How to stay clean while on a road trip
Are you planning to go on an adventure and you’re wondering how to stay clean while on a road trip?
Whether it’s your first road trip ever, or you travel this way all the time, you might not always have access to showers as you would at home.
Planning a road trip is a lot to think about when you’re planning it. If you add on top of that no showers for a couple of days on your itinerary, this could be a deterrent to going on this amazing trip.
There are many ways you can still enjoy the trip to it’s fullest even if there won’t be showers for those couple of days. You can still make the most of your trip.
Since I’ve been on many road trips, I’ve had the opportunity to go on road trips with a shower everyday but also some where there wasn’t anything available to do so every day.
So let’s see how you can still enjoy your road trip while not showering every single day with this guide on how to stay clean while on a road trip.
What clothing should you pack?
Odor-preventing clothing
If you’re planning your road trip and you know you won’t be staying in a hotel or a campground for a couple of days, you might want to add some odour-preventing clothing to your shopping list before you go.
This is a great way to go around not showering. The fabric of the clothing will prevent odours for a certain time. This way, you can wear the same clothes for a couple of days or alternate between two or three outfits.
Adding some odour-preventing clothing to other methods for staying clean while on a road trip, you won’t even remember that you didn’t shower!
Clean underwear
This is something I always pack extras. It does not take much space in your bag but it’s always nice to have clean underwear even if you haven’t showered.
You can always laundry them while on your road trip but having a couple of clean ones that you can change everyday even when you’re not showering will feel cleaner.
What to pack if there are no showers
Dry shampoo
Whether I’m leaving on a road trip without showers or a trip where they will be available, I always carry a bottle of dry shampoo anyway.
We’re something to happen and for some reason I cannot use the shower, I’ll still be able to use dry shampoo.
The same goes for a road trip without access to showers. At least you’ll have some dry shampoo with you to help with your hair.
Wet Wipes, shower sheets, and no-rinse body wash
These are a must in cases like this. You can always use the wipes to wash yourself in emergencies. Or even just rinsing off after a day of outdoor activities.
You’ll feel cleaner but you’ll also be able to remove sweat and any body odor lingering.
Biodegradable soap
If you need to, you can always use a lake or a river. Just make sure to use biodegradable shampoo and soap.
You don’t want to affect the ecosystems by using bad products while washing yourself in a river or lake.
Make sure to have some biodegradable products if you plan on doing this.
Microfiber towel
Whether you use public showers or a lake, you will need to have a towel to dry off afterwards.
A microfiber towel is perfect. It will not take much space in your bags, they dry very quickly and will be useful to dry off.
It’s a must in your bags while traveling even if you have access to showers during your trip.
Face wipes
Just like body wipes, these will be useful to wash your face. The difference is, face wipes will be a lot gentler on your facial skin than body wipes.
Using them will help you feel clean and hydrate your facial skin at the same time.
Deodorant
Deodorant is a must in order to try and keep odors at bay. Even though you might not be able to shower everyday, having a deodorant with you will at least help you control some odors.
Toiletries
To stay clean while on a road trip, toiletries can help you do that. You might not be able to shower every day but you can easily access a sink with running water or even use a water bottle.
You can use your toiletries to wash your face which will make you feel cleaner after doing so.
Keeping somewhat of your normal skincare routine will help you feel clean even though you aren’t sticking to your whole routine.
What if you really need a shower
Customize your vehicle
There are many options out there that you can use in order to stay clean while on a road trip with limited access to showers.
You could customize your vehicle with a water tank and shower. Keep in mind that this is a pricier option as you will need to modify your vehicle in order to get the shower.
However, if you plan on using this vehicle often to do road trips, it could be the best option long term.
Carry a portable shower
If you have a limited budget or don’t plan on road-tripping this much, you can always use a portable shower that can be added to your vehicle when needed. There are multiple portable showers out there depending on what you want to use.
You would only need to fill the water tank of the portable shower or fill a water bucket when you need to use it.
Carry extra water
When going on a road trip, carry some extra water. You can buy some water tank that don’t take much space in your car to do just that.
Your water tank will be useful to drink, but also use for your portable shower if you have one or even just use the water to rinse off with a cloth at the end of the day.
You could also use it to brush your teeth and wash your face. So if you don’t have access or limited access to showers on your road trip, you can always go by a couple of days with your water tank.
Many gas stations have potable water you can fill up your tank if you’d like.
How to stay clean while on a road trip: where to go
Campsite or RV Park
If you’ve been on the road for a while and you get tired of using your portable shower, a lake or just rinsing off, there are other options out there that you could take a warm and comfortable shower.
Most campgrounds have showers available. You can always plan a stop once every couple of days to park in a campground to use the facilities.
Gym
There are some gym’s that will allow you to take a shower even if you are not a member. Ask the front desk if you can do so.
You might have to pay a small fee but it could still be worth it.
If you have a membership, you can always just drop in and shower there.
Lake or river
Although this isn’t really recommended, you could use a lake or river to wash up. Make sure to use biodegradable products if you do so.
Truck stop showers
There are plenty of truck stops out there along the highway where they have great facilities with showers.
I’ve done it once and the showers were spacious and they had everything we needed.
Beach showers
If your road trip brings you close to the beach, you can always use the beach showers. Keep in mind that they don’t have them everywhere and sometimes they are outdoor showers.
If you want even more ideas on where to shower on the road, I have a complete guide on how to find showers on the road.
I hope that this has helped you figure out how to wash on the road when you don’t have access to showers daily on your road trip.
Going on a road trip is an epic way to discover new places but if you’re not staying in hotels or campgrounds, it can be a bit scarier trying to figure out where to wash up.
There are plenty of showers out there you can use but you just need to know how to find them or even just have a couple of tips in case there isn’t any near you.
You don’t have to put off this road trip now that you know how to stay clean while on a road trip! Just use this guide as a reference to have plenty of fun while staying clean on the road!
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. I would never recommend anything I don’t personally love and use!
Need more road trip preparation tips? Keep reading for more!
How to find showers on a road trip
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