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The Laundromat is my friend

Damien Reynolds

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So like, in the beginning (2005) after arriving at an Albergue, after showering, my next chore would be to wash clothes by hand, wring them out, and place them on a line hopefully provided. Sometimes they dried, depending.

Then came those spinners, which helped drying and negated wringing.

Every once in a while, by like 2011 I think but could be wrong, Albergues started to have coin operated washing machines. Simple power control devices on timers. Soap became automatic.

By 2015 I started to stay in less expensive hotels. No public machines but the desk would do my laundry for like 10 euros.

Nowadays, it seems like almost all the Albergues have coin operated machines available! But I don't stay there usually!

So now, I just look for a laundromat every 2 or 3 days. A full wash and dry cycle costs b/t 8-10 euros and takes 1 or 2 hours... I actually use google maps to determine the location of laundromats when selecting my desired city / sleeping place.

I am pretty clean now, always. The cool thing is if I have friends, we can share and it gets cheaper. Also, laundromats are usually found near a bar... just saying.

Always looking to learn from fellow travelers, is there a better laundry strategy on the Camino?
 
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Wear the same clothes but have dinner with different people?

Seriously; other than socks and underwear, one set of walking clothes and one set of evening clothes gets me through a couple of weeks without seeking out a washing machine.

Your mileage (and sense of smell, I suppose) may vary.
 
Train on the 4-day Catalina Camino
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
My stuff is all quick drying. I only have the clothes I walk in each day - quick drying undies, one very lightweight merino T and a skirt. Sometimes socks. So I wash the undies each day, socks if I’ve worn them, top every second day, the skirt about once a week. For me it’s not worth using a machine, it’s easier and quicker to do it myself.
 
Dirty bastard!
 
Maybe I'm paranoid then about having clean clothes, it also gives me something to do sometimes.
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.

Here you go...I have a New Best Friend for you....the supermarket car park!
Wash while you restock.
 
Once a week or so I would do one "big wash", either at a laundromat - or take advantage of the albergue washing machines.

But honestly, I love washing my (quick drying) clothes in the sink with my (very effective) Dr. Bronner's soap bar. And hanging clothes out to dry in the sunshine fills me with such giddiness and pleasure.

*edit*...I washed my clothes every day, but to really get the stink and bacteria out, that's when I'd treat myself to a big washing machine wash.
 
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Damien Reynolds said:
Is that a thing? I'm thinking those really big Supermercados on the outskirts of town? Never been, walked by.
Click to expand...
Yep...it's a thing.
Common in France (pic taken on the VF)...just looked it up; company have 3000 carpark laundromats installed across the country!
Haven't been to Spain since 2015 but there is a similar set up, just don't know how many or where.
There's only so much handwashing you can do on the trail; eventually clothes do need to go through a machine.
 
I only did laundry in a machine four or five times in 3 monthes. But I did hand wash undies socks and often T-shirts most days. And every once in a long while pants. I had quick dry stuff. And I had daytime walking/riding clothes, and a different set of clothes for the night. In retrospect, I wonder if I smelled bad? Nobody said anything… But then, most camino people are very polite!
 
Certainly some of the huge supermarkets on the outskirts of towns in Spain have commercial washers and dryers. There is an E. Leclerc at Trabajo del Camino (just near Virgin del Camino) on the outskirts of Leon. I used it one year when I had a bedbug issue. Had to wait until the boys from the local army unit had finished doing their washing.
 
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Does the machine stay locked until you get back? As in what if it finishes and you are shopping and late getting back--can sneaky-petes steal your clothes?
 
Damien Reynolds said:
Maybe I'm paranoid then about having clean clothes, it also gives me something to do sometimes.
Click to expand...
I hear ya. All these years later I recall doing a machine wash in Pamplona, and afterward putting on clean underpants. My mouth fell open at how wonderful it was to have on clean drathais (that's Scots for underwear), I mean seriously it was akin to ecstasy and I do not mean the drug.
The modern day concern for me is that I cannot abide scent and so many laundromats now seem to have auto-dispensing with fabric softener. The labels on my fancy duds say no fabric softener, and there's no option for a scent-free, softener-free wash. (First-World problem.) So mostly I do handwashing with my Mexican laundry soap-bar, and I carry a little concentrated detergent so every so often I can do a wash when there's just an old fashioned plain-jane machine.
I am blessed!
 
