How would I keep clean in the wild without resorting to modern conveniences (shampoo, toothpaste, etc.)?

I watched an episode of Man vs. Wild today, and wondered how someone would stay clean if they stayed out there indefinitely. Just curious.How would I keep clean in the wild without resorting to modern conveniences (shampoo, toothpaste, etc.)?
Indefinitely, I believe is the question, isn't it? Hard woods like maple, ash and alder, posses high levels of lie.Build a fire out of these and what will be left is a fine white ash..Take this and mix water with it. like soup.then strain off the liquid and mix with tallow, now you've got lie soap when it cools. It works and you'll have to find something to mix with it for a better smell, whatever flowers that might take your fancy, stinky ones work.....Wash with that ! That white ash can also be used like baking powder teaspoon for teaspoon in baking goods ! How would I keep clean in the wild without resorting to modern conveniences (shampoo, toothpaste, etc.)?
I agree with the Dr. Bonner's liquid soap answer, especially the peppermint soap. Diluted you can use it to brush your teeth, as well as wash yourself, clothes, or any utensils, and it is biodegradable.





While it's unlikely people will be primping the way they might do at home, for Native Americans, a certain level of cleanliness was still expected when camping. Don't make it easy for the bears, etc, to smell you, LOL.
We used baby wipes in the field when I was in the Marines. Outside of that, find a creek, river, or other convenient water source. Get in it, and scrub with sand (not mud or loose dirt). Sand will cut the grime off of you. Rinse in the river, (or whatever water you found). If you aren't mobile and this body of water is near a stationary camp, be sure to go at least 100 yards downstream from your camp site. The farther the better. Never urinate or defecate in this water or on the ground within (100 yards for urine, 300 yards for fecal matter) of your camp. Bury all solid waste. If you are stationary, and use your camp area for a toilet, you WILL regret it. Wash clothes in the same body of water that you bathe in, but farther downstream still. This way the water closest to you will be cleaner for drinking and cooking. If all you have is a small pond or other non-flowing water, do not bathe or wash anything in it, instead use a container to remove water and clean your body, dishes, and clothes seperately and well away from your camp.





Hope that helps. This is an effective set of tips, and more hygenic that alot of what you may hear. (so you don't get dysentary or some other nasty junk). And of course, boil or otherwise purify any water used to cook or drink with iodine tablets or a purifier.
Nobody is out there to see or smell you, what the point of being clean? Every once in a while, its nice to take a dip in a stream or lake to freshen up, but most of the time its not a concern. On long trips I bring a toothbrush to avoid dental problems, I only use water, sometimes I boil spruce needles for flavor.





If you do want to bring soap, I recommend Dr Bronner's. You can wash your hair, body, face, teeth, hands, dishes, clothes etc... with the same soap, no harmful ingredients.
One more tip: bring along dental floss. I keep a box of floss in my office, and after a meal or coffee, I would floss my teeth and rinse. It is more effective than brushing because the floss goes into inaccessible crevices.





As long as your mouth, armpits and the area between your legs are clean, you won't feel yucky even if the rest of your body is grimy.
A true survivalist would know that certain plants can be used for soaps. Here is a link about that


http://www.pfaf.org/leaflets/soap.php





Washing with ashes;





http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/c鈥?/a>





One way to get clean is with a sweat lodge.


http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Sweat-Bath鈥?/a>





All you need is a fire pit and a tarp, tepee or grass shelter. You let the fire die down to coals and build the grass hut shelter over it. Then get inside and pour water on the rocks you left in the fire. This steam will make you sweat, the more sweat the better, then you run out of the sweat lodge and jump into a river or lake. It鈥檚 very refreshing and gets you clean. Another way is to coat your body with mud. Let it dry on your skin, then jump in a body of water. This works quite well also.





You can also wash up with snow, near a large fire.



Of you go into a lake you can wash yourself by using a shirt and just rub as hard as you can. Also if you find a flat rock and put it into your shirt wrap it up and go lightly that would work too. hair just use your fingers to get everything out.