me away with 3 bunks for the night we need it. Apparently it was blocked out by Booking.com due to some page modifications that they are making, but it isn't full yet.

 

[alaskadiver]

I stayed in Hotel Ramos near the end of my camino in 2017. I found the private bathroom quite adequate to wash my usual amount of clothing. Hung up, it was dry by morning. I can see how this would be more challenging with two people sharing a room or in damper weather. I walked this part of the route in dry November weather. Buen Camino to both of you.

Thanks, this is the kind of information that I requested. I was looking for specifics of this route in terms of space in bathrooms and facilities since yes, there are two of us for half of it and then 3 of us for the remainder.

 

[alaskadiver]

Step 1 - Get in the shower with all your clothes on
Step 2 - Wash/rinse your clothes on your body
Step 3 - Walk around until dry.

I did this during my 2012 Camino Frances in the summer, and got by with only the clothes on my back and a spare. Really looking forward to going on the Invierno this April.

See you soon!

 

[RRat]

We’ll be starting in a couple months and I was finalizing some details. We are only staying 3 albergues and the rest have to be pensiones and hostales. In reviewing their facilities, I don’t see any mention of washing machines or any laundry areas.
What have you who have walked this route end up doing? Is there room in the pensiones to hang clothes for 2 or 3 people?

We’re staying at the following places:
Albergue in Villavieja (has washer- no problem)
Casa Socorro
Hostal La Torre II
Pension Do Lar
Pension Paco do Sil
Pension Casa Pacita
Hotel conde de Lemos
Torre Vilariño
Hotel Mogay
Casa rural San Pedro de Viana (laundry facilities advertised)
Hostal Caracas
Hotel Ramos

Just trying to get an idea of what others ended up doing.

 

[RRat]

We’ll be starting in a couple months and I was finalizing some details. We are only staying 3 albergues and the rest have to be pensiones and hostales. In reviewing their facilities, I don’t see any mention of washing machines or any laundry areas.
What have you who have walked this route end up doing? Is there room in the pensiones to hang clothes for 2 or 3 people?

We’re staying at the following places:
Albergue in Villavieja (has washer- no problem)
Casa Socorro
Hostal La Torre II
Pension Do Lar
Pension Paco do Sil
Pension Casa Pacita
Hotel conde de Lemos
Torre Vilariño
Hotel Mogay
Casa rural San Pedro de Viana (laundry facilities advertised)
Hostal Caracas
Hotel Ramos

Just trying to get an idea of what others ended up doing.

 

[trecile]

I do my laundry in a 12 liter dry bag, whether I'm in an albergue or a pensión. In the albergues I bring the dry bag into the shower with me, put in half of one of these detergent strips and some warm water. Then I add my clothes and some more water, and close the bag. I shake it a couple of times, then leave everything to soak while I shower and get dressed. Then I agitate it a bit more before rinsing everything in the laundry sink, or in a hotel in my bathroom sink or shower. I have found that the detergent strips don't leave much residue. After wringing as much water as I can I wring them out in my towel before hanging on the line. In a pensión there are usually some hangers that I can use and I try to find a spot by the window to hang them up.

 

[peregrina2000]

I don't think the Invierno pensiones are unusual in terms of the space they allow for drying. Hiking poles extended between two chairs make good clotheslines. And frequently, if the room is very small and the TV is mounted high on the wall, there will be a few heavy cords on which you can hang a hanger with clothes drying. Wall lamps next to the bed, also often have a place to hang a hanger. The really annoying thing is those "thief-proof" hangers that don't have a regular hanger hook, then it gets challenging.

 

[alaskadiver]

Okay thanks everyone.
Thread is closed as far as I’m concerned. Got what I needed

 

[jennysa]

I normally carry a plug for the laundry basin because most of the washing facilities at albergues dont have plugs. What is the situation at albergues on the Invierno

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

I normally carry a plug for the laundry basin because most of the washing facilities at albergues dont have plugs. What is the situation at albergues on the Invierno

About plugs I don't remember. I do know there are laundromats at several towns on the Invierno - because I always use them if I have the chance to do so. If you are willing to pay the extra euros. Laundromats in: Ponferrada, A Rúa (but was closed last summer!), Quiroga, Monforte de Lemos, Chantada, Lalín, Silleda come to mind.