Women Travelers - Washing Clothes

I'm one of the carry-on only people. I have a rubber travel clothesline and a sink stopper I bring with me, neither of which takes up any room at all. I usually bring one Woolite packet for each day of my trip. I'm very good about soaking whatever I wore that day in some Woolite at the end of the day and then hanging it to dry overnight so I never run out of clean clothes. I also use the hotel drycleaning when needed. However, some hotels have washing machines, which is really nice... I usually try to find this out in advance if its a long trip. Detergent, though, can be iffy.... you never know what will be available... it could be very harsh or it could be nice and they're charging some unreasonable amount for it. I found these Purex detergent/dryer sheets in Walgreens before my last trip, though, and picked them up, thinking they could be good.. they're solid, not liquid, and not even messy powder or anything! They fit nicely without folding into a quart size ziplock bag, too. We brought them along for a trip to Europe after doing a test run on a load at home and they work beautifully. These are great for travel if you plan to wash clothes in a washing machine while you're away.

http://www.purex.com/purex-3-in-1

Just thought I'd share. :)

P.S. I also like to carry a 3 ounce bottle of Febreeze along. If I'm sink washing, its nice to have a backup if you don't think things are washing out freshly enough for you. Just sink wash and sniff... if you're not pleased, spray with Febreeze, let dry, sink wash again... and perfect.

Thanks! Was looking for something like this as contemplating throwing some white powdered detergent in a bottle/baggie looks funny to me. Never mind the TSA. Could you cut the sheets into smaller pieces and use it for hand washing?

I'm going to saturate some small paper towels in febreeze to make my own "wet wipes". So far TSA hasn't commented on my wet naps as a dry item.

i have no compunction about carrying powdered detergent on longer trips. Its never been an issue. And I always have at least a couple dryer sheets in my suitcase too.

I also carry a TSA friendly sized bottle with febreeze in it.

I really like those Purex sheets. I use them at home for almost everything and am happy not to have to carry any more heavy bottles or boxes home just to do laundry.

Less plastic to throw away as well.

I'm guessing the Purex doesn't work so well for sink washing? I tried (and liked) them a little while ago but feel like the heat and agitation of the washer was what would get the soap out of the cloth thing, so it might not do anything if you put it in the sink. If it does work, that could be a perfect option!

I've also seen laundry soap sheets around somewhere, although I've never tried them. Might get some and try for sink washing.

I guess my standards are low, since I tend to just use hotel shampoo on my ex officio underwear and that seems ok to me.

I like the Purex sheets too, though I am skeptical of them for hand washing. I do suggest cutting them in half, as they actually contain too much detergent for most washing machine loads.

What I use for hand washing is Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap - the hippie stuff from health food stores. I dilute it to use as shampoo also. I'm not, however, brave enough to use it as toothpaste, despite the label suggestion. It's very effective and has the bonus of providing extra reading material if I get bored.

I'll have to try the Purex sheets when I stay at a hotel with washing machines. For my fine washables, however, I'll continue to use Forever New. It was recommended by Nordstrom's lingerie department for clothes with lycra in them. I get Forever New in 1/3 oz (10 g) packets from Going In Style (goinginstyle.com). The small, one load packets overcome the messiness factor of powder.

BTW, Going In Style still has some Travelpro Platinum 5. They're on closeout.

I, too, love reading the Dr. Bronner's labels. I washed my hair with it once, and it left a residue that weighed my hair down and made it limp. Ever since then, I haven't used it on my hair or as a body wash. But I like the labels.

BTW, Going In Style still has some Travelpro Platinum 5. They're on closeout.



Ohhh.... The dilemma you bring up. There's a Going In Style shop not too far away. And they have the 19" as well as 22"! Is the 22" really just 22 inches or does it not count the wheels.

I went to Going In Style yesterday to get more Forever New packets. There is no more Travelpro Platinum 5 at the store. The owner, Marilyn, doubted they had any left in the warehouse. She said they would have to drop ship Travelpro Platinum 5 from the maker. It sounds like they are no longer a source for Platinum 5. :( I suggested she update the website to reflect that. I also suggested she read flyertalk for ideas on stuff to carry. :)

Thanks for asking and letting me know! Saves me a trip and some cash on travel gadgets. Such a fun store already...

There's a $1 off coupon for purex sheets on their website, if you can get it to print. I couldn't but bought the sheets anyhow.

The Purex sheets are very handy. I have not tried them for handwashing. I have little packets of woolite I take or in a pinch, I will use the hotel shampoo.

I bring a large ziplock bag for washing - with a small ziplock full of powdered detergent. Put a small amount of washing powder in large bag, half-fill with warm water and squeeze to dissolve. Add clothes, squeeze out air and zip closed and squeeze and shake to wash. Pour off soapy water, fill with clean, and agitate to rinse. Repeat until no suds remain.

