Staying clean off-grid
My tips and tricks for living long term without running water – Vanlife, tiny house, or off grid living. Here’s what I’ve learned:
Body hair collects and holds oils, microbes and smells – even if you’re washing it. Remove all unnecessary hair!
The sebum/oils sitting in your pores, can become very stinky. And the build of dead skin sitting on you will also hold that smell. When you bathe, make sure to exfoliate. I use papertowel and some salt and a little baking soda. (Baking soda can be very difficult to remove though if you don’t have lots of water!)
Hydrogen peroxide is an amazing deodorant/body wash. If it has removed lots of microbes, there might be an icky smell after you use it, so be sure to do a quick rinse with water. HP is better for your skin than alcohol and will keep you smelling fresher longer than alcohol. Very effective for fungus as well. And very useful for women’s health!
Beware of paper towel! In North America, paper towel companies do not need to list the ingredients. Many paper towels can contain toxic materials, binders/glues, perfumes, and other things that aren’t good for you. For washing your body, especially your sensitive areas, be sure to get the expensive stuff. The cheaper paper towels are much more likely to leave glues, and other unhealthy materials behind on your skin. This can cause a build up of (barely perceptible) sticky material on your skin, which can cause infections for you, your seggsual partners, and that stickiness will help dirt and microbes to stay with you.
And double wash your clothes if you get the chance. Many stinky microbes can live through the washing machine! Especially if you have any rashes or fungal stuff going on.
Alright that’s it for now, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.