LIFE on the road means you have to forgo many of your home comforts for the freedom to travel.
But one van-living woman was stunned when she shared the inside details of her washing arrangements – and was cruelly trolled by people who claimed she “must stink”.
Digital nomad Jessy Muller said she had gone five weeks without a hot shower due to living in an RV with her cat Moo – her longest streak ever.
She said that her preferred way to get one was to visit a service station with pay for showers, but being on the road meant she wasn’t always near such a facility.
In a video blog posted on Instagram, Jessy took her followers to see where she washed, paying $17 (around £13) for a code to access a shower room.
She showed how she waited for a cubicle to become free before using an access code to get into a shower room where there was a shower stall, toilet and sink with mirror.
At the end, she shared her delight at being able to properly wash and blow dry her hair for the first time in five weeks.
She said: “I was so happy to break my five week streak with a gas station shower… $17 seems like a lot for a shower, but I can tell you, it was worth every single penny.
“Yes, my rig (van) has a shower, but my water heater is out of commission. However, even when it did work, you had to use water saving techniques while showering, which is totally manageable but doesn’t really create a relaxing feeling a shower with unlimited hot water does.”
Lots of people shared supportive messages, talking about how they too lived on the road and had to ration their washing.
Others told how they noticed their skin and hair were in better condition after reducing the amount of showering they did.
DiFerretti wrote: “Makes me feel better about my weekly showers. I really think we clean off good bacteria by showering too often.”
Letter2Self added: “Since showering less and spot cleaning more, my hair and skin are healthier and I need deodorant less for my body to self regulate. You don’t have to shower to be hygenic!”
But others were not so kind, telling Jessy, 41, that she must smell and sharing her video thousands of times.
TomCummings1974 said: “5 weeks without a shower is absolutely disgusting.”
Luckily the van dweller was not upset, later posting how sharing the dirty secret had sent her video viral and gained her 8,000 extra followers for her blog.
She also decided to wait even longer for her next shower, going six weeks before she paid $5 (£4.90) to use a leisure centre facility.
But it turned out to be a disappointment.
“That was awful. Cold, cold water the whole time until someone flushed the toilet and I got the tiniest bit of hot water,” she said.
“I guess the five dollars didn’t include the hot water. I don’t even know if that counted as a real shower.”
In another video, she revealed the ways she stays clean day-to-day without showering.
The first included using the van’s tiny shower with cold water, saying she will “pop a squat and clean the nether regions, bidet style.”
She also showed how she used a flannel at the sink to wash “pits, tits and slits – and you’re good to go.”
Other methods were a portable water jug with an electric pump for hair washing outside and a fold down bucket for sponge baths.
“The best part is how much you appreciate a real shower when you get one,” she confessed.
