Nobody posts the bit where your towel never dries and the van starts to smell like wet dog 🐶 Here's how to stay fresh without paying for a caravan park every night.

When I was doing my road trip, I would go for a swim in the morning, and use the beach public shower, and that was my shower for the day.

Van life is amazing, but staying clean on the road takes a bit of planning. Sort a few habits early and you'll feel human for the whole trip 🚐

1. 🚿 Know where the free showers are

Lots of Aussie beaches have free outdoor showers - one of my favourite things about Australia. Public pools and aquatic centres let you shower when you pay for entry, and some caravan parks let non-guests pay for just a shower. Filter by showers in WikiCamps or CamperMate and you'll find them along your route.

2. 🎒 Keep a grab-and-go shower kit

Put your towel, soap, shampoo, thongs (aka flip flops🩴) and a clean change of clothes in one bag or caddy, and leave it packed. When you spot a beach shower or a pool, you're in and out in five minutes. No digging through the whole van 🙌

3. 🧼 Biodegradable soap still doesn't go in the creek

Biodegradable soap still harms creeks, rivers and lakes. Wash up and tip your grey water well away from any waterway, onto dirt, never straight into the water 🌿 It also helps keep free camps open for the next traveller.

And if nature calls in the bush, walk at least 100 metres from any water first.

4. 🧺 Hit a laundromat every week or two

Hand washing is fine for undies and socks. For towels, sheets and jeans, a laundromat is worth a few dollars. Catch up on your downloads while the dryer runs, and you're sorted for another fortnight 📱

5. 🌬️ Dry everything, every day

Damp is the enemy in a van. Wet towels plus closed windows means mould and that musty smell, fast. My go-to trick 👇 On a long drive, I wind my towel into a back passenger window and close it just enough to hold the towel. By the time I reach the next stop, it's usually dry 🙌

At camp, string a line off the roof racks, open the doors and air out your bedding on sunny days ☀️

Stay on top of these and your van will feel like home, not a gym bag 😅

🧻 Bonus: the 2-minute reset

When you can't get to a shower, a pack of wipes, some dry shampoo and a clean shirt go a long way. Keep them in the door pocket so you actually use them.