I can describe how I wash my clothes while hiking.

I wash my socks daily at the end of my hiking day. For example, whatever socks I am hiking in on day 3 get washed when I stop hiking on day 3. I wash my feet and put on the spare socks I washed at the end of day 2, which are now dry. The sock-washing itself is just a thorough rinsing directly in a lake or stream, followed by wringing the socks as dry as I can by hand and laying them out on a rock or log in the sun (assuming the sun is shining) until bedtime.

On hot days, I will often soak my 100% polyester shirt in a lake or creek, wring it and put it on to enjoy the evaporative cooling this produces. It also gets a fair amount of sweat and dust out each time. This freshens my shirt somewhat.

For more complete laundry on the trail I have a very small quantity of biodegradable liquid soap. A few drop of soap are usually enough. I both wash and rinse the clothes I am laundering in my 2 qt. cook pot, then I dispose of the 'soapy' water well away from any water source. I normally do not "do the laundry" in this way more than once a week on an extended hike. It usually happens on a day I hike very little and stop early to reat and do chores such as laundry.

Please note: I try to wash my whole body at the end of any hiking day, unless the weather is so cold or wet this prevents it. I do this regardless of mosquitos. No soap involved, just water, using a washcloth. The washcloth, when wrung out, doubles as a towel. This helps me to feel clean, despite my clothes getting fairly raunchy.

Hey, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask!!!

No washing here; I just rinse out my socks as Aimless does. I prefer, however, to take a 2-gallon plastic bag and do the rinsing well away from water sources. If my undies need washing, I do the same and generally wear them dry--I use synthetic undies which dry within an hour with my body heat (Ex-Officio, although there are other equally good brands--just make sure they are well-ventilated).

I never take soap--so-called "biodegradable" soap still contains chemicals that kill aquatic life. I use hand sanitizer on my hands after toilet functions and before handling food. BTW, aquatic biologists tell me that sunscreen and bug repellent taken into the water on swimmers' skins are a significant factor in the decline of amphibians. If you plan to swim, please consider wiping off that stuff with a wet cloth first! I rarely use either because I'm allergic to most sunscreens (I cover up instead) and generally use a head net instead of bug repellent.

I do wipe strategic body areas once a day with a damp cloth or a wet wipe, normally in the tent (no mosquitoes and more privacy there) when changing to my base layer (aka long underwear) at bedtime. I have been known to omit this step on extra cold nights!

I really don't worry about how I smell on the trail--everyone else smells as bad or worse after a day or two, so I might as well fit in! My clean (well, cleaner) clothes and deodorant stay in the car at the trailhead to wear on the trip home; I use a wet wipe or two when changing. That way I can stand myself inside the car and won't completely overwhelm people in whatever store or restaurant I visit on the way home.

Most thru-hikers visit a laundromat in town when resupplying. They usually wear their rain gear while washing and drying their clothes. I've found that it often take two full wash/rinse cycles to remove trail dust! Those who send boxes ahead instead of shopping locally may include clean clothes, especially replacement socks, in their resupply boxes. I'm not a thru-hiker but have done several back-to-back 6-7 day trips with a stop in the nearest town for shower and laundry in between.

If you feel compelled to use soap, please dispose of both wash and rinse water at least 200 feet from any water source, including seasonal sources.

Aimless and Oregon Mouse pretty well described my laundry and bathing routine. Thanks!