Shower block users- tips needed please

[freshstart24]

I'm camping for two weeks this summer in France. We've camped several
times and have used the campsite that we are going to once before so I know that the toilet and shower blocks are pretty good.

They are cleaned regularly and so are generally ok.

Part of me quite likes the ritual of plodding off for my shower at the end of the day. Another part of me dislikes it when there are no free cubicles, feels a bit yucky about the floors even when they are clean, hates the push button shower, struggles to work out where to put things etc etc..

I see many chic looking French ladies coming back from the shower looking gleaming and glamorous.

I've got shoulder length, thick hair so I do need a good daily hair wash which is hard to rinse in a push button shower and afterwards I'm left with a dripping haystack!

I'd love some tips on what to take to make this part of camping easier and how to manage the shower block.

My main tip for shower block use is a shower dress! Any loose easily removable dress will do that you can put on before you leave your tent. It means not having to remove layers of clothing, and, even worse, trying to put stuff back on when not quite dry. Also means you don't have to carry an armful of clean clothing with you if you want to change. Just wear the shower dress and put clean knickers in your plastic bag, then get dressed when you get back to your tent. Did I say get a sturdy plastic bag? this is fab to shove things in if the shower area is small and you need to protect anything from damp. These two things along with either crocs or flip flops that you can keep on in the shower if the floor is unappealing, revolutionised my showing when camping.

Have a great time

Crocs - so there’s no crunching on bitty floors or stepping on dirty floors.

I take floaty items to put on afterwards.

I always shower after my evening meal when it’s quieter and then slob in my PJs drinking wine and relaxing for the remainder of the evening. I boil the kettle on the morning and use a washing up bowl to wash my face etc. in the morning!

Works for me!

The sturdy plastic bag is important. As are a couple of S hooks (or butchers hooks) to hang over the top of the shower cubicle door as there are never enough hooks or good hooks. You put your stuff in the plastic bag to stop it getting splashed.

Flip flops or crocs.

Flannel - wipe off most of the wet with a flannel. You can get your body almost dry with a flannel, and then your towel does not get as wet, so easier, quicker to dry. Less chance of getting musty.

I concur with the above plus add

*take a really lovely shower gel or soap and body lotion. It adds a bit of glamour to it all.

*rather than getting dressed in a wet shower room- move to a dry cubicle if possible (like those ones with just a basin in). Way, way easier then to get dressed, plus frees up the showers a lot more. I also do this in UK campsites. They will often have mirrors plus a shelf to do make-up, hair styling etc.

Great tips thank you. Will look out for a microfibre turban hair towel as my usual hair towel never dries properly between showers. Also s hooks, nice toiletries and a suitable dress to put on afterward- or even a dressing gown?

Would a dressing gown be ok do you think?

You need a shower friend, I used to sell them but haven't for a while, you can get one HERE

You might find one cheaper I just copied first link :)

Instead of drying off with a flannel, I use an old terry nappy square or a small hand towel. My hair goes up in a microfibre turban first, then I dry off with the small towel, then my hammam towel. Then I swap hammam with turban to get my long hair dry.
I have a towelling dryrobe which means no flashing on the way back to the tent and no getting dressed in the shower either.
My camping wash bag is a drawstring bag as its so easy to hang up

Ive stayed on many campsites in France and agree with a lot of the above, especially in high season they have cleaning staff constantly in some places so showers are usually clean. Campsites showers in Spain i find a lot nicer, no push buttons, often lots of hooks and one site i stayed in Spain had cleaning staff in toilet from around 7am to midnight and they would clean your shower as soon as you left, seemed a great contrast to the french site we had been previously.

When its boiling hot i find it best to shower right before bed and straight into pjs but often we go in the pool right before it closes then head to shower in swimwear so it can be rinsed in shower and either head back in towel or loose dress

We use decathlon medium towels which are like a hand towel and quick drying
My dc use to take a plastic shower caddy thing which hung onto shower pipe or a hook and held all toiletries as we found self space limiting
Ive seen people take shower mats with them to use but i prefer keeping my flipflops on
Decathlon sell hair turbans which are quick drying too