Anna Phor

I use single sized packets of tide detergent.

I usually toss items over the shower rail and be done with it -- but I'm going on a hiking vacation and will be staying at small B&Bs in the UK. I can't imagine any will have air conditioning. Extra hangers and towels might also be a challenge. But I think a couple of hangers and a length of clothesline will do me fine. I did suspect that those clotheslines with suckers, etc, were a waste of money ... !

TheTakeOffRush

I remember hearing something somewhere about wearing residually damp items next to a similar (but completely dry) article.

I've worn slightly damp items leaving the hotel. Not nice, but also they were dry by the time I got to the airport. PS: airplane air is so dry, this might be a good place to further dry any residual dampness.

TheTakeOffRush

PS: why is this in Women Travelers section?

gretchendz

Because girls are cleaner than boys, silly!

MissJoeyDFW

I take this travel bungee and use these . They are lightweight and can hook in a variety of places.

I also will open my umbrella and drape a wet item on it to dry overnight.

Honestly though my absolutely favorite way is to drop off my laundry, let someone else do it, go off for a lovely meal and shopping, then come back and collect my clean and folded clothes.

ysolde

I agree with this. And, tbh, for any item of clothing other than undergarments and stockings, which I do in the bathroom sink, I am happy to let the hotel deal with my laundry/dry cleaning.

travelmad478

+2 on that. I never wear stockings , so it's just underwear and a bit of workout clothing that I will wash out myself in the sink.

manneca

I love ex officio underwear. It dries fairly quickly, tho in some humid places, it takes a couple of nights. I bought a clothes line which I keep forgetting to pack. I drape stuff everywhere and use the hotel's hangers. I have Tide packets (i can't find woolite ones anymore). I've used shampoo and dish detergent. BTW, dish detergent with grease enzymes works well on stained garments. The enzymes will dissolve the stain. (Actually spit works amazingly well at getting out food stains. The enzymes that dissolve the food in our mouths will dissolve the stain. Just get over the ewww factor. You can wash the garment after getting the stain out.)

turnleftbrighteyes

Which reminds me of this delightful bit of stain removal from the Internet past (scroll down past the hair shedding question.)* I have been known to drool on various things to get out the stain, and it does work.

* I maybe should put in the warning, from that link: "We’re mostly full of ladies and dudes who are reasonable and don’t get super squicked out." So if you get "squicked out," don't click on that link!

OzBarb

Careful choice of fabric is essential. For me it's microfibres, supplex, nylon mesh or superfine merino. All will dry in minimum time and not need ironing.

For washing I mostly use provided shampoo or dishwashing liquid. I carry a small ziplock with laundry powder in my kit for when I have access to a washing machine, or use a few pinches in a gallon ziplock as a last resort.

I do the roll in towel and walk on it to remove as much water as possible, then use towel, curtain or shower rails, coat hangers, drape over furniture or inverted umbrella etc. I carry a couple of blowup hangers for tops, and a folding clip hanger for skirts/trousers. I will also use blown up zip locks to keep surfaces apart for faster drying.

I usually travel carryon only, so a couple of tops/bottoms washed every few days - undies daily (mostly as I shower) suits me.

JDiver

Amazon offers a kit of twenty Woolite packets

here

here

.

CDTraveler

Minimus.biz also offers a wide range of 3 oz or less laundry products. For family travel >5 days I usually pack the mini boxes of Chlorox II, Purex or Surf plus a few of the Shout stain wipes. TSA usually spazzes out over liquid laundry products but has never seemed to notice the powdered ones.

Silver Fox

Loads of good tips in here, especially the rolled up towels and walking on it trick, plus the "wicking" clothes suggestion. As for the air conditioning, we call it "windows" !

If you ask the B&B owner nicely they might let you use their dryer for light loads, you won't be the first person to ask.

Have a good trip. Whereabouts will you be hiking?

Annalisa12

I send everything to the laundry at a hotel except undies. I like my delicates kept private! I do a few things depending on whether or where the sun shines in to my room. I'll leave them draped on the windowsill or pegged to a coat hanger and hung on a coat rack. I often let them dry a bit hanging on the bath/shower clothes line and then bring them out.

I often carry a small bottle of liquid detergent. I never travel with powder detergent, especially white stuff. I don't want it to look weird on an xray.

On a 4 week trip I once purchased 40 pairs of cheapo cotton $2 undies and just threw them away after wearing them. I figured that it saved me the cost of laundering them.

pilotspouse

Shampoo is excellent for body soils from clothing. I also follow walk on rolled towel (pool towels--hardly an option) Clips, but in all cases--light fabrics but any bulky items--spend the money or take them to local laundry, tightwads!