Washing tips from a man you should not take washing tips from...
Day 37
Start – Pursat, Cambodia Finish – Phnom Penh, Cambodia Distance travelled – 250km Words by – Johnny Bang |
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We left the hotel mid-morning as the ride today should not be a big one. We were both out of water and agreed we would stop to refill in the next 10 minutes. For whatever reason we rode 4 hours to Phnom Penh without stopping for water. I was hungry and dehydrated but reminded myself I am a privileged white tourist - and I’m sure there are hungrier people than me around here. Days like this I miss my Sena (helmet communication device that broke in Indonesia) so I can converse with Dan on the road.
We stayed in the cheapest accommodation we could find in Phnom Penh and again, it was definitely not the ‘flashy’ part of town. As I like to do in new cities, I went for a walk around the block and was accosted by street kids, hawkers and almost bitten by 2 dogs (on 2 separate occasions). On return to the hotel Dan had found out we need a visa for Vietnam which usually take 2-4 days… a problem for tomorrow.
I took the time in the hotel room to wash my clothes by rinsing the bin, making a ‘washing paste’ (by combining all the complimentary toiletry consumables into the bucket – including toothpaste for that minty tang) and mixing around with my hand. This method works a treat and clothes dry in about 40 minutes with the heat here. On this note I feel I can provide some helpful tips to fellow bikers that are interested in extending the life of their wardrobe on the road; so here are ‘Johnny Bang’s top tips for washing on the road’:
1. Don’t feel like you need to wash, you smell fine, bro.
2. Baby power has the ability to extend the life of standard wear* clothing from mere weeks to infinity.
3. If necessary, when the road has provided a western style hotel, you may combine all complimentary items (toothpaste, soap, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel) into a ‘wash paste’ that can be used in conjunction with your bath or shower.
4. Always swim in your clothes – this counts as a wash.
5. If you get rained on, ride through it, and dry out – this counts as a wash.
6. Any item can be turned inside-out to double its lifespan.
7. Drop some air freshener into your pannier bag – then your clothes are being ‘washed’ 24/7.
*standard wear does not include soiled items – refer tip 3.
We stayed in the cheapest accommodation we could find in Phnom Penh and again, it was definitely not the ‘flashy’ part of town. As I like to do in new cities, I went for a walk around the block and was accosted by street kids, hawkers and almost bitten by 2 dogs (on 2 separate occasions). On return to the hotel Dan had found out we need a visa for Vietnam which usually take 2-4 days… a problem for tomorrow.
I took the time in the hotel room to wash my clothes by rinsing the bin, making a ‘washing paste’ (by combining all the complimentary toiletry consumables into the bucket – including toothpaste for that minty tang) and mixing around with my hand. This method works a treat and clothes dry in about 40 minutes with the heat here. On this note I feel I can provide some helpful tips to fellow bikers that are interested in extending the life of their wardrobe on the road; so here are ‘Johnny Bang’s top tips for washing on the road’:
1. Don’t feel like you need to wash, you smell fine, bro.
2. Baby power has the ability to extend the life of standard wear* clothing from mere weeks to infinity.
3. If necessary, when the road has provided a western style hotel, you may combine all complimentary items (toothpaste, soap, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel) into a ‘wash paste’ that can be used in conjunction with your bath or shower.
4. Always swim in your clothes – this counts as a wash.
5. If you get rained on, ride through it, and dry out – this counts as a wash.
6. Any item can be turned inside-out to double its lifespan.
7. Drop some air freshener into your pannier bag – then your clothes are being ‘washed’ 24/7.
*standard wear does not include soiled items – refer tip 3.
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