Why laundry?

Laundry, everyone has it.

Okay I know what in the world does laundry have to do with a blog on cruising and living aboard.  Well you gotta have clean clothes don't ya?  Today while I was working on our laundry the thought came to me as to how grateful I am to have my own washer and dryer to do my laundry and to also be able to take my time accomplishing that task.

Now for most of us we have our own washer and dryer and can attend to our laundry on our own schedule.  Even when I was on my own with my infant daughter (no I have not always been married to wonderful Mr. Mike) I had a washer and dryer.  Now by no means was I well off or even made enough money to afford a washer and dryer, heck I could barely afford the rent at that point.  But my parents, the amazing folks that they were, offered to buy me a washer and dryer so that I wouldn't have to take an infant to the laundry mat.  Not only to do clothes and such but diapers.  Yes back then I used cloth diapers, disposables were just to much money.  So in our first apartment we had a beautiful washer and dryer, no furniture, but we had clean clothes.  Okay I am digressing.

One of the cleanest laundry mats I have had the
pleasure of spending time in.

Think about it, how often do we contemplate the fact that our washer and dryer is a convenience?  When cruising we have no such appliances on board (well at least most of us don't).  No room, not enough water.  So how does one handle doing laundry while living on a boat you ask?  With much planning.  Now there are some hard core cruisers that literally will do laundry in a bucket with a plunger.  Not my idea of a good time. We try to keep our dirty laundry to a minimum.  You definitely wear things more than once, unless it can stand in the corner by itself.  But none the less I still have to plan laundry days.  Not every port has laundry facilities.  I know our own marina offers two washers and two dryers for anyone to use.  And yes they are free, I guess that is why we can't complain when the one dryer only works about half.

There are times when we have docked at a location that offers a washer and dryer for use, as long as you have those quarters. With this set up you have to realize they may not always be available and you will have to wait your turn.  And of course you must remember to keep an eye on things or your clean laundry can end up in a pile somewhere because someone is waiting for the dryer.  Yes I have been caught at these stand alone washers and dryers without enough quarters.  I seriously had to go asking for a quarter to finish my laundry.  Ironically the same person that gave me the quarter that day came to me the next day needing a quarter (which by then I had some).  Paying it forward is always a good thing.   (By the way that person that gave me the quarter was another boater.)

Packed up and ready to find the laundry mat.

Now there is the option of going to a laundry mat, but again not all locations have laundry facilities near by.  For us that's when we stuff as much laundry as we can into our duffle bags and hop on the bikes.  This can be an interesting balancing act depending on how much you are carrying and where you are riding.  The good thing though about a laundry mat is that there are usually enough machines available that you can do all your loads at once. Laundry mats are good too if for some reason you don't have those wonderful quarters needed to do said laundry.  They have either an attendant or a machine that will give you access to change.   Laundry mats are a great place to meet some of the locals and you would be surprised at how many other boaters you find there.  It is always a good place to catch up on your reading, play a game of cards, call someone to chat, or if you are like me, take photos.  I am thankful too that often times Mike will come along sometimes out of need, because I can't get all the clothes on my bike and other times just to help me pass the time.  Laundry is just another part of everyday life, whether you are cruising or not.  We do the best to make it as enjoyable an adventure as possible.

So the next time you do laundry smile and make it the best it can be.