At another site, the residents constructed a public shower with a garden hose, some scrap lumber and a tarp. Bathing is a definite pleasure when you live in a humid climate such as south Florida. Many homeless people were taking more than one bath a day because they did not like feeling sticky feeling from the humidity. In addition to daily baths, encampment residents also shave, give each other haircuts, and wash laundry. Laundry is usually hand washed and line dried.
Clotheslines adorn almost every house, every day of the week.
In general many homeless people are concerned with their appearance and will take care of their personal hygiene when resources are available. On the positive side, some urban campers work hard at cleaning up their space and taking their trash to a dumpster. Some even clean up the public messes left by ordinary citizens. Homeless people also clean our environment by collecting aluminum cans and cigarette butts. Aluminum cans can be sold for cash and cigarette butts may contain tobacco for rolling more cigarettes.