Blow-up hangers are spectacular at ensuring tops dry in minimum time. I will also throw in a light folding clip-type skirt/slacks hanger if I am going to be away for more than a week - for drying bottoms. I do that day's washing as I prepare for bed most nights.

I pack low-sudsing laundry powder in a ziplock bag and wash things out nightly. I use only a little powder but I always rinse very well. For a pre-wash on stubborn stains I bring a tube of liquid detergent, but hotel shampoo works, too. A flat sink stopper is handy but I don't always bring the braided rubber clothesline, since washing on a nightly basis means there's not much to hang up. Rolling wet laundry in an extra towel speeds drying significantly. If necessary the hairdryer finishes the garment in the morning.

I just bought a travel steamer, since I love to wear linen, but I won't know if there's room in my rolly until I pack on Wednesday. Time to get new inflatable hangers, since the old ones seem to have disappeared. If you smooth the garment well when you hang it there will be remarkably few wrinkles. The shoulders of a linen blouse dried on an inflatable hanger look like they've been ironed.

I like OzBarb's ziplock washing machine!

Forever New the cold water dry soap has my vote! I prefer to fill a plastic pill bottle with it. I can use the cap for measuring out the soap and the bottle sits dry on the counter. --

My favourites are Génie Sans Frotter Gel Express à la Main (liquid hand wash which has a mild scent and rinses well) and for spots/stains/heavier hand wash Basin's Dr Spot bar.

Unfortunately I am currently out of supply of both and having to make do with other products until I can stock up again. I cannot find a similar Colgate/Palmolive product in countries other than France/Germany/Switzerland strangely enough. If anyone knows of one, please do share.

That's a good idea, keeping Forever New powder in a pill bottle to keep it dry. The packets could possibly get wet through to the powder if left on a wet surface. I haven't had to share a sink with someone who splashes the counter and makes that an issue, but I'll keep it in mind if I ever do. I also like the idea of using the cap to measure out powder.

I just bought another set of inflatable hangers from Going In Style. Each hanger has a built in hanging bar with tiny hooks dangling from the very bottom edge. A picture is here:
http://www.amazon.com/Travelon-Set-2-Inflatable-Hangers/dp/B001CZL11E/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
You can hang pants or a scarf or whatever from the bar, which is of a piece with the triangular part designed to dry tops. These inflatables don't appear on goinginstyle.com, though. Only the standard triangular ones do.

I have both styles. The curved plastic hook on the hangers I just bought, the part that goes over the clothes rod, has a larger diameter curve, a longer neck, and is thicker. This hanger will go over larger clothes rods and hang a little lower from the rod. The inflatable plastic seems thicker, too. It's sturdier but also bigger to pack.

I'm probably the only person on this forum who doesn't wash clothes at the hotel. I guess since I check luggage vs carry-on, I just bring enough. But some good ideas on this thread, so thanks!

Cheers.

Guess I am in the Lettezilla group since I tend to wash my clothes in the shower while I am washing me - using the hotel shampoo for both my hair and the clothes (plus stomping around on the clothes seems to work better for me than swooshing them around in the sink - :D). But with all the good ideas posted here, I may have to get with the program and try some of these products, like the Forever New. Thanks for the tips.

Guess I am in the Lettezilla group since I tend to wash my clothes in the shower while I am washing me - using the hotel shampoo for both my hair and the clothes (plus stomping around on the clothes seems to work better for me than swooshing them around in the sink - :D). But with all the good ideas posted here, I may have to get with the program and try some of these products, like the Forever New. Thanks for the tips.

LOL...in my family, we call this the grape stomping method! Get in the shower, do a quick rinse of your body, throw in the bathtub stopper, add the bottle of hotel shampoo + your clothes, stomp on them while you shower, rinse & hand to dry.

i have no compunction about carrying powdered detergent on longer trips. Its never been an issue. And I always have at least a couple dryer sheets in my suitcase too.

I also carry a TSA friendly sized bottle with febreeze in it.
I always put a couple of dryer sheets in the mesh part of my suitcases. It keeps the things inside smelling fresh (even when there's dirty clothes and my suitcase never gets that "I haven't been opened in ages" smell if it is not in use for awhile.

Also if you are stuck and need to wear something that you couldn't wash properly you can rub the dryer sheet over it and freshen things up a bit before wearing.

LOL...in my family, we call this the grape stomping method! Get in the shower, do a quick rinse of your body, throw in the bathtub stopper, add the bottle of hotel shampoo + your clothes, stomp on them while you shower, rinse & hand to dry.

Oh, I have to try that. Sounds so much better than what I do.

If you do not consider it to be bad luck to open an umbrella indoors, an open umbrella makes a good drying rack for wet clothes.