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Mycroft said:
Does the machine stay locked until you get back? As in what if it finishes and you are shopping and late getting back--can sneaky-petes steal your clothes?
Click to expand...
Never had a problem with that... but I set my phone timer for like 3 minutes before the machine is done. Enough time to get back.

Now, I have come back in the past ready for a dryer, only to see one done but still full! I waited for a bit, but I got impatient so I took their beddings out of the dryer and placed them folded on the table, I was caught in the act! The mujer came in apologizing.
 
Yah. There is a scent.
 
Almost every town on the last 114km of the CF had laundromats within walking distance. The automatic soap was probably a problem for those with sensitive skin... but made my life easy. Did my husband's and my laundry every 2 days. Watched Spanish TV while waiting.
 
Train on the 4-day Catalina Camino
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
have you tried therapy?

Samarkand
 
Mycroft said:
Does the machine stay locked until you get back? As in what if it finishes and you are shopping and late getting back--can sneaky-petes steal your clothes?
Click to expand...
The ones I used (not the particular station in the photo) gave you a code when you paid for your load. You entered the code to release the machine door.
I had to Google-translate the T&C's...you had a time limit after the cycle finished in which to collect your clothes. Exceed it, the door releases & I guess the Sneaky-Petes score!
 
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Therapy, well, the camino is therapy for doing without the motions of everyday practice that is not entirely nescessary.
Washing dirty clothes is vital, but not every day ! or every week the whole bag of stuff!!
Thinking of the backpacks I have made for my kids´ summer camps through time, only to find that they had a single change whenever they fell into the water, and so they were very much like my own scouting days.
Of course you will have a clean set of clothes for dining out, but I will take one item at a time that needs washing and do a hand basin wash even with ordinary bar soap or the like.
 
I used the outdoor ones while on VF in France, put washing in, into supermarket for supplies, and into dryer while I had a cafe ( or sometimes in warm weather and near end of day skipped dryer and hung up to dry on my tent). Good multitasking.

But I normally hand-wash most days, and a proper washing machine every 7-10 days. Decent handwashing soap is hard to come by, but a Vanish stain bar works well enough
 
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Who has so many clothes with them, in the summer, that they need a washing machine?
In 2009, I never saw a washing machine and it wouldn’t have occurred to me to use a laundromat for my few items …
 
I can't bear to be around stinky pilgrims, especially those who seem oblivious to the fact that their personal hygiene is lacking. If we walk for 5 or 6 hours everyday and don't shower and change into fresh clothes we will smell, even if we don't think we do.

It takes me all of 20 minutes to shower, wash by hand the clothes I've been wearing next to my skin with soap, hang them out to dry and drink a cold beer, every day. Once a week or so I allow myself the luxury of a machine wash.
 
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Train on the 4-day Catalina Camino
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
malingerer said:
have you tried therapy?

Samarkand
Click to expand...
Count me in the group that needs therapy because I enjoy the novelty and ritual of hand washing my Camino clothes, and hanging them on a clothes line to dry. If there is no line available or bad weather, I like being creative and improvising in my room, whether an albergue or a private room.
In five Caminos, 6 weeks long each, I have only used washing machines and dryers twice, and one of the times some of my wicking clothes were shrunk and nearly melted.
 
chinacat said:
Who has so many clothes with them, in the summer, that they need a washing machine?
In 2009, I never saw a washing machine and it wouldn’t have occurred to me to use a laundromat for my few items …
Click to expand...
IMHO wanting to use a washing machine isn't due to the number of clothing items, but more about how thoroughly a machine cleans the clothes.
Handwashing is great most of the time or maybe even all of the time for shorter walks, but on longer journeys (such as a 90 day VF) when wearing the same things every day, nothing feels better than fresh, machine washed gear...ahh...bliss!
I've actually worn my rain poncho & nothing else (is that TMI?) in order to run all my clothes through a washing machine...still doesn't make a full load but knowing everything is totally clean reinvigorates me for the trail ahead.
 
