How We Do Laundry When We Travel
Travel is exciting, but for us it often comes with the challenge of keeping our clothes clean on longer trips, because we travel carry-on only. Here’s how to do laundry while traveling.
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Pack to minimize laundry
Now, stick with me here, because I don’t want to do laundry when I travel, but I also don’t want to pay ridiculous checked luggage fees. So I compromise with myself, and I do a little laundry when I travel, when I need to, so the airline doesn’t get more money from me. I want to spend the ~$80 that would have gone to those fees on souvenirs and cool food at my destination.
But I can minimize the need for full loads of washing machine laundry if I think through my packing list carefully, choose what I pack carefully, and so on. I don’t mind spending a few minutes after dinner every few days washing a few pairs of socks and underwear in the sink.
Ready to try packing carry-on only for yourself? Get my complete playbook here.
Okay, let’s keep going…
Picking the right fabrics for travel
Choosing the right fabrics in the garments you pack can make or break your travel wardrobe if your focus is on laundry…or not doing laundry. You want clothes that are comfortable, versatile, and easy to care for on the go.
Performance fabrics are your best friends when traveling. Look for materials that are odor-resistant, breathable, moisture-wicking, and quick-drying. These will keep you feeling fresh and clean, even if you can’t do laundry right away.
Some top fabric choices for travel include (in my personal experience): Merino wool (and blends), alpaca, and synthetic blends designed for outdoor performance clothing. You may have other options you’ve tried that work well for you.
These fabrics resist wrinkles and odors, making them perfect for multiple wears between washes. They’re also easy to hand-wash in a sink if needed.
I avoid cotton socks like the plague when traveling because when they air dry, they get crunchy like cardboard. Ugh.
I tend to pack a lot of neutral pants and colors that I can mix and match easily, creating more outfit options with fewer items. Dark colors are especially practical as they hide stains better.
My goal is to pack light while still having appropriate outfits for my destination.
Your laundry kit
You don’t necessarily have to take a laundry kit with you, but you might. Here are some great options.
- Start with some lightweight laundry detergent sheets; they’re compact and won’t spill in your bag. Or buy a small bottle of detergent when you reach your destination. Both work for handwashing also.
- Pack a stain remover stick for those inevitable mishaps.
- I always pack a variety of sizes of plastic bags. Old plastic shopping bags are great for keeping dirty clothing or shoes separate from the clean things in your suitcase as you travel, or for transporting hand-washed things that didn’t get quite dry. Just don’t forget them in there!
- (optional) A few clothespins and a portable clothesline to hang your freshly washed items. (Clothespins are great for other applications too, like keeping hotel curtains closed.)
- (optional) Mesh laundry bag to protect small or delicate items if you do a full load in a washing machine.
Laundry on the road
When planning a trip where we know it is likely we will need to do laundry, we will specifically look for accommodations with free laundry facilities if they are available to make it easy on us. We found this remarkably easy while traveling through New Zealand.
Choosing a vacation rental with access to free laundry facilities over booking a hotel can also be a great option if you know you’re going to need to wash your clothing while traveling.
Our least favorite option is to use the hotel coin laundry, but we will do that when we need to.
My favorite way to handle a small amount of needed washing, especially if it’s just a little bit of socks and underwear? Hand wash in the sink.
NOTE: Remember to check those fabric care labels before washing
Tackling stains immediately
We always bring a stain remover stick or wipes with us when we travel to prevent stains from setting in and ruining our clothes.
If we’re actually in our room when the mishap occurs, we’ll rinse the garment with cold water first.
If you know the clothing is color-fast, sometimes even a little dab of hand soap and a little gentle agitation with a fingernail can help get an area clean if you can’t launder the garment right away. I avoid doing that, though, with spills that can really stain, like tomato or mustard. That’s not necessarily based on anything scientific; it’s just me.
Sink washing tips
Sink washing in your hotel room is a quick and easy way to make sure you don’t have to pack an enormous amount of socks and underwear for long trips.
Some of these may be obvious to you, but they won’t be to everyone. Please bear with me.
- Start by filling the sink with cool to lukewarm water, then add a small amount of travel-sized detergent or use a detergent sheet. Make sure not to use too much detergent.
- Submerge your garments and gently agitate them for a few minutes. It’s okay to let them soak for a few minutes, too.
- Rinse thoroughly with clean water and squeeze (don’t wring) out excess moisture.
- Roll them in a towel to remove more moisture.
- Lay them out flat to dry on a dry towel or hang your clothes to dry using hangers, doorknobs, or a portable clothesline.
- Avoid draping wet clothing over hotel furniture (like the back of a chair) without at least using a towel underneath to protect the furniture from damage.
- If your garment is quite wet and in danger of dripping, such as a wet bathing suit, it’s best to hang it up to dry in the bathroom over a tile floor or in the shower/bathtub area.
The bottom line
Doing laundry while traveling doesn’t have to be a hassle. With a few simple tools and techniques, you can keep your clothes fresh and clean on the road so that you can pack lighter. With these tips in this post, you’ll master the art of doing laundry on the road.