If you do not consider it to be bad luck to open an umbrella indoors, an open umbrella makes a good drying rack for wet clothes.

Now THAT is a FABULOUS IDEA!!!!!!!!^

If you do not consider it to be bad luck to open an umbrella indoors, an open umbrella makes a good drying rack for wet clothes.

Now THAT is a FABULOUS IDEA!!!!!!!!^

+1 It's pretty much genius. ^

I always put a couple of dryer sheets in the mesh part of my suitcases. It keeps the things inside smelling fresh (even when there's dirty clothes and my suitcase never gets that "I haven't been opened in ages" smell if it is not in use for awhile.

Also if you are stuck and need to wear something that you couldn't wash properly you can rub the dryer sheet over it and freshen things up a bit before wearing.

I use my little bottle of febreeze when I need to "freshen things up a bit", but I've started taking to carrying a dryersheet in a ziplock bag in my purse, for static cling issues. Great idea to use that for freshening too.

Also, if I'm not planning to travel for a bit, I throw one of those scented potpourri type sachet bags you can get from Bed Bath and Beyond (pomegranate is my fav) into the suitcase before it goes in the closet.

I usually only pack a weeks worth of clothes even for my 2 week trips, it makes getting around airports and on and off trains a lot easier with less luggage. Washing or getting clothes dry-cleaned while on the road makes this possible.

This summer I'll be driving around and staying in different places every night. Not sure how to wash heavy things like jeans and thicker t-shirts... but guessing a laundromat is my only option.

Do you have another idea?

I found one-use packets of Tide at the drugstore before I left. A little bit pricy ( I think it was $2.99 for 3). I also carry a detergent stick that I got in the Philippines. I haven't noticed any difference between using the tide and using one-use packets of shampoo.

Jeans are the real problem for me as well because I don't want to dry mine. It takes a few days of planning--usually I scout around for a laundromat and try and wash it myself so I can know for sure they won't get dried.

My latest technique involves just bringing extra undies and wearing the same clothes every day. No one seems to notice. ;)

This summer I'll be driving around and staying in different places every night. Not sure how to wash heavy things like jeans and thicker t-shirts... but guessing a laundromat is my only option.

Do you have another idea?

Jeans are the worst when you need to air dry. On my last trip to Europe I didn't bring any since I'd wear them once or twice and then just end up carrying them dirty for the rest of the trip since I couldn't wash them out.

The best thing I have found is to invest in some clothes that dry very quickly:

My favorite fast dry shirt (http://www.rei.com/product/795003)

Pants (http://www.rei.com/product/778869)

1. I'm a fan of Tide Sticks for small stains. Sometimes it does the whole job, sometimes it's just a good pre-treatment.

2. I buy storage size ZipLocks and pack socks and undies in them on the way out, then use them for laundry on the way back. If the trip is just 2 or 3 days, I can pack enough. If not, then I do my wash. I find my stuff often takes more than overnight to dry, but on a longer stay it isn't a problem. I love the idea of using them as "washing-machines".

3. If needed, I find a local dry cleaners and drop off my stuff, asking for same-day delivery, then pick up that night or the next AM.

4. Hotel cleaning of washables (socks and undies) is too expensive. I find it cheaper to go to WalMart and buy new. (Which, from time to time, isn't such a bad thing.)

5. On two week trips, I search for "Apartment Hotel" and often find a place in a new building that isn't fully rented yet. The owners are covering some costs by renting apartments as long-stay rooms. Typical minimum is 7 or 10, sometimes 14 days. They nearly always have a washer/dryer in the apartment. Also, generally nice furniture, full kitchens and high speed (really!) internet.

5. On two week trips, I search for "Apartment Hotel" and often find a place in a new building that isn't fully rented yet. The owners are covering some costs by renting apartments as long-stay rooms. Typical minimum is 7 or 10, sometimes 14 days. They nearly always have a washer/dryer in the apartment. Also, generally nice furniture, full kitchens and high speed (really!) internet.

On longer trips, I am doing this more and more. It's a great option. For the same money or less you often get more space and more amenities. I use Homeaway or other sites like that...also TripAdvisor is now running listings of "vacation rentals." Got to read the reviews and the pictures carefully, but so far I've never been burned...and had some wonderful places to stay with far more comfort than a hotel. Solves the laundry problem nicely when you have a washer-dryer right in your room :) Sometimes, there is no minimum stay length--or it's as little as three nights.

Hotel shampoo works perfectly. I've been using it for decades. And I travel a lot; 200+ days a year.

Hotel shampoo works perfectly. I've been using it for decades. And I travel a lot; 200+ days a year.

I use the hotel shampoo a LOT to wash clothes. I think a flight attendant told me about it.