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Mycroft said:
A key? I am totally unfamiliar with this set up!
Click to expand...
I was joking, because I’ve never seen a laundry machine that would stay locked until the user comes back.
But apparently, according to another post, there are some with codes that you have to unlock. But it seems unrealistic to me because sometimes people don’t come back for many hours and other people are waiting to do their laundry. It doesn’t seem like it would make much sense for the laundromat owner?
 
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I’m with you about the dryer’s. There’s nothing that risks destroying clothes more than some crazy hot dryer. It’s one reason why I don’t like Albergue’s or hotels to wash my clothes. The one time I did it I insisted that they not dry it, and they looked at me like I was crazy.
 
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When I walked solo in 2019, I sometimes stayed in a small hotel and would find a laundromat. It was so fun!! I would meet the local Spaniards and chat - really got to use my Spanish and found some wonderful recommendations from them for restaurants or markets. I became quite adept at how to use the machines, how to get the soap....something I never even think about at home. It was like a little respite for me to go and wash my clothes. A group of us are biking the Camino Portuguese in September and I told my friends about doing laundry and what fun it is....they think I'm bit daft, I'm afraid!!
 
I like your plan! We had trouble getting/doing our laundry sometimes. I didn't like to hand wash as sometimes the clothes wouldn't be dry and I had better things to do like see the sights, nap, or eat! In Burgos we really needed to do laundry but hotel wouldn't do it as we missed the 10am drop off time. They told us where a laundromat was and we went there. There was a bar nearby with friends which was wonderful. Unfortunately, we missed going to the cathedral in Burgos!
 
My husband and I often take advantage of self-serve laundries ("lavandería de autoservicio"). But twice (you'd think I would learn) I've ruined several pair of very expensive liner socks by putting them into a too-hot dryer. They completely melted.
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
On my 2 caminos, I'd be walking with some others and we'd treat ourselves to a combined wash and dry at the albergue -- maybe every 4 days or so. Meanwhile I'd hand wash, though once I had a new Icebreaker T stolen off the clothesline.

But one time I was alone in Leon, and I found a laundromat. Now in the US we have rather large laundromats. The ones I've seen in cities/towns along the Camino, they were self-serve and quite small. I was doing my wash, and a local woman came in with her clothes already washed but needing a dryer. Watching her, I was miffed because she took both dryers and had even more in her basket. I did not want to wait the hours it would take. I'm sure I gave off an unfriendly vibe.

But when one of the dryers was done, she beckoned me over to use it. We didn't speak each other's language, but communicated by facial expressions and hand signals for the next hour. When my dryer was finished and my laundry packed up, we shared a deep hug.

I'll never forget that laundromat experience.
 
It would add up alot for me to spend 20E+ a week at minimum for laundry. My creedo is when it comes to body and clothes. I can wash my body daily and get out all the dirt and I can wash my clothes by hand and get some of the dirt. My standard is to wash my body well and wash my clothes well enough so me or my clothes do NOT STINK! For my clothes it is the smell factor. If there is a grass or mud stain I really don't sweat it. About once a week I do a wash in the laundry and try to find someone to share the load with, sometimes 2 people.
 
Train on the 4-day Catalina Camino
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
I’ve always enjoyed the soap and basin approach to my daily grind on my Caminos. It helps me to wash away not only the day’s accumulated sweat & dust, but also the trials and tribulations of the Body, Mind & Soul. For me it represents a cleansing, giving me the power to repeat again and again!

