How does one stay clean when road tripping in a car across the country? Described below are measures I have taken to keep personal hygiene at the top of my daily list. Check out the practices below to see if you would consider them on your next trip.
Always brush your teeth, especially at night
Brushing your teeth allows the person you are traveling with to tolerate speaking with you when you have fresh breath.
Bring a regular, non-electric tooth brush and have a water bottle on hand for rinsing.
Bring unlimited wet wipes
Grab a few wipes to take into a restroom. These will be used to clean easily soiled areas on your body. Main areas include: Face, armpits, and groin.
Wipes help clean up spills easily.
In warm weather, they can be used to cool your face.
Prevent acne or sores from appearing by keeping skin clean.
Consider your clothing
You won’t need as many clothes as you think. With the right gear, clothing can be worn for multiple days and rotated between a few outfits.
I learned this the hard way as I packed a whole duffle bag full of clothes that I never wore and then had to drag everywhere.
Wear clothing material that is breathable, doesn’t hold moisture and repels body odor.
Cotton may be your go to, but the fabric takes forever to dry and easily traps body stench.
Even if you are sitting in a car all day, your body still needs plenty of water. Water can help you to keep alert, think clearly, tame the smell of your urine and keep skin clear.
Every chance you get, wash your face. While stopping for gas, food or sight-seeing enjoy a cool splash of water to remove oils and sweat from the day’s travel.
Make sure there are paper towels before you splash yourself! Don’t want to look like a wet dog retreating out the of bathroom, do you?
Please be as dramatic as he is while washing your face
Abundant deodorant
Keep your pits smelling fresh with your deodorant stick.
****For those of you who like to shave your armpits, caution is advised. Make sure you have a fresh razor to prevent having an outbreak of irritated skin. Once shaved or irritated, wait for your newly cut pores to heal before applying deodorant.
If you are hardcore about the trip or it’s No Shave November leading into winter months, my best suggestion is skipping shaving completely. Unless you are planning to show your armpits to anyone, it really doesn’t matter if they are shaved or not.
It all comes down to personal preference on shaving, but no one likes sore or irritated skin. Avoid the razor, avoid the irritation.
Daily wipe off the deodorant and reapply. If you would have taken a shower, this step would have already been completed. Since there is no shower, you need to do it yourself.
Uh oh, he didn't prepare himself with deoderant
Bush or comb your hair
You don’t have to look like a traveling hippie if you don’t want to. Bush your mane at least once a day to take care of it.
Laundry
If you have patience or down-time, visiting a coin laundromat is A-Ok.
When rooming in a hotel, try washing and drying your clothes in the bathroom. This is where the fast-drying clothing material comes into play.
Make sure you have a spare change of clothes that won’t be washed so you can still explore the city you are in while your clothes dry.
Theses are just a few of the tips I have discovered about keeping clean while traveling. If you have suggestions or your own stories you would like to share, please feel free to comment below.