I used to be one of those travelers who would lug and check a huge bag for a four day stay (15 outfits, 4 pairs of shoes, hairdryer, straightener, etc). I learned how to pack lightly. Now I carry on every trip (I travel every week). It saves so much time. A month ago I took an eight day vacation in Brazil and only took a carry on with me. I'll even forfeit doing laundry on my weekends at home because I know I can just wash what I need when I arrive at my next destination. More time to spend with friends! Or sleep.

I carry along a few pieces (chunks) of Zote soap to do my handwashing. That stuff really works and is cheap. A big bar is about $1. So far no TSA issues.

I tell our new folks that we don't pay for overweight bags. If they pack along more than 50 pounds, they pay the fee. One woman still does that.

She makes fun of me doing hand washing, but I'm not paying fees.

I tell our new folks that we don't pay for overweight bags. If they pack along more than 50 pounds, they pay the fee. One woman still does that.

She makes fun of me doing hand washing, but I'm not paying fees.


Fifty lbs? Fifty lbs of what? Books might do it, or if she brings full size (and full) toiletries. I'm sure I own more than 50 lbs of clothing, but I can't imagine taking it all with me when I travel.

I use the hotel shampoo a LOT to wash clothes. I think a flight attendant told me about it.

I used to be one of those travelers who would lug and check a huge bag for a four day stay (15 outfits, 4 pairs of shoes, hairdryer, straightener, etc). I learned how to pack lightly. Now I carry on every trip (I travel every week). It saves so much time. A month ago I took an eight day vacation in Brazil and only took a carry on with me. I'll even forfeit doing laundry on my weekends at home because I know I can just wash what I need when I arrive at my next destination. More time to spend with friends! Or sleep.

I've actually done the same out of necessity. A few spots on a few skirts, too tired to go anywhere, so did the sink-shampoo-dry in the hotel room routine, so def. part of my extended routine now.

Fifty lbs? Fifty lbs of what? Books might do it, or if she brings full size (and full) toiletries. I'm sure I own more than 50 lbs of clothing, but I can't imagine taking it all with me when I travel.

From her attire I'd say that she has many choices of colors of things to wear. Shoes and purses match and she travels with a lot of hair gear.

Not only is she getting overweight charges but she has to tip her way into hotels.

I use hotel shampoo for washing a few items, usually blouses, panties, bras and hose. Any slacks go out for dry-cleaning. If I'm going on a long cruise where I need to do laundry half-way through, I bring pre-measured plastic bags of powdered laundry detergent and several dryer sheets.

A friend needed her panties dried overnight so she placed them on top of a lamp shade and left the lamp on all night. Her panties had burn marks on them in the morning. So I just hang my items over the shower rod if there isn't a laundry line. ;)

Carol
www.smartwomentravelers.com

She's lucky it was only scorch marks on the panties, not a room fire.

I've been known to dry clothes in hotel rooms with the hair dryer.

If you do not consider it to be bad luck to open an umbrella indoors, an open umbrella makes a good drying rack for wet clothes.

BRILLIANT! And the ziplock washing machine idea is a good one too. Thanks for sharing these great ideas.

Cheers!

If you do not consider it to be bad luck to open an umbrella indoors, an open umbrella makes a good drying rack for wet clothes.

I don't travel with an umbrella, but I do travel with a clothesline: http://www.magellans.com/store/Clothing_CareTL461R

And as a bonus, the clothesline takes up less space than an umbrella.

I don't travel with an umbrella, but I do travel with a clothesline: http://www.magellans.com/store/Clothing_CareTL461R

And as a bonus, the clothesline takes up less space than an umbrella.


I've always thought taking a clothesline was a dumb idea, but this one is pretty sweet allowing no clips...thanks for the tip!

I take a travel clothesline: a multiple stretchy cords with hooks attached to the ends, and a $1 plastic oval pack flat with 8 attached clothes pins gizmo (this can hangup on its own on a towel rack, an in-tub clothesline, off the shower rod...) + a plastic hanger. --DH thinks we should also bring a pack towel to hasten the drying of the clothes we wash.

I take a travel clothesline: a multiple stretchy cords with hooks attached to the ends, and a $1 plastic oval pack flat with 8 attached clothes pins gizmo (this can hangup on its own on a towel rack, an in-tub clothesline, off the shower rod...) + a plastic hanger. --DH thinks we should also bring a pack towel to hasten the drying of the clothes we wash.

How do you get the suction cups to stay stuck on to the walls? I've tried washing, rinsing and then alcohol wiping the walls first but they still eventually fall down by morning, and all I have on the line are a few pairs of socks and maybe some underwear.

I carry some S-hooks and a few strong clothes pins if I know that there will be a towel rod or shower rod to hang things over. I also have the small clothes pin rack gizmo but save that for when the trip is longer and traveling with a larger group of people. There are some plastic hook+clip versions that are lighter but the ones in recent years have been quite flimsy.

