Miriam Mace from Aussie Destinations Unknown shares some tips and tricks on how they keep their clothes clean while travelling full-time.
Laundry might not be the first thing you think about when dreaming of life on the road, but when you’re living full-time in a caravan, keeping your clothes and bedding clean becomes part of the weekly rhythm. Whether we’re parked up in a caravan park, off-grid for weeks at a time, or road-tripping in just the truck, we’ve figured out what works — and what definitely doesn’t. Here’s how we keep our things clean while travelling full-time around Australia.
Our onboard washing setup
In our current caravan, we’ve got a 3kg wall-mounted front-loading washer/dryer combo. It’s compact, efficient and installed correctly so it’s whisper-quiet, even on the spin cycle. Of course, you’ll feel a little more movement when you’re washing heavier items like towels, but overall, it’s very smooth.
While off-grid, we run one load a day to manage water usage. When we’re in a caravan park with unlimited water, I’ll usually do two loads a day to keep on top of everything.
We love our NCE 3kg wall mounted washer/dryer
I do use the dryer function when we’re connected to power and it’s been raining for days — something that happens often when we’re back in south-east Queensland visiting family. There’s so much moisture in the air that hanging clothes outside just doesn’t work. It’s not a fast dryer — it takes around four hours, sometimes longer — but when you need it, it’s a lifesaver. We don’t use the dryer off-grid.
Top loader versus front loader
Over the years we’ve travelled with both, and while top loaders can fit more, they also use significantly more water. We did a comparison years ago when a friend was deciding between a top loader or front loader. By placing containers under the drainpipe, we measured the water used per cycle:
- Top loader: almost 70L
- Front loader: just 8L on a quick wash
This discovery made her decision easy. And she was travelling with her family of five.
Another benefit of a wall-mounted front loader is all the bench and cupboard space a more traditional floor setup takes up remains free, giving us more usable space inside the van.
Drying clothes on the road
Our go-to for drying clothes is the Slide n’ Dry Pegless Clothesline, which we’ve used for years. These little Aussie-made beauties are lightweight, easy to use and (as the name suggests) don’t require pegs. We use two and a half packets under the awning, clipped together to create the length we need. I highly recommend getting at least two or three packs. They’re perfect for van life and also come with us when we head off in just our Chevy Silverado 2500 truck.
You can grab them from the Adventure Awaits website, and if you use our code ADUCREW, you’ll save a few dollars too.
The Slide n’ Dry Pegless Clothesline is so easy even Chris can use it!
For indoor drying, we have a retractable clothesline mounted inside our ensuite above the large window. These are available online and in storage shops, and Chris installed ours by screwing the line and hooks into the wall and overhead panels. It holds a full load of washing, including wet jeans and towels, and can even support the weight while travelling.
We also use a compact laundry basket that fits neatly in our bathroom cupboard. It’s from IKEA, has handles and makes it easy to carry wet washing outside to hang under the awning or in the sun.
We have a three-line retractable clothesline in our ensuite
The off-grid laundry routine
We don’t pack anything extra when we go remote, as we live in our van full time. We’re always fully stocked with our MeanderWild bedding — three sets of sheets and multiple quilt covers (all of them reversible so I can change the look of our space). This is a luxury we have thanks to our 23ft 6in Sunalnd caravan, which we designed with maximum storage in mind.
With this system, we can go up to six weeks without washing any bedding. Dirty sets get folded and stored where the clean ones were, and that’s that — no stress, no mess.
If you’re after caravan-specific linen, MeanderWild’s super soft fabric and clever zip-on top sheets make bed-making easy. They’re also available on Adventure Awaits and you can use our code ADUCREW to save a little if you’re grabbing some for yourself.
When it’s time to wash all our bedding and we’re still off-grid, we’ll head to a laundromat in the nearest town. They’re perfect for bulky loads like sheets, towels and throw blankets, and we’ve used them many times over the years without any issues. It’s quick and easy, and while the washing’s on, we usually take the opportunity to restock groceries and top up the truck’s water tank, as we’re often due for both after a longer stretch off-grid.
I often do a load of washing the morning of a travel day, hang it inside the van to dry while we’re driving, and by the time we arrive, it’s usually ready to put away. We also tend to refill the water tanks on travel days, so it’s a good chance to use up a bit of water before the trip starts — especially since, to keep the weight down, we prefer not to travel with full tanks.
For short trips in just the truck, we take two essentials: the Slide n’ Dry Pegless Clothesline and our Scrubba wash bag. The Scrubba is a compact, water-efficient bag with a flexible internal washboard. It uses between 3–6L of water, and I use half a wash sheet. You can use it with river water, and Chris has even done the washing using his feet while sitting in a camp chair! It’s brilliant for a quick clean when you’re off the beaten track.
We use the Scrubba wash bag when we head off-grid in the truck and leave the van behind
Caravan parks and laundry machines
We use caravan park washing machines for things like bedding, but we still wash our clothes, towels and so on inside the van. It’s quick, convenient and cheaper!
We always carry a stash of $1 and $2 coins, because you never know what kind of machines a park will have. That said, some parks now use tap-and-go or phone-based payment systems, so we make sure we’re ready for those too. We’ve only ever had a few issues with machines being dirty, and we always check the drum before throwing anything in and clean the lint filters if needed in the dryers.
Choosing the right laundry products
One of the biggest van-life hacks we’ve found is using laundry detergent sheets. There are several varieties out there and some combine softener, stain remover and detergent all in one. They’re compact, spill-proof and eliminate the risk of liquid detergent leaking through the van. If you’ve ever had a bottle of laundry liquid unscrew and open on corrugated roads, you’ll know just how bad it can get! For me, finding one that’s as low-tox and natural as possible is very important.
Final thoughts
Laundry on the road isn’t glamorous, but it doesn’t have to be a hassle either. With a bit of creativity and the right gear, it becomes just another part of the lifestyle. Some days we’re using our onboard washing machine and hanging clothes between trees, and sometimes we’re hunting down a laundromat in town while grabbing groceries and water. However we do it, it gets done — and there’s a weird kind of joy in knowing we can keep things clean no matter where we are!
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