how to wash hair with minimal water and no soap

[squee]

Hope this is the right spot, feel free to move if not

anyway! I attempted to search but I got stuff that I did not find too helpful.

So, in less then a month I am going to a place with NO running water, NO electricity, No plumbing at all. She uses a sauna for a bath. I will be there for a yr+

I was wondering if there is a cheap, simple way to wash ones hair without large amounts water or any soap or any need to rinse my hair.

I was thinking there must be a herb wash (bowl of herbed up water and use a cup to "wash" my hair).
perhaps there is a way to wash my long hair in a sauna, I have no idea, never used one at all.

I don't plan on washing more then once a week. Its Northern WI, by the great lakes not sure what herbs naturally grow around there. I shall go find out!

I already thought about water only but thats a big sudden jump for my hair.

-brianna

Thank you!

[ratgirldjh]

Perhaps you could use soapnuts? I found that if I only washed once a week with 1 teaspoon in a liter of water - and you could pour this over dry hair - it is very easy to rinse out - that they worked good for me!

I am talking about aritha here (soapnut powder). but you might find some interesting herbs there that may be easier to use and local and free!!!

Keep us posted!!!
djh

[DTsgirl]

What does your host do?

[leoninnu]

We have lots of summer homes in my country, with no electricity or running water, where we go to sauna and wash with rain, lake or spring water (or melted snow at winter.) My usual way takes less than two small wash basins of water. The way I do it is that first I bend and dip the top of my head in the basin and wet my whole scalp by splashing the water up my head with my hands. Then I soap and lather and dip my head in the basin again, rinsing out most of the soap, again with the help of my hands. I then pour and wash my body with that soapy water. I take some clean water on the basin, not much, and pour that over my head to rinse out the rest of the soap that might have been left.

It might look and feel a bit ridiculous at first but at least I get myself very clean with less water that way :)

[Blondschopf]

Hiya.

Well I've been in some situations with only little water available and I think you should consider:

1) to take a lot of bandanas, headscarfs etc. with you. They prevent the hair from getting dusty, wet or tangled and especially when you're planning on working outdoors or hiking/camping, your hair doesn't get dirty that easily ;)

2) to take a good BBBrush with you. Helps with all that sebum too

3) to try soda + vinegar, as they might come out of the hair really easy (but no personal experience here!)

4) the post directly above mine sounds great, too. I guess this is what people have done for thousands of years without running water. One basin of "shampoo water", one with clean water, and you're quite fine. Sounds water saving and easy to me :)

Anyway, have loads of fun with whatever you're doing up there :)))

[slz]

Gram flour ! No problem if you don't rinse it as thoroughly as you'd like, you will comb it out later, possible residue won't damage your hair whatsoever.

[lunache]

I have no personal, empirical experience with this, but I've heard some types of talcum powder are useful for dry shampooing. I guess it soaks up the grease...but I'm left wondering if once you wet it, it would cause a bigger mess (especially if there's cornstarch in the talc, it'll just create a custard of sorts!) Might be worth looking into in case there's a method your hair can support.

[spidermom]

We used to live in the wilds of Montana and hauled our water from either the river or a community well. I washed my hair by bending over a basin, slowly pouring water through it, washing, then rinsing with the same water, followed by about a 1-quart clean water rinse, which could then be used for something else. We had to be very frugal about water because it was a lot of work to hail it.

[Chiara]

I have used a bucket (so maybe about 5 litres?), dipped my head in up to my ears and tilted back and forwards to get the scalp soaked, then shampoo'd over the bucket and then rinsed by dipping my hair in the same way back in the bucket. I didn't condition then. If I was doing the thing now, I'd just follow the wash with a bit of a leave-in conditioner on the length below the ears. If you use a metal bucket, then in summer you can leave the water out in the sun to get it nice and warm... In winter I just tipped a small amount of boiling water into the bucket to warm it up a little.

[hanne jensen]

slz, could you please explain about graham flour? Not to hijack this thread, but I'll be in the same situation in a few months.

[squee]

What does your host do?

she didn't tell me, but I do know she has super short hair now (around her chin or shorter)


We have lots of summer homes in my country, with no electricity or running water, where we go to sauna and wash with rain, lake or spring water (or melted snow at winter.) My usual way takes less than two small wash basins of water. The way I do it is that first I bend and dip the top of my head in the basin and wet my whole scalp by splashing the water up my head with my hands. Then I soap and lather and dip my head in the basin again, rinsing out most of the soap, again with the help of my hands. I then pour and wash my body with that soapy water. I take some clean water on the basin, not much, and pour that over my head to rinse out the rest of the soap that might have been left.

It might look and feel a bit ridiculous at first but at least I get myself very clean with less water that way :)

Think I will try that, thank you!

Thanks to the rest of you as well :)