So you think you are packed and ready to go for all occasions? Shorts…check! Polo-shirt…check! A couple pair of jeans…check! Stain stick and laundry detergent…check?
If you forgot the stain stick there’s still time. This post will help you be fully prepared for any spill or daily washing needs while on vacation.
The easy way out is to have the hotel wash it for you if the service is available. Be very aware of your time frame; not all nights are two night stays, and laundry services may be pretty expensive to boot. Hotel laundry service cannot be relied upon on single night or shorter stays to be finished before the bus departs. You may be leaving clothes behind with this option.
Let’s take it to the laundromat! As easy as that may sound, the laundromat will be taking up precious time for sightseeing the Eifel Tower, the Louvre, or a small coffee shop for some tasty European treats.
The 3rd and final option is your hotel room. With a little preparation washing your clothes in the hotel will be a piece of cake.
For the small spills or smudge a stain stick should do the job. Some laundry detergents even carry an ink pen-size “to go” version of their detergents that will fit right in your jacket pocket or purse.
For the larger wash it’s definitely worth springing for a travel clothesline; you'll get years of use out of it if you travel enough. You will also not want your detergent to take up to much space. Tide Travel Sink Packets or similar travel detergent liquid will do and not take up your valuable souvenir space.
Timing is everything when washing on the road. Your t-shirts, polo shirts, and undergarments should have plenty of time to dry overnight if done early enough. Jeans will take longer to dry and should be done as early as possible on an overnight stay. If you have time before dinner that would be a great time to get your washing completed. Also, jeans can be worn more than once and may not need to be washed on a shorter vacation.
The best way to dry your clothes before hanging them is to lay them flat on a towel, then roll up the towel and squeeze or sit on it. A plastic and/or pants hanger comes in handy at this point since the hangers in many hotels cannot be removed from the rods and may be limited.
A couple of plastic bags will come in handy. Something didn’t dry. No problem. Put them in a plastic bag until you reach your next destination and then unpack. This will keep them separated from the dry ones. A second bag will be used to separate those clothes you don’t plan on wearing again keeping the clean and dirty separate.
On a final note, one way to cut down on the number of washes is to pack darker clothes. Darker clothes will show less and tend to last longer before cleaning is needed. With that said, make sure those articles after a few days pass the smell test!
Happy Travels!