How to Do Laundry When Traveling

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Learn how to do laundry when traveling with these smart tips and techniques. Washing your clothes when traveling may not be something you want to do, but it can save space and keep your luggage free of dirty clothes.

These laundry travel hacks include items you can buy and savvy techniques for when you’ve arrived at your destination.

How to do your laundry when traveling (list of seven methods from the article).

Use a Travel Laundry Wash Bag

Travel wash bags are an all-in-one solution to doing laundry that you can pack directly into your suitcase. They’re a simple solution for doing laundry, which you can do from the comfort of your hotel room or apartment.

Take Advantage of Hotel Laundry Services

If the hotel you’re staying in offers a laundry service, find out more. The service usually includes washing, drying, hanging, ironing, and/or folding clothes. Some hotels offer dry cleaning services, as well.

It may not be worth the price, depending on where you’re staying. However, for a convenient solution, it’s worth finding out what they can offer you. Often, these services can have your laundry ready within twenty-four hours.

Find a Laundromat

It’s simple to use Google Maps to find the nearest laundromat in your area. You can wash your dirty laundry in a laundromat alone or with some help.

The facility typically offers self-service and drying machines. In some laundromats, you can pay for a drop-off laundry service where another person washes, dries, irons, and folds your clothes. All you have to do is pick it back up.

The do-it-yourself model of laundromat is cheaper, as often you’ll only need coins to pay for detergent and the machines. However, in cash economies and less developed countries, laundry services can be very inexpensive.

In Southeast Asia and South America, particularly, you can find affordable drop-off and pick-up laundry services with relative ease.

Hand Wash Your Clothes in the Sink or a Bathtub

Hand-washing your dirty laundry in the apartment hotel sink or bathtub could be worth the time. It’s a budget solution if the hotel laundry service is too expensive or if the laundromats are too far.

The first thing you should do is plug the drain in the sink. There are many items you can use to do this, but we’d recommend investing in a sink stopper.

Then, fill the sink or tub with warm water and soak your dirty or wet clothes for a few minutes. Drain them, rinse them, and do the same thing again.

Hand wash each piece of clothing with laundry soap or a few drops of laundry detergent. You can pack a travel-sized laundry detergent before you leave for your destination.

Finally, rinse each piece of clothing until the detergent is gone, and wring any excess water off. Hang them and let them dry. It’s really easy, and it won’t take too much of your time.

A portable travel clothesline is a great choice to travel with if you’re looking for a simple solution.

Book an Airbnb or Apartment with a Washing Machine

If your stay is long-term, an Airbnb or a local apartment service is often a much better and far more affordable option than a hotel.

As Airbnbs are usually furbished apartments, there’s a high chance they’ll come with washing and laundry equipment included. Check the listing before you book to make sure (you can add this to your search filter.) The same applies for an apartment.

Nearly always, these services will be included as part of the overall price, free of additional charge. Naturally, this is a great way to experience an area or city as a local would.

Pack Clothes that Require Less Washing

Pack fabrics that dry quickly and don’t need to be washed that often. This way, they will stay clean and fresh for longer, and you may not even need to do laundry. They include merino wool shirts, denim, travel underwear, and quick-drying and stain-resistant pants.

You could also consider clothes that are easier to wash, such as natural fibers like cotton, and aim to pack as many clothes made from these fibers as possible.

Use a Laundry Service App

This solution may take a little research, but there are plenty of apps to book laundry services, depending on which country you visit. Many of them will even collect your washing and return it.

Different apps, however, operate in different countries. A good tip is to search ‘best laundry app Indonesia,’ naturally replacing ‘Indonesia’ with the country you’re visiting, and see what you can find.

Often, apps will require a phone number for activation. So be sure to pick up a local SIM from the airport or a telecom shop if you’re serious about using them, or check if your service provider operates in the country you’re visiting.

Doing laundry when traveling doesn’t have to be stressful. There are plenty of hacks, services, and apps in every country to get your clothes clean, ironed, and folded in no time.

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