How do you get the suction cups to stay stuck on to the walls? I've tried washing, rinsing and then alcohol wiping the walls first but they still eventually fall down by morning, and all I have on the line are a few pairs of socks and maybe some underwear.

I carry some S-hooks and a few strong clothes pins if I know that there will be a towel rod or shower rod to hang things over. I also have the small clothes pin rack gizmo but save that for when the trip is longer and traveling with a larger group of people. There are some plastic hook+clip versions that are lighter but the ones in recent years have been quite flimsy.


I use the same one that Katja uses from Magellans. It has loops at each end, not hooks - usually I can loop one end over a faucet and the other over something else sturdy like a door knob. It holds an amazing amount of weight.

I use the same one that Katja uses from Magellans. It has loops at each end, not hooks - usually I can loop one end over a faucet and the other over something else sturdy like a door knob. It holds an amazing amount of weight.

Gee thanks :) For some reason I kept on thinking it was the suction cup one :p

I found an unstructured jacket on sale at Nordstrom. It's crinkled silk chiffon lined with very thin cotton jersey. The label says, "Dry Clean," not "Dry Clean Only." I've had great success lately hand washing an unlined pure silk skirt and a silk blend (92% silk, 8% lycra) top that's matte jersey on the back and shiny silk on the front. (Every time I wear the top, I get something on it. The latest was an inch long jalapeno pepper that squirted when I stuck a fork in it. :rolleyes:) The skirt says hand wash or dry clean, but the top says, "Dry Clean."

Do you think I could hand wash the jacket? I'm excited because it's 55% off, and the PP (Petite Petite) size fits me. It's very light, takes up almost no room, and would not show wrinkles. None of that matters if I have to dry clean it, though. It doesn't look like it in this picture, but it's form-fitting:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3101594?origin=keywordsearch&resultback=3933

The lining's 100% cotton and the chiffon overlay is 100% silk. The two fabrics are sewn so closely together, and the whole thing is so close to the body, if one or the other shrinks or becomes distorted, I won't be able to wear it. It's on sale for $80, down from $178, but it's not free. I know Nordstrom would let me return it even if I screwed it up while washing it, but I wouldn't do that.

What do you think?

My main concern on hand washing the jacket is that shrinkage will be different for the cotton and the silk. You might end up with one layer shorter/longer and wider/narrower than the other. Dry cleaning it would ensure almost zero shrinkage and keep the original proportions.

[QUOTE=VelvetKennedy;13875936]I'm one of the carry-on only people. I have a rubber travel clothesline and a sink stopper I bring with me, neither of which takes up any room at all. I usually bring one Woolite packet for each day of my trip. I'm very good about soaking whatever I wore that day in some Woolite at the end of the day and then hanging it to dry overnight so I never run out of clean clothes. I also use the hotel drycleaning when needed. However, some hotels have washing machines, which is really nice... I usually try to find this out in advance if its a long trip. Detergent, though, can be iffy.... you never know what will be available... it could be very harsh or it could be nice and they're charging some unreasonable amount for it. I found these Purex detergent/dryer sheets in Walgreens before my last trip, though, and picked them up, thinking they could be good.. they're solid, not liquid, and not even messy powder or anything! They fit nicely without folding into a quart size ziplock bag, too. We brought them along for a trip to Europe after doing a test run on a load at home and they work beautifully. These are great for travel if you plan to wash clothes in a washing machine while you're away.

http://www.purex.com/purex-3-in-1

Just thought I'd share. :)[/QUOTE

Thanks so much for sharing that tip VK. We just did a month driving trip around the US mainly staying at Hilton Garden Inns. These all have a washer/dryer guest laundry. So I bought the Purex sheets and they were excellent. I was very happy ;) We are off to New Zealand in December and will use them again there. They are sooooo much easier than schelpping around powder or liquid detergent !

Ann

I use a liquid hand wash detergent - it is far more concentrated than something like Tide or Woolite, so a 50ml plastic bottle (drugstore travel bottle) will easily last me a trip. Handwash detergents foam less, and are easier to rinse out that machine detergents, and the one I prefer has a lovely lavendar scent, which removes the need for dryer sheets / febreeze.

I too do the 'grape stomp' if I have a lot of things to wash (usually beach holidays, when I will wash t-shirts, bikinis, sarongs etc a couple of times to freshen them up) but the sink for undies etc on shorter city type trips.

I've also used an umbrella in a pinch to dry some underwear - not opened tho, I put it extended, but not opened, between the desk chair and the TV stand which were the same height, and slung the items over - a mini rail if you like!

Rolling things in a towel, twice (2 dry towels) will minimize drying time. For jeans, I do that, then try to find a housekeeper who will get me a 'not attached to the wardrobe' hanger (they normally have some spares) and hang that them in front of an AC unit or window.

