Commuting - Getting clean after the riding to work

I posted this in the "Car Free Living" section, but I think here is more appropriate:

While going totally car-free is not really an option for me (hey, it's not for everyone) I want to put more miles on my bike than my car. This will extend the life of my car, reduce my gasoline need, and also put me in better physical shape.

My problem is that where I work is 25 miles from my house and a new/closer job isn't feasible. I would love to ride my bicycle to work but the only reason I havn't done so is because of the sweating issue. My work environment is a khacki pants, button-down shirt, office. There is no place for me to shower up after a ride in and I'd rather not make my coworkers deal with the "biker stink" every day.

I know sweat wicking attire helps, but that doesn't do the job for my forearms, legs, and head.

When my girlfriend broke her ankle last summer and was bed-ridden she had stuff called "shower in a bag" to clean herself up. Basically a waterless shower. However, getting a full body clean with that took at least 30 minutes, and I'm not sure how much they cost. If they are more than a few bucks per bag, it's not worth it since part of me cycling in is to save money on gas.

I've calculated it out based on probable gas price fluxuation, excluding bike maintence:
Gas Price: $2.00/gal - $2.50/gal
Cycling 3 days per week, 45 weeks per year
Savings:
1 Month (4wk): $50.09 - $62.61
3 Months (11wk): $137.74 - $172.17
6 Months (23wk): $288.00 - $360.00
Annually (45wk): $563.48 - $704.35

That's some pretty hefty savings! Granted, most of what is saved there will go towards purchasing new gear and maintaining my bike, but I think I'd much rather spend money on something that will help me physically rather than to just be used in an engine.

I know this is long and drawn out but the simple question that's holding me back from doing this:

How can I get clean again after riding in the absence of a shower? (Note, a half-clean + cologne is not an option, office manager is allergic to fragrence so it's not allowed)

Wet wipes, after letting yourself cool down, take about 10-15 minutes. Many of the Wet Wipes are anti-bacterial so they are really effective, IMO, at giving a near complete "shower" clean. In fact, they are great at removing the "crap" (dirt, grease, etc.) from arms and legs (I bike near a construction site so I ended up with tar and other stuff sometimes on my legs). I also use Oil Olay Face Wipes to clear off the stuff from my neck and face. Then a body spray. Haven't had a complaint yet from any students or colleagues. :D

Wet wipes, after letting yourself cool down, take about 10-15 minutes. Many of the Wet Wipes are anti-bacterial so they are really effective, IMO, at giving a near complete "shower" clean...
Sounds good for body, but how about for the sweat-head from helmets?



...Then a body spray....
As I said, something like this isn't really an option for me. The only "smell-good" stuff I can use at the office is standard deoderant/anti-persperant. Will that be enough?

Sounds good for body, but how about for the sweat-head from helmets?


A brush/comb?! :D I have a short haircut so I don't worry about this as much. Perhaps someone else has a suggestion.



As I said, something like this isn't really an option for me. The only "smell-good" stuff I can use at the office is standard deoderant/anti-persperant. Will that be enough?

Company restrictions on perfumes/body sprays? I'd imagine a deoderant/AP should be fine. Might also want to look into baby powder or talc powder. :)

Company restrictions on perfumes/body sprays?
The office manager (who also happens to be my grandmother) has a severe fragerence allergy. If she is around someone for too long that is wearing perfume/cologne it gets very difficult for her to breathe for at least 10 minutes after the person has left the vacinity. For her safety, our workplace does not allow any employees to wear fragerences. When clients come in with cologne/perfume on, they aren't allowed in her office (since most don't know of the allergy until they get here)

[QUOTE=InfamousG]Sounds good for body, but how about for the sweat-head from helmets?QUOTE]
thats one reason i went with the hairstyle (or lack of) that i did, but i'm riding 4-5 days a week to work and at least on weekend.

(for hairstyle, see avatar) :D

i ride fifteen miles with no shower, deoderant, wet wipes; NOTHIN...

i recently got my girlfirend to to the same.... the secret for us is shower right before you leave, wear clean bike clothes, when you get to work take a few minutes to cool down in the AC before you change.

i also bring a towel for the absolute worst days to wipe up the sweat but only use it once in a great while on an extraordinarily hot day.

in my experience you won't smell after an hour of exercise even if you sweat a bit so long as your clean going into it... i sweat A LOT.

if i really did care i'd use some deodarant but i don't ever wear the stuff normally so i wasn't about to start.

in fact, i just did an under arm whiff and even though i don't smell shower fresh it is hardly an odor that will come out of my clean work clothes.

unless you got someone smellin you at work you'll be fine! just try it...

I'm a master of birdbaths in the sink. It's a bit cold in the winter but not too bad.

I keep soap, shaving stuff, towels and a washcloth at work in my cubicle.

I'm one of the first ones to work in the morning, so I don't have to clean up with a lot of people trying to use the bathroom.

You shave before you leave. You time youself so you arrive befire the bulk of the office.