So,

Scrub a Dub Dub

A Dirty Pilgrim at a tub

Washing the sweat away

Along came another

Who was also a dubber

Together they washed

And reset the next day
 
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My second favorite place in Santiago de Compostela (the square in front of the cathedral watching everyone arrive has to be #1) is a laundromat! The owner plays wonderful music—he loves Leonard Cohen—the place is nicely decorated giving you a cathedral-like sense of peace and calm, and there is a small courtyard garden. I make it a point to do my laundry here as a final cleansing of my gear after having cleansed my soul.
It is close to the square…take the steps down as if going to get your Compestella but instead of turning right, go straight ahead
H10 - Laundry - Lavandería autoservicio y para hostelería

Hortas 10 - Laundry - Lavandería autoservicio y para hostelería · Rúa das Hortas, 10, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain

★★★★★ · Laundry
goo.gl

And check out his music playlist on Spotify Music for Pilgrims — Laundrylgrim
 
That's fine if you don't sweat, but in this heat, I'm not sure who would not be sweating after a day out..
 
Camino Jewellery
A selection of Camino Jewellery
how do you climb into the machine?

Samarkand
 
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I will admit I avoid the dryers as much as possible (but this is also true at home)

And the season does change my washing routine- on winter caminos merino wool means more a weekly washing of clothes - except for knickers which I do wash daily and take black ones that aren't overly obvious if I pin them to my rucksack to dry the next day if the weather is fine. And I just presume there will be dried mud on my trousers.
 
roving_rufus said:
merino wool means more a weekly washing of clothes
Click to expand...
I am allergic to wool, and even merino makes me itch. I do understand that merino helps with the odor factor which people loveabout it, but it still accumulates the same body oils and soil accumulation as non-wool hiking clothing.
 
That too is a backpacker's trick. If you want to wash it all, throw on your rain gear commando style!
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
There are temperature settings available on the dryers at the laundromat.
 
henrythedog said:
one set of walking clothes and one set of evening clothes
Click to expand...
Darn, I must have missed the memo on evening clothes. For me it’s one set of clothes on my body and one set being washed, dried and back in my pack.

Still remember my second Camino as I was leaving Leon after a night spent in the convent, deciding to take a day off as I was passing the Parador San Marcos. Evening came after several walk abouts around the city, each walk followed by a long bubble bath. Feeling hungry and with no curfew, I decided to head downstairs to the restaurant. It hit me then that I only had my walking clothes. I went for it anyway and no one commented on my lack of evening clothes.

I would much rather do laundry by hand daily than carry around extra clothes. I have done enough hand laundry that it now takes under five minutes to do my daily load of laundry.
 
You need to remember these carpark laundromat set-ups are 'unsupervised'. People who use them know you must be back within a certain time or the machine door automatically unlocks...as per my post...
Tassie Kaz said:
I had to Google-translate the T&C's...you had a time limit after the cycle finished in which to collect your clothes. Exceed it, the door releases & I guess the Sneaky-Petes score!
Click to expand...
In this situation, I can't imagine people leaving their clothes for hours...unless they were killing time in the local bar perhaps...
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
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Steven Dwyer said:
Darn, I must have missed the memo on evening clothes. For me it’s one set of clothes on my body and one set being washed, dried and back in my pack.
Click to expand...
My Camino "evening clothes" are my other clean set of Camino clothes. I wear them to dinner and add a "weighs nothing" cute scarf to jazz it up; then I sleep in them...a multi use item.
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Camino Chrissy said:
I am allergic to wool, and even merino makes me itch. I do understand that merino helps with the odor factor which people loveabout it, but it still accumulates the same body oils and soil accumulation as non-wool hiking clothing.
Click to expand...
Quite true- but I also would add that I carry more clothes in winter so I don't wear the same base layer for the whole week. (Equally at home I don't normally wash everything I have worn after one day's wear). Winter caminos definitely require more thought when it comes to clothing and laundry, as much more difficult to get things to dry.
 
Agree with you 100%. Love it.
 
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Camino Chrissy said:
All dryer settings are not created equal. The one that nearly ruined my clothes was in a lovely private albergue; not a commercial dryer like are in laundromats.
Click to expand...
Ok... sure not user error? in May I was in some wonderful Albergue on the Norte, I mean I had a floor to myself, with only two friends on the floor below. We shared laundry and it was my job to start it while we went shopping for dinner, so that we could dry it when we came back... whoops... didn't press "start"...
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Saw some along the CP in Portugal as well.
 