I use a liquid hand wash detergent - it is far more concentrated than something like Tide or Woolite, so a 50ml plastic bottle (drugstore travel bottle) will easily last me a trip. Handwash detergents foam less, and are easier to rinse out that machine detergents, and the one I prefer has a lovely lavendar scent, which removes the need for dryer sheets / febreeze.

Which brand please? I prefer a true hand wash for the reasons you give, and asked upthread for suggestions in the US. I prefer the Colgate found in France and Switzerland, and have had several failures in Germany (mostly due to scent) I did find Rossmann's house brand in Germany fairly decent, but there isn't a Rossmann near me usually.

Thanks.

My main concern on hand washing the jacket is that shrinkage will be different for the cotton and the silk. You might end up with one layer shorter/longer and wider/narrower than the other. Dry cleaning it would ensure almost zero shrinkage and keep the original proportions.

I finally had to agree, so I returned the jacket, though it was flattering and packable. Thanks for the second opinion!

One of the reasons I was so taken with the jacket was because of admonitions on another thread about fire resistant fibers. I love the idea of wool, especially cashmere, and silk, both because they're natural, renewable resources and fire resistant.

Hey, did you know cashmere and other wools don't retain odor? My boyfriend got black wool briefs that never smell bad, even if he's been camping in them. Plus I find them really sexy. I told him we will slowly replace all his other underwear with the sexy ones.

Returning the jacket did give me an excuse to go shopping again. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, since I bought a silk wrap dress online. Am I the only one who finds fit charts inaccurate?

try2cook - I'd go with a wool blend over pure silk. I might not be buying the right silk? When I inevitably get a stain on a silk top, trying to take it out in a jiffy with basic bathroom soap, paper towel, and water tends to leave a water stain after it dries. I know I shouldn't be treating my clothing that way but I don't always have ready access to my tide stain remover pen.

I find wool to be more klutz proof and warmer, which I like. As for fire safety, well, good luck finding a 100% cotton bra that does the job. Let us know if you succeed on that score :)

My tip is to take an empty ziplock, puff it up with air, and shove it inside tops to separate the layers for quicker drying. Read the trick from Rick Steves forum, I think? The poster used water balloons or animal balloons but I always travel with several spare ziplocks so that is what I use. I've dried jeans in this manner with a gallon size at the waist and some spare plastic grocery bags shoved at the ankle. I think quart size bags would work there, as well.

I like the Purex 3 in one. When my mother wanted to do laundry a few days before leaving our Disney hotel, it made it easier to pack 3 or 4 of those sheets in a plastic bag so she could just throw them in the washer then dryer as she was washing 4 people's clothes (mine, hers, and my sister's 2 kids).

I've been lucky that a few people I've stayed with allowed me free use of their washers/dryers & they supplied the washing supplies - that way I went home with mainly clean clothes.

The silk jersey Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress I bought turned out not to fit at all. I'd recommend ignoring the fit chart and go by which size you wear in, say, Ann Taylor. I ordered a size 8, and it was huge. My search for a silk robe that I can pack as an emergency out and about dress continues.

An amazing thing about the DVF dress is its weight. I don't know if they use the same weight fabric in all their other silk jersey wrap dresses, but I weighed the thing, and it turned out to be 1 pound, 1.4 ounces!

Another thing: don't buy from emphaticnyc.com! I found the DVF dress there for $99. Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and dvf.com have long sleeve wrap dresses in the $300 range. I thought I'd found a bargain and was very excited about my first classic DVF wrap dress.

Well, emphaticnyc.com has a returns policy that, for a refund, requires the return to be postmarked within seven days of receipt of the garment. Otherwise, like today, which is eight days after my mail service signed for it, you only get store credit. Since the store is an outlet sort of place, they only get one of a particular garment, with no consistency in brand, size, color, or style selection. If you're traveling and can't be home to get your mail, try on the garment, and return it within seven days of receipt, you may find emphaticnyc.com not to be such a bargain. I think I looked at every single item on the site but couldn't find anything else worth the money.

I had seen the returns policy before I bought, of course, but I figured if they have a customer clear across the country and I explained the whole not getting my mail until I'm home thing, they'd make an exception. But they are not, as it turns out, interested in my being a returning customer.

I like the Purex 3 in one. When my mother wanted to do laundry a few days before leaving our Disney hotel, it made it easier to pack 3 or 4 of those sheets in a plastic bag so she could just throw them in the washer then dryer as she was washing 4 people's clothes (mine, hers, and my sister's 2 kids).

I've been lucky that a few people I've stayed with allowed me free use of their washers/dryers & they supplied the washing supplies - that way I went home with mainly clean clothes.