Its amazing what you can find at a 99 cent store. A small kiddie swimming pool as a overflow catch basin, a large camping dishwashing basin to stand in which that will catch most of the water, and one of those portable shower nozzle that attaches to a sink. Handicap toilet stalls offers some degree of privacy.

Shampoo in a sink. Then use the apparutus to shower/washup. its a little cumbersome, but you'll learn to control the overspray and know how to set it up, shower and disassemble in less than 15 minutes.

Baby wipes are the best! I shower before leaving and put on AP deodorant. When I arrive to work (before anyone else in the office) I cool down and wipe my entire body and face with baby wipes and then dry up with a towel. I apply a little more AP/deodorant wet my hair apply a little gel and come it and wahla.... I'm done. Doing this has made me feel fresh as if I had just showered.

BTW: I commute in cycling attire (shorts and jersey).

There are many simple approaches to cleaning up. Baby wipes of various types work, but may not always be necessary. I sweat a lot and had serious concerns about bike commuting, but the following has worked for me. First, if you can try to go a little slower on the last mile or so of your ride so you can cool down a little.

I always shower in the morning before I leave with a deodorant soap. I also wash my hair and try to keep it a reasonable length since longer hair tends to get stringier when dirty. If your hair gets too grungy on the ride you might try a shampoo that strips away more stuff and skipping conditioners or other things that make the hair worse. I wear clean, wicking clothing which I have learned makes a big difference.

I'm usually first in the office so I can use my office or the bathroom to cleanup. I wet down a Handi-wipe to wipe all the sweat off my upper body as soon as I can rather than letting it dry on me. I've found a small fan is a big help in cooling down, after I've wiped down. Even without the fan towelling off with a wet Handiwipe and then drying off with a dry one is a big help. I only worry about my legs if they got muddy or some other serious grunge. I do keep soap in the office for any occasions when I am really grungy.

I put on new AP deodorant, comb the hair and put on clean clothes. Usually I change underwear as well since I ride in regular workout shorts and they get kind of soaked. With fresh clothes I am totally presentable in under 10 minutes. I have found a janitor's closet where I can hang my clothes to dry, so by the end of the day I have dry clothes -- although sometimes they smell a little sweaty. I hope that helps.

I like the ideas about the wipes. Wearing wicking clothing is smart because they seem to dry a lot quicker than cotton. By the end of the day my commuting clothes are dry but smelly. But at that point I don't care because I know I have a shower waiting for me at home.

I take a shower and shave before I ride in. I don't use wet wipes, deodorant or anything, other than a towel and 20 minutes of cooling/drying off time. Once I've cooled down, I splash water on my face, dry off, and get dressed. AFAIK, I don't stink, though that probably varies from person to person. And I don't feel scummy, though that is personal, too. BTW, I work with a similar dress requirement, so it is just that my washing routine isn't noticed. When I get home from my afternoon commute, I take a shower, because, after two rides and no shower, I do feel scummy and suspect I stink as well.

Not wearing "wicking clothing" is pure insanity for any distance that will make you sweat, IMO. Clean wicking clothing is key. I usually won't wear the same pair of bike shorts for more than two days of commuting (that's < 40 miles) before washing. Having a small "personal fan" (the size a of small space heater) to blow at bike clothes under my desk works wonders for drying it all out. It doesn't hurt that I arrange things in such a way as to blow hot computer air at the clothes...

Showering shortly before hitting the road works very well to keep the stink down, even in the hot summer with a very sweaty guy like me.

Getting to work early has a number of benefits, mentioned above. Also, in the summer, it's cooler early.

Your case is a little special, though, because you have 25 miles to your commute. I imagine that that sort of distance will cause you to smell a bit when you get to work even if you shower right before. I've never done a long-enough-to-make-me-smell distance for commuting so I've never tried the wipes. I will use some damp paper towels after bad weather, though, to wipe grit off of the legs.

Good luck!

Agree with what others have said. I work in an office with pretty much the same dress code as yours. Shower before you leave. I keep wet-wipes and deodorant in my desk drawer at work. Also a few pairs of socks and underwear in case I forget (A lesson I learned when I did forget a few times). I also keep two pairs of dress shoes at the office so I don't have to carry shoes every day. I keep my hair really short so I just wipe it with a towel (I carry a small, clean one in my messenger bag with my cloths) when I get to work, no combing needed. I get to work early, wipe down with the towel, cool down for a couple minutes (usually while I check e-mail and messages), then wipe down critical areas with a wet-wipe, apply deodorant and put on my work cloths. Once I've done all that I feel just as clean as if I were to have showered. I must not smell because none of my coworkers has ever said anything. And believe me, I have a few coworkers who would absolutely love to tell me that I reek!

Once you get everything sorted out, it's all part of the routine. Go for it!

Thanks for the advice, I think this weekend I'll make a dry run to the office, I mapped out a route with the SueAndPaul.com Pedometer that's actually 10 miles less than my typical driving route, putting me to 16 miles rather than 26. Perhaps I'll start using this route to get to/from work to save a little bit of gas as well when I do have to drive.

