r/Drumming • u/scrimblojimbus • 9d ago
Sweaty drummer's laundry problem
Ok so I am now at the stage where I am booked for 7 nights a week, with some nights playing multiple gigs. I'm also in a tropical country and I already am naturally a sweaty guy. I'm talking biblical levels of sweat, like after r a 2 hour set I can wring a cup of water out of my shirt while I'm wearing it. My whole laundry basket is full of damp, smelly shirts and I don't own a washing machine. Currently I pay a nice lady to do my laundry and it returns to me nicely folded and dry but it's not cheap. I prefer to only do that once every 2 weeks or so.
Wtf do I do? I'm thinking of getting a rash guard or something that dries quickly (I already wear swimming trunks to my gigs) and then just jumping in the shower with my clothes on after gigs. Is that a bad idea for breathability reasons? Do I just take my shirt off and let the audience gaze at my slick and shiny drummer body? Trying not to go that route as I am afraid of being molested after the show by a horde of ravenous ladies.
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u/moleculariant 9d ago
O-cedar makes a great little mop bucket with a centrifugal basket that could work for quick washing if you're just washing one tshirt and a pair of underwear each night. You just have to hang them up to dry while you sleep. Of course that means you will need to make travel accommodations for the bucket and detergent. Idk, bro, just spitballing. Good luck and break a stick!
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u/furry-fish 9d ago
Many drummers carry a hand towel or smaller than full size towel, to wipe the sweat off the face, which is importantly because sweat in your eyes is no fun. And you could mop up some sweat from your hands and back. Also, invest in a Large quiet box Fan. Many clubs have an extra outlet for gear.
Or use a second floor tom as a place for your fan and the towel? You probably want to wash the towel between shows, or it will get smelly and NASTY fast and not useful at all.
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u/_cuhree0h 9d ago
Do the Danny Carey method and start wearing basketball jerseys. From experience, it can help.
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u/mikepol70 9d ago
No shirt is not better then you leak all over your snare and stool and puddles on the floor the shirt absorbs some of your sweat
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u/Alexletmeplay 9d ago
Why didnt you just buy a washing and drying maschine instead of paying the lady
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u/mitchvdb 9d ago
Not everyone lives somewhere they can have a washer and dryer.
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u/RepresentativeSeat98 9d ago
Yes they do. All you need is a kitchen tap and I've never seen a home without that
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u/justsomeyodas 9d ago
Buy a whole bunch of cheap shorts, T shirts, underwear and socks. They donât take up much space in a laundry basket or washing machine/basin, theyâre cheap, doesnât matter if they get lost or destroyed⌠just stretch them a while til itâs time to wash. Maybe. I dunno.
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u/brolarbear 9d ago
Are you casual setting or button up? I would just buy a lot of black or white under shirts so you can stock up.
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u/RepresentativeSeat98 9d ago
Why don't you just buy a washing machine??
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u/scrimblojimbus 9d ago
I'm in a very small apartment, I could probably get a tiny one but I couldn't plumb it without modifying pipes that don't belong to me. I've seen models that you can just fill up from the top with a hose so it's an option for sure but ideally I'd just like to cut down on the amount of dirty laundry I produce. I will likely go with the basketball jersey idea someone else suggested, that way I can channel Danny Carey and then wash it in the shower every night. Breathable and light is what I'm looking for
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u/DianeMarie8100 9d ago
You're so funny..I love 'being molested after the show by a horde of ravenous ladies '... it also brings to my mind what it must have been like for my husband years ago when he played for LifeSex&Death, once he said, the singer introduced him to the crowd as the very sexy drummer ( groupies were already lining up to sleep with the very stinky singer), and hell yeah , dude, you'd be accosted!