I like the Purex sheets also---but I cut them in half or even 1/4's for sink washing. Now, don't laugh, but I've discovered another use for them---once you've washed some clothes on the road, the sheet makes a pretty good loofa-like pad for bathing!

Which brand please? I prefer a true hand wash for the reasons you give, and asked upthread for suggestions in the US. I prefer the Colgate found in France and Switzerland, and have had several failures in Germany (mostly due to scent) I did find Rossmann's house brand in Germany fairly decent, but there isn't a Rossmann near me usually.

Thanks.

Ah sorry, only just seen this. The one I have right now is a lavender scented one, I think it is a European brand, but I picked it up in Winners. Otherwise, independent lingere shops often have decent handwashes too.

The Dropps brand detergents come in little plastic pillows in a bag of 20 for about $5.

Really handy to have and light in weight.

I find that the product they make for washing baby clothes does a really good job on stains.

For hand washing, I just stick a pin into one of the pillows and drip out as much as I need to use. To avoid a slightly used pillow making a mess, I put it into a Zippy bag.

Lately I'm finding it difficult to find the Purex sheets in stores.

Another vote for hotel shampoo. I use the sink, though, and add a little of the hair conditioner that they also supply.;)

Is the Rick Steves elastic clothesline any good? I bet it has a high chance of being the same as the magellan.

I bring along a liquid detergent that can be used in both a washing machine and for handwashing. I find it actually easier to do my laundry in the bathtub or in the event there isn't one, in the shower. I do a modified version of a typical Korean handwashing style which is actually less tiring on the hands.

Fill the tub with just enough water to cover your clothes (usually one piece at a time is best), add your detergent and then add your clothes. Step into the tub and start stepping on your clothes like your squash grapes to make wine. I know it sounds a bit crazy but it actually helps to get dirt out of your clothes (think back to the days when people would pound their clothes to get them clean). You only need to do this for a short while like a minute or two (depending on how dirty your clothes are). Once you've washed all your clothes, drain off the water and then step on them again to try and remove as much of the detergent and water from the fabric. Once you've done that you can fill the tub with clean water and and repeat the process. I guess you could call this the "rinse cycle". Once you've done that, drain the water and step on the clothes again to get rid of the water for the "spin cycle".

You could do the same thing in the shower and would probably be a bit faster given that you'd have the water running - I've done it in the shower when I stayed at a hotel in HK that didn't have a tub, I just made sure I did my laundry just before I had a shower.

One thing I like about this method is that because you're not wringing out the clothes they actually don't crease as much or change their shape as much.

Then you hopefully have an extra towel or three to roll them, then step on them to remove most of the water.

I simply use the hotel's shampoo to wash undies, etc in the sink, and after rinsing, I add a drop of conditioner in the clean water as a softener.

I would worry about slipping in the bathtub when stomp/washing the clothes. I try to wear light- or medium- weight fabric clothing: easier to wash and rinse. Then layering items for more warmth. .

On a tour, one person made a point to wipe off dust/dirt in the evenings to keep their clothing cleaner.

If you travel in Japan, as opposed to Europe, it's easy to find laundromats as well as budget hotels that have coin-operated washing machines for guests. (I never stay in luxury hotels there, so I don't know about them.)

I began traveling to Europe only recently, and I assumed that Europe would be even more convenient than Japan, but I got sticker shot at the prices for laundromats in the UK (£2.85-£3.00 to wash and £1 per 12 minutes to dry?), and in Scandinavia, laundromats were essentially non-existent except for one that I found in Copenhagen.

All I could do was wash clothes in the bathroom and hang them in the shower to dry, but that wasn't really satisfactory, since it took about two days for them to dry.

Dryers still are not that commonplace in many homes in western Europe (and the washing machine is often found in the kitchen of homes).

If you DO find a washing machine, don't expect to find a dryer next to it/on top of it/nearby.

(We've mostly learned to live with crunchy underpants ;) )

From her attire I'd say that she has many choices of colors of things to wear. Shoes and purses match and she travels with a lot of hair gear.

Not only is she getting overweight charges but she has to tip her way into hotels.Oh, miaouw! :D

I usually travel when it is winter at my destination, and it's a dirty little secret but I usually don't wash my clothes.

Only my underwear, leggings and socks go through hand-washing daily, and then they go on the travel clothes line (Flexo-Line). The rest go through a rotation and usually I'd air them. I don't know if I ever stank but I never heard any complaints. Nor did I ever feel 'gross' because my underwear and socks are clean. Heh heh. And I usually travel for 3 weeks at a time with only the few clothes in a backpack on my bag. Oops.

Summer time is quite different... That said, even when I was in Tokyo in June, I basically did not wash a single piece of shirt in the 10 days. I was staying with my friend who had a washing machine but I heard no complaints so...

