How to wash yourself in a sink
 

So I find myself in the situation where after a ride I will have to clean myself up without a proper shower and just a sink.

Can anyone tell me the best way to do this and what I might need. I've heard wet wipes mentioned and of course I will have a change of clothes.

this is the best way click on link :p
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YiXsuyYa4c

when i get to work i usually cool down for about 10-15 minutes, then use wet wipes and deodorant and sink wash my hair. also although it may seem a bit backwards, taking showers before work reduces body odor as well

I like the cool-down phase before cleaning up, but personally don't like "wet wipes," because I feel like they leave residue and never make me feel fresh.

I prefer to pack out a small, light, terry washcloth and a little bit of Dr. Bronners Peppermint soap, and use that and cold water to lightly suds the cloth and wipe and rinse. It's pretty fast, and I feel fresh. Wringing out the cloth lets me wipe dry, and then touch up with a little deodorant and I'm good to go.

I can shower at work, and do each day I ride. But I hear you on the backwards part...Thought somebody was leaving really ripe stuff in the shower room, until I realized it was me! Found that the quick rinse in the morning before riding allowed me to wear my bike gear a couple of days more before they got ripe (not base layers or shorts, those change every day). May get better after Christmas - Santa is bringing me some Banjo Bros waterproof panniers, so I don't have to use a backpack any more. That will amount to a major sweat reduction, though I don't know if I will ever be able to make the run in to work without showering when I get there.

How far and fast is your ride.
Generally, you can ride fast and sweaty then cool down and clean up, or you can ride slow and breeze off the bike into work.
If you need to cool down, it is much more efficient to do so on the bike. Roll along, generating your own breeze for the last 1/4 mile. Splash some water over yourself if it is very hot.
In winter, you shouldn't need to clean up as much.
Use a sponge or flannel and a microfleece towel.

Great point!

This works for me - touring or commuting. Pretty standard for me to hit the facilities at McDonalds or Tim Hortons and wash my head in a sink and freshen up before ordering when on tour. Just be respectful of other people and leave the place cleaner than you found it.

Clean cycling gear and a shower before leaving. Cool down for ten, then clean washcloth and water. Apply deodorant; fix hair (if applicable). Thrown on street clothes. Done.

Excellent tips here. Cooling down on the bike is recommended because it is more effective than just standing around waiting. The last 5-10 minutes of my commute are for cooling down, my speed hovers in the 10mph area, and I open up the jacket (if it isn't raining) to let cool air in. I keep a package or two of clean smelling body wipes on site for the face, armpits, etc. Very effective! :)

Shower at home, clean bike clothes. Cool down on bike depends on temperature, doesn't work over 70F for me. That's what email is for, clean out your inbox. I like baby wipes -- don't have to stand out in the middle of the restroom, handicap stall works well. Dress up and you're ready to face the day!

See post #8.

5 1/2 . Take a dry washcloth and a full water bottle to a stall with you and wash and dry that swamp butt!

5¾: Switch to AeroTech Design's Pro Bike Short, and eliminate swamp butt. ;)

What would be your pick - red or purple?

Srsly: at 95 to full 100F at 100% humidity no short is a match for swamp butt.

My method is virtually the same as the above, except I use a wet washcloth to wipe down my entire body, then I thoroughly remoisten the washcloth with more water and RUBBING ALCOHOL (I like the green wintergreen enhanced) and wipe down my whole body again. The alcohol eliminates any odor causing bacteria and leaves a cooling sensation on my skin. Its very refreshing.

This helps quite a lot. Sweat doesn't make you stink. Sweat feeds the organisms living on your body and that makes you stink. (Well, o.k., I'm not a biologist, but you get the idea).

Hmm, interesting tip. I hadn't thought of that, but I'll give it a try!

head: small bottle of diluted clarifying shampoo. pour some into a big plastic cup. do not apply directly to head. pour diluted solution over head and rinse using the same cup. towel dry.

strip naked. use a wash cloth and bar soap but not too much soap. hit the important areas like face, under arms and balls, maybe your chest too. rinse wash cloth and repeat. towel dry. the key here is that you showered at home before your ride so your body bacteria is very low and all you are doing is cleansing the new sweat. be sure to do this immediately upon arriving at destination.

dress in all fresh clothing head to toe. put used clothing in plastic bags and stow. for the ride home dress with a clean set of clothes. managing the laundry should be your biggest challenge.

Depending on the bathrooms at your work, it might not be feasible (or, well appreciated) to strip naked where there is a sink. A lot of people use baby wipes and they work well, too. (Again, showering at home first is key).

re: "Depending on the bathrooms at your work, it might not be feasible (or, well appreciated) to strip naked where there is a sink."

oh, yeah, right haha, privacy is beneficial. I always arrived well before anyone else but always had the benefit of a private bathroom at least. Later I would have the luxury of a shower. Wow, that was heaven!

Good points above. I had good success with birdbath cleanups after arriving at work red-faced sweat-slimed and all gritty with salt, road grit, and dead bug-splat.
First, cool down until you quit sweating. Drink water, seek shade, relax.
Do a cold water sink shampoo fully-attired (if your hair is sweaty). Clean the neck and face even if you decide not to shampoo. This is much easier if it's a handicap sink where you can fit your head under the faucet spout. Otherwise you may need a cup to pour water over your head.
Finish in a handicap restroom stall. Strip all clothes off for thorough cleanup.
I kept a small bucket at work, about a gallon. Filled it with clean water from the sink. I also kept two washrags and a big towel at work.
I would put a very small amount of liquid anti-bacterial hand soap (eg: dial) on one damp washrag. Use the soapy washrag to wipe every inch of skin that you didn't get at the sink.
Start at the top and work your way down. Some areas may need scrubbing.
Then use the bucket to dampen the 2nd washrag to wipe down as your "rinse". Wring out the rinse rag over the toilet every so often, then re-dampen the washrag with the clean water in the bucket. It may take a few passes to get all soap residue off.
Dry off with big towel. Apply toiletries. Dress. Completely clean the washrags. Clean up any drips and splashes including mirrors and floors.
I kept a second set of towels+washrags so each day I had a dry set of linens.
I also found that sham-wows can help hair get less damp so it will air dry faster. Use the sham-wow for a final toweling pass on your hair and toussle it a bit. My office was deserted and the damp hair wasn't noticeable anyhow.
This routine was actually faster than a shower since there's no temptation to dawdle; and it provided equivalent results. The restroom was 1 minute from my desk.

Good suggestions here, one thing I do that really helped (because my commute is so short I tend to start sweating about 10 min after I arrive at work) was keep a separate deodorant stick to use on my groin.

guess im lucky my job (for now) has a shower and even has a towel service (then pick up the dirty one and bring clean ones) free for all workers there. I just keep a few sets of everything in the locker and ask my roommate (who also works there but drives) to take/bring the dirty/clean cloths,etc. home for me once a week.

for post ride moisture absorption I used to use several sheets of paper towels as liners for my underarms and underwear and would discretely remove them before anyone else arrived. this was a handy trick even after we moved and I had access to a shower. I so dislike that clammy feeling and if I was still cooling down even after a shower the paper towels proved quite useful and kept me dry and comfortable. I first used paper towels after seeing them used in a movie on a news anchor getting makeup after putting on his shirt and tie and used this trick in my shirt collar running out the door still perspiring from a morning shower.