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Damien Reynolds said:
no pay! Look up "laundromat" on google maps.
Click to expand...
This works! Just looked up "laundromat vila nova da barquinha" and lo and behold, there's the parking-lot laundromat at the Intermarché...supermarket about 15-20 minutes' walk off the main caminho track in VNdB. Good café in the Intermarche and, I think, wifi--you can get an excellent menu do dia or snack while you do your wash 5 days out from Lisbon.
 
chinacat said:
Who has so many clothes with them, in the summer, that they need a washing machine?
In 2009, I never saw a washing machine and it wouldn’t have occurred to me to use a laundromat for my few items …
Click to expand...
In 2006 washing machines were few and far between and a real treat - maybe one every 10-14 days.
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Damien Reynolds said:
Always looking to learn from fellow travelers, is there a better laundry strategy on the Camino?
Click to expand...
This is the first Camino I made use of laundromats. With the heat, staying some nights in private rooms, and carrying less clothing, they were a godsend. The added benefit is that they were often in the more residential neighborhoods, and they already include soap in the cost.
 
I used a washing machine about once a week. Threw everything in.
 
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I like antibacterial base layers. I have a couple of sets by Rab, they weren't cheap but they don't smell either. I've done week long summer trips in the mountains where I've sweated buckets into one set I'd worn 24hrs a day and they still won't stink. They'll develop a bit of musky scent but it's not an unpleasant, sweaty stink. It's more a "what's that?" than a "help, I can't breathe!". They are very light so I'll rinse out by hand every few days in just some warm water and they'll dry in a couple of hours. SPF50 too so don't need sunblock on my arms, just pull the sleeves down when needed. Outer layers I never wash on a trip unless they get muddy. I keep a clean tshirt for evening and I might wear my spare walking trousers or I might not. It depends on the trip and who I'm with. I like wool socks even in summer, again they don't stink. But I'll rotate daily and wash out the old pair with soap, foot health is more important than stench

I spend a lot of time camping and hiking, I'll wash me at every opportunity but it's only occasionally I'll wash my clothes on a long trip. The antiacterial stuff will start to get a "greasy" feel to them long before they start to smell.
 
I replied earlier in this thread that I thought washing my own clothes at the end of each Stage was important to me, by helping to cleanse the Mind, Body and Soul. It also occurs to me that people may have an aversion to this because it's a big pain in the butt! I get it, also for me! Having to deal with powder or a soap bar and it's aftermath is only for the lighthearted, so this year I began looking for a better way. I'm hoping this is it!! If anyone else has used them? I'd love to know if they made a difference getting the job done.

I begin my 3rd Camino on the 18th of August, this time from Madrid. I can't wait to try them and if by chance they are the worst Camino decision I ever made, I'll LMAO all the way to "la Lavandería" !!!

Buen Camino

 
You probably don't want to hear it from me, but laundromats get your clothes cleaner and they can be fun. But, like everything else on the Camino, fun is up to you.
 
More 2024 Camino Guides available
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Damien Reynolds said:
You probably don't want to hear it from me, but laundromats get your clothes cleaner and they can be fun. But, like everything else on the Camino, fun is up to you.
Click to expand...
Ok, I agree Damien....But, for six weeks on the Camino I am willing to put up with the old fashioned ritual of washing my clothes by hand and hanging them out to dry. Once home, I go back to the cleanliness I am accustomed to!
 
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Damien Reynolds said:
You probably don't want to hear it from me, but laundromats get your clothes cleaner and they can be fun. But, like everything else on the Camino, fun is up to you.
Click to expand...

Most of the removal of dirt from clothes, whether hand or machine washed, comes in the rinsing. If you rinse hand-washed clothes enough
times, provided you’ve paid attention to the adequate loosening of the dirt, your clothes will be clean.
 
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