Mornings around here have been pretty cool, so hopefully it will stay that way.

After reading the above posts, I feel very lucky to have a shower at work! My commute is just over 1 hour, and by that time, I feel I need a shower. During the winter, it's the thought of a hot shower waiting for me at work that keeps me going!

If there were no shower, I would certainly try the baby wipes first.

PackTowel Personal

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=11418312&parent_category_rn=4500614&vcat=REI_SEARCH

I wear wicking bike clothes and dry off with the PackTowel when I get to work. If you want to get really clean you can give yourself a sponge bath with it, then wring it out and dry yourself off. Hang the towel by the loop and it will be dry in an hour or two. I sweat a lot, but fresh sweat isn't very stinky and you wipe it off before it gets stinky. I also work in a business casual office enviroment.

Here's what I do:

1. Use a micro-fibre terry-cloth towel, 1'x1' in size. Absorbs moisture like crazy. Wrings out to almost dry. Mostly polyester, so dries in astonishingly short time. The micro-fibres absorb dirt even with no soap.
2. When I get to work, towel off head & hair with this dry towel. All sweat gone.
3. Go to bathroom, put lightly soapy water in sink, rinse aforementioned towel, wipe face & hair with damp towel.
4. Rinse towel, wipe body down, concentrating on stinky spots. Apply some anti-stink.
5. Rinse towel. Rinse again in clean water. Wring out.
Squeaky clean and fresh in 5-10 minutes. The towel hangs in my office and is dry by lunch time, ready for the next day.

Been doing this for almost a year now, I think it beats wet wipes hands down, costs me nothing.

I go the wet one route than a heavy does of anti perspirant than a spray of Adidas body spray about the body and some clean clothes. I also wash my hair in the sink and dry it with a paktowl. Oh and walmart smells a medium/small towel that works just as well as a paktowl for like 2 bucks.

Old Spice wet wipes!

I was surprised at how clean and fresh I feel after cleaning up at the sink. And where I live, it's so hot and humid that I'd be hot and sweaty just riding a mile! But rinsing with a wet washcloth followed by Wet Ones, deoderant, and body spray works wonders. I also use a wet washcloth on my shoulder-length hair. I've thought about getting one of those hose sprayers you can attach to a faucet but so far, I haven't needed it. I just got a small hair dryer but haven't used it yet since I haven't been able to commute this last week of classes. I was getting tired of teaching or tutoring with wet hair.

I have to do all this cleaning up in a public restroom where students -- including some of my own -- and staff are coming in so I have to be more disrete than I would have to be in a locked private restroom. I also have to share an office with dozens of other adjunct faculty -- I'm assigned one file drawer -- but I bought a locker from Penneys to hold all my gear. So far, no one has complained. I realize there's not enough room for EVERYONE to have a locker but if I'm called on it, I'm going to suggest that EVERYONE WHO RIDES A BIKE TO WORK be allowed to have his or her own locker. ;)

Great thread! following closely. Lots of great stuff. Thanks!

One thing to add




That's some pretty hefty savings! Granted, most of what is saved there will go towards purchasing new gear and maintaining my bike, but I think I'd much rather spend money on something that will help me physically rather than to just be used in an engine.



When I ride a lot, my metabolism is flying high. I never did the math, but I think most of the money i save on gas and tolls goes to food :D

I have a more caual dress code than you (jeans + polo is fine), but no shower.

I wake up (and start sweating), eat, brush teeth, and shave. I then ride the 7-11 miles to work (based on what route I choose). I am sweaty when I get there, so I log into my computer, then head to the bathroom. I towel off, apply deoderant and put on new clothes (I just got the hair chopped off so thats np anymore). Viola! good as new.

One more idea: Check out camping supplies. I like waterless, soapless body wash made for campers, truckers, etc.

I've wondered that, too, KoYak. Are steaks less expensive than gasoline?!

Are steaks less expensive than gasoline?!

It's a rhetorical question but I thought I would do the math. OK...So I'm a geek :D

Weight of 1 gal of gasoline ~ 6 lbs. At $2.50/gal, about $.42/lb.

last time i bought ribeye at COSTCO, about $12.00/lb. Yep! I had to buy 10 lbs of it.

If Gas is the same price/LB ($12/lb) as COSTCO ribeye, gas would cost $72/Gal :eek:

Even though ribeye steak is about 29 times as expensive as Gasoline, I enjoy steak a lot more than gas ;) .

When I ride a lot, my metabolism is flying high. I never did the math, but I think most of the money i save on gas and tolls goes to food :D

I know I won't actually "save" more money, and since I still live at home, I get free meals unless I want something different. The most important thing to me is getting in shape. I'd rather ride the 32 mile round trip than drive the 52 mile round trip, come home and ride 30 miles.

I'm hoping to get 6,000 bike miles in between now and the end of next July. (Granted, during the winter I'll be using a trainer stand, but those miles still count).