Scrubba - wash clothes free while traveling

  

  

                  


 This funky lookin' bag up there, yes, the one next to a weiner-dog's bum, is a bag called Scrubba. What does Scrubba and a dog's bum do, you ask? Well, let's leave the a** out of it. Scrubba is actually a bag made to conveniently and quickly wash clothing while on the road or.... or maybe your washing machine just broke?

Pictured above is the front of Scrubba. You can see all its lovely features here. It has a little clear window down the side, where you can see these little rubbery spikes if you look closely. Those spikes are located on the inside of the bag, to help scrub clothing clean. Then you see a valve on the other side -- just like one on those beach balls. And then you have the black snaps at the top. I'll explain exactly how to use Scrubba below.

How To Use Scrubba
Fill the bag with the clothing items you want to clean (I've cleaned a few t-shirts all at once. You can add as much as it'll comfortably hold, but I wouldn't pack it more than half-full since that wouldn't really clean your clothes and could be messy.)

Add water and your cleaning liquid. 

And this is where I was stuck. I'd seen the Scrubba on the Scrubba website, but forgot all about needing to roll the top down a few times, so I was having a very awkward experience trying to wash with it like this.  You'll need to roll the top down 4-5 or more times and then snap the snaps to hold shut.

Open that little valve and squeeze air out. Then you're ready to begin washing. The bag will be laid flat, just like it is in my photos, only it'll actually contain water, clothing and soap. I tried photographing the entire process, but it was extremely messy (water + brand new $500 (but got it on sale for $200something, yay!) Canon camera makes for a very hysterical female. I couldn't seem to get photos that showed the process. I just kept ending up with a bunch of pictures of the chubby Scubba bag filled with clothes, water and soap. So here we are. 

Oh yea, lay the bag flat. And remember those nubs/spikes we talked about? Well this is where they come in. You'll press down on the bag and rub. Back and forth. up and down. In and out. Okay, no! Not in and out. If you've ever hand-washed clothing, it's similar to that only through a bag. 

Those spiky nubs I talked about is the "flexible washboard." Continue scrubba rubbin' for at least 3 minutes. Or for a really quick wash -- 30 seconds. I'd probably scrub vigorously if we're washing socks in there. For delicates -- press and gently rub. Keep those panties in good shape!

Now, you're basically done, besides rinsing but you do have a whole Scrubba bag full of dirty water and soap. To fix this, and get your clothes back, carefully un-snap those buckles you snapped after rolling down the top of the bag. Empty dirty water. Re-fill with clean. Rinse clothing. Or you can do what I did and rinse them in a tub or sink, if you're near one. 

Now, as far as drying goes, you're on your on with that one unless you also buy the Scrubba Traveller's Kit. 

The Scrubba bag is really handy for times when you're out of the house, biking, or your machine tears up. I suppose it'd be handy then. It's even handy for using it to handwash the delicate items you can't put in the washer like stockings for example. I've washed several pairs of fishnets and other lingerie with Scrubba because I felt like it done a better job of cleaning than hand-washing. My hands don't have an inner flexible washboard, dang it!


What would I rate Scrubba's handiness/effectiveness? It's definitely handy enough that even someone who's not always traveling would find it useful. It's easy to use -- as long as you remember to roll down the top! So far, I'm using it enough that it's worth it for me. It's even great for quick-washing baby clothes. I just throw em' in the dryer when I'm done. Beats havin' to mash a bunch of buttons on the washing machine, right? Kidding, but you know? Busy life, little children. Things like this come in handy! 

Scrubba is also very durable. It does wash well. At first I did wonder how well our clothes were going to be washed when they were done, but I wasn't disappointed. A little scrubbin' does the trick and it does clean better than using just your hands. I also like that when not in use, it will fold up very small and fit almost anywhere -- a drawer, purse, suitcase, car, etc. At the moment, I left mine hanging on the shower rail. It was still wet, so I just snapped the two clips around the shower curtain rod and bam. Handy. As. Hell.