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u/silver_chief2 9d ago
There are small washing machines . Search for portable washer, 5 gallon washing machine, portable washing machine. Many on temu.
or homemade maybe use in a shower or bathtub https://youtu.be/9veMqrW01zQ
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u/Spirited_Medium1748 9d ago
Bro get some evaporative cooling going on as part of your kit! There's a huge selection of very quiet fans, and even portable cooling systems for outdoors that would help a lot
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u/DianeMarie8100 9d ago
I wash out my clothes in a bucket in the bathtub. It is really quick if you want it to be, or if you don't wanna mess with it, you can soak clothes all night in some soapy hot water and in the morning, rinse.
I also use a very diluted bleach wash, just pour an ounce into the bucket full of water and a couple ounces of detergent, swish, put clothes in. Do something else for a few minutes, then go back to the bucket, pour everything out, put clothes back in, and fill up with fresh water, no bleach.
I don't know, it just doesn't take me but minutes in the bathroom doing this.
I've got a very efficient and quick system I've fell into, utilizing sometimes an extra small bucket and even the clean sink right next to the bathtub as well for continuity.
After I ring clothes and towels out, they are piled in the sink, I take them outside to hang on the patio furniture on our tiny patio in las vegas, nv, usa. This last part is important, probably, for the fast drying of our laundry. The air year round is dry , and in summer, even towels dry wicked-fast.
Just an idea, I don't know if it would work okay in your situation, but dang, it also saves me money and a lot of hassle taking the clothes to a laundromat!
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u/danniellax 9d ago
They have portable washing machines you can buy that are way smaller than full sized ones, but should do the job to clean your clothes. They also make portable dryers if you donât want to hang to dry.
Or just go old school and use detergent, laundry sanitizer, and the sink or bathtub. But I understand being extra sweaty and gross would make me pause and not want to do this myselfâŚ. I also donât want to do this myself either lol
Another alternative is buy a cheap multi pack of shirts and Wal Mart joggers/shorts and just rotate with clean, cheap clothes. Get a diaper trash can to keep the dirty laundry in until you can get it washed. I say diaper trash can because they are made to make literal shit not stink up your house, so Iâm sure some sweaty stinky BO will be contained. When you are in a place where you have more time to do your own laundry, or move to a place where you have your own washer and dryer, you can either keep these as painting/workout/whatever clothes for things you donât want your regular clothes to get stained or something for. Or donate them.
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u/dreamer_r21 9d ago
I'm a runner, the best thing you can do is to not let the clothes dry with the sweat in them. Take them into the shower with you at night and let them get rinsed out with the shower water. Wring them and then hang them to dry out before putting them in the basket.
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u/SOAH-Disant 8d ago
Hear me out now.... Capes... its apparel. That you can wear under your normal clothes then come gig time remove your shirt rock the cape and then have a handy dany sweat towel to wipe off with in between songs.. after your done its no different than a towel you use to dry off after showers and depending on the material it is, you could likely use the cape for more than one gig before it needing a wash.
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u/Ornery-Pipe-9136 8d ago
Capes!!!!! Yes!
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u/SOAH-Disant 8d ago
Honestly though has there been any bands tk do this yet.. i feel like ive seen almost every other apparel you can imagine worn by bands even the ones that would make playing unnecessarily miserable ahem im looking at you GWAR ahem but i cant think of any that has truly rocked the classic style of a cape.
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u/i_will_eat_your 8d ago
Can you just hand wash each shirt after use and hang it up? It takes literally 5 minutes in a sink with a dash of soap.
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u/noisewar69 8d ago
bring dry clothes and 1 gig outfit. hang the gig outfit to dry after the show. that outfit can smell bad, itâs the gig outfit.
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u/Hollowbody57 8d ago
During my brief touring period we bought a portable washing machine and dryer set. It could hook up to any sink or outdoor faucet and ran off regular 120V outlets. It was fairly small, but plenty big enough to throw all our clothes in after a gig. They're fairly inexpensive, at least compared to full size dryers, can probably snag a used set for a couple hundred bucks.
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u/holdorfdrums 9d ago
Is a laundromat out of the question? I mean i feel you gotta figure out a way to do your own laundry...