Anyway I dry my washed underwear/socks/tights with my microfibre towel. The same one I use to dry my body off actually, but I would wash it daily after drying off the clothes so it is actually clean.

I use Dr Brommer's soap for both body wash and clothes detergent.

OK maybe this is a guy thing, but isn't easier just to drop laundry off at the front desk or local cleaners. The last thing on a business or vacation trip I want to do is laundry. For the cost of a couple of cocktails at a hotel bar one can avoid spending time during vacations "stompping" in the bathtub. Thats one less thing to worry about and detergent is one less thing to carry in my single rollerboard.

OK maybe this is a guy thing, but isn't easier just to drop laundry off at the front desk or local cleaners. The last thing on a business or vacation trip I want to do is laundry. For the cost of a couple of cocktails at a hotel bar one can avoid spending time during vacations "stompping" in the bathtub. Thats one less thing to worry about and detergent is one less thing to carry in my single rollerboard.
It's not just a guy thing. I'm with you. I pack precisely the quantity of clothing that I will need, planning out what day I'm going to give my clothes to the hotel laundry.

I spent three years living in a place where I did not have a washer/dryer and where there was no laundry service available, washing my clothes in the bathtub. As God is my witness, I will never hand wash clothes again!

I actually enjoy doing hand laundry when traveling. Relaxing after a long day of work and stress.

OK, so I'm excentric.

OK maybe this is a guy thing, but isn't easier just to drop laundry off at the front desk or local cleaners. The last thing on a business or vacation trip I want to do is laundry. For the cost of a couple of cocktails at a hotel bar one can avoid spending time during vacations "stompping" in the bathtub. Thats one less thing to worry about and detergent is one less thing to carry in my single rollerboard.

On the few occasions that I've inquired about laundry service at a hotel, the cost has been a great deal higher than a few cocktails, and the time frame has been outrageous (36-48 hours). I've never availed myself of it, but a couple of colleagues did once when we were unexpectedly required to stay an extra week, and they never saw their shirts again.

I live in hotels 50 weeks a year. For most name brand (chain) hotels, turn around is in by 9 in your room when you get home. Have not seen multiple days wait. Never have had an issue with delivery, it just magically appears in my room. The cheaper the chain (Hampton) the better the service (Hilton). For dress shirts its about 2X the cost at a local cleaners so 4 dollars/shirt on hanger. Still if I am on vacations I would pay $50 to get my laundry and 'dainties' done rather than carry a seperate suitcase or spend vacation doing laundry. And for a 7 day cruise its a must if you want room in your tiny cabin. Its money well spent IMHO.

Thanks, these tips will be very helpful to me on my upcoming trip...Also the Tide Pen for getting ride of stains is very useful...

I live in hotels 50 weeks a year. For most name brand (chain) hotels, turn around is in by 9 in your room when you get home. Have not seen multiple days wait. Never have had an issue with delivery, it just magically appears in my room. The cheaper the chain (Hampton) the better the service (Hilton). For dress shirts its about 2X the cost at a local cleaners so 4 dollars/shirt on hanger. Still if I am on vacations I would pay $50 to get my laundry and 'dainties' done rather than carry a seperate suitcase or spend vacation doing laundry. And for a 7 day cruise its a must if you want room in your tiny cabin. Its money well spent IMHO.

Good to hear. Thanks for posting your experiences.

On the few occasions that I've inquired about laundry service at a hotel, the cost has been a great deal higher than a few cocktails, and the time frame has been outrageous (36-48 hours). I've never availed myself of it, but a couple of colleagues did once when we were unexpectedly required to stay an extra week, and they never saw their shirts again.
I've never had laundry take more than 12 hours--in by 9, back by 6-7 is the norm. I do laundry in hotels probably 20x a year and have never had anything disappear. You are right that it's outrageously expensive, and for the most part I am expensing it, but even if I am on vacation I still do it--it's just part of the cost of the holiday, and for me, well worth the time saved for much more enjoyable endeavors.

I've never had laundry take more than 12 hours--in by 9, back by 6-7 is the norm. I do laundry in hotels probably 20x a year and have never had anything disappear. You are right that it's outrageously expensive, and for the most part I am expensing it, but even if I am on vacation I still do it--it's just part of the cost of the holiday, and for me, well worth the time saved for much more enjoyable endeavors.

Excellent - I'm happy to stand corrected on this.

Excellent - I'm happy to stand corrected on this.

2 months ago laundry took from drop off at 10am, to 4pm the following day. Cost was reasonable.

Excellent - I'm happy to stand corrected on this.

3 hours from drop off to clothes ready last week, and that was 'regular', not 'express' service. And it isn't outrageously expensive in much of the world.

I've never had it take more than a day unless there was some critical issue, or I failed to meet the drop off deadline, or it was over a weekend day.