Mount Kilimanjaro Expedition 2012
Kilimanjaro Hygiene: How to keep clean
How to keep clean on Kilimanjaro was a huge headache for me before the trip. How do you keep clean with seven days of no bathing or washing hair?? Eeek!
Trust me, it gets better after a while...
Every morning and evening your are provided with about 1.5l of warm water to do the neccessary with. This basically means that there are no proper washing to be done at all! Luckily, everybody is in the same situation, so although you will definitely start smelling funny after a while, nobody will smell you, because they are smelling the same :)
My strategy with the 'no washing your hair' situation was to keep my hair tied up, and always hidden away underneath a hat or beanie. This way, I didn't have to see or touch my hair that much, and then it couldn't bother me.
As for washing, this was a little more tricky. Because the amount of water you are provided really isn't enough to do a proper job, I opted for a sponge-bath every evening before getting into warmer clothes for the night. Although this doesn't help all that much in the way of really getting clean, it does make you feel better. Start at the bottom (if you catch my meaning :), and work your way up. Using baby wetwipes to clean your face and other tough spots comes as a big help.
In the mornings, when the water is still clean, I first brushed my teeth by pouring some water in a cup, and doing the neccessary. I then used the rest of the water give my face a proper wash.
Being a girl, I decided to take some basic makeup with me: face cream, concealer, eye liner, eye shadow and mascara. I suppose the other people thought I was insane for doing a bit of makeup everyday, but hey! A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, and this little femine touches made me feel a bit more confident each day.
Oh and don't forget the suncream! Apply copious amounts throughout the day, or you will be burnt to a crisp. And remember that the glare coming up from the snow can also cause a nasty sunburn.
Body lotion, roll-on, and a touch of perfume also goes a long way to keep you feeling fresh.
When you do eventually get to the hotel at the end of your climb, that first proper shower will be absolute heaven! And after you are smelling all nice again, smell your clothes... You will be, well, surprised hehe :P
