Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

When you leave home for a few weeks, you don't have to lug a suitcase of clothes with you if you know how to wash them. And on long trips this is a necessity. In fact, washing while traveling does not take that much time and effort.

Steps

1. 1 Plan ahead. Planning is one of the main secrets. Bring lightweight items with you that won't wrinkle and dry quickly.]]
   • If you are driving to a cold place, dress in layers. You will not have to wash the clothes of the "outer" layers as often as the "inner" ones.
   • Do not take a lot of clothes, it is better to wash them more often. You can take only 2 or 3 sets of clothes - the less luggage, the easier.
   • Do not wash your clothes after going out once. Clean linen is rational, but pants and shirts can be put on several times, and not washed daily, if they are not too dirty. Start washing when the clothes look visibly dirty or smell of sweat.
2. 2 Take your detergent with you. Detergents are much easier to buy at home in stores you know. An approximate list of funds can be found in the "What you need" section. One set of laundry detergents, chosen wisely, takes up less space in your luggage than an additional set of clothes.
3. 3 Many overseas hotels offer a laundry service. The main thing is to take a sufficient amount of detergents, the powder in special small bags for travel may not be enough. Make sure they are tightly closed. Pouched fabric softeners and stain removers are usually well suited to travel. You can use a paste-based stain remover (this is a handy tool that can also come in handy at work, in the car, or even at home).
4. 4 Go through all the options in your mind. If money is not as important to you as your own time, you do not need to do the laundry yourself.
   • Find out if your hotel has a laundry service. This is a good option if your budget allows.
   • Look for local laundry facilities - they are found in almost all cities. It's better than hand washing your clothes, especially if you have a lot of things to freshen up at the same time.
   • Do not forget that you can use different options in parallel. For example, hand wash linen and pajamas to save money, and take your business clothes to the laundry.
   • Keep track of the time and day. Depending on the country, laundries may be closed on Sundays. And if you want to get your clothes back on the same or the next day, you need to give them back in the morning before a certain hour.
5. 5 Think ahead so that you don't have to stuff your suitcase with wet clothes before a long flight or bus ride.
6. 6 Take a shower first. This is not an obligatory part of the ritual, but the water will help wash off the "spirit" of dirty clothes. It also allows you to dry yourself off with a dry towel before washing it.
   • Shower in the evening before dinner for a refreshing dip or before bed. Don't carry all the adventures of the past day with you to bed. And the linen and towel just have time to dry overnight.
7. 7 Think in advance where you can hang the washed laundry. In almost every room, you can find a suitable place for this, but it is better to think over everything in advance.
8. 8 Close the sink drain with a special plug.
9. 9 Place laundry to be washed in the sink, add soap, shampoo or powder, and fill the sink with water.
10. 10 Stir the garment in soapy water while rinsing it. If your clothes are stained, you can rub them separately with soap or stain remover. Thoroughly wash the areas of clothing that are most easily contaminated - socks, armpits, underwear, etc.
11. 11 Rub the sections of your clothing together to help the soap do its job.
12. 12 Drain the soapy water and wring out the soapy water.
13. 13 Fill your sink with clean water and rinse your wash thoroughly.
14. 14 Drain the water again and let it drain from the clothes.
15. 15 Squeeze out your clothes. Do not twist to avoid stretching the fabric. Just squeeze it out. The more water comes out, the less time it will take for the item to dry.
16. 16 Spread wet clothes in one layer on a towel.
17. 17 Roll up a towel and squeeze out any remaining water from your clothes, or place a rolled towel on the floor and walk over it. You have done everything you can to speed up the drying of the clothes - now hang them on a rope or on a radiator.
18. 18 Hang up your clothes. If safety and weather permitting, leave bathroom doors or windows open to allow air circulation.
    • Hangers can often be found in wardrobes in hotel rooms.
19. 19 Hang the towel dry too, especially if you plan on using it again.
20. 20 Dry your clothes completely. If it dries up overnight, great. If not, try this:
    • Use an iron. Most hotel rooms have an iron and ironing board to quickly dry out areas of clothing that may not have dried properly, such as cuffs, collars, and pockets. Just make sure the fabric can withstand hot air - don't iron silk panels.
    • Leave the clothes to dry longer. If you are not going to leave today, and hanging laundry in the bathroom will not prevent the staff from cleaning, leave it hanging for a while.
    • If the room has an air conditioner or fan (or extractor hood), arrange your clothes so that air can flow through them. For example, hang it over the back of a chair in front of a fan, or directly on top of a fan (but this can make the fabric rough).
    • Put on wet clothes. You may feel uncomfortable at first, but body heat will help your clothes dry faster. Just don't do this if it's cold outside or if you are sick.

Tips

• Do not twist the garment to prevent the fabric from stretching. Squeeze it out.
• Consider humidity. Thin garments almost always take one night to dry, but thicker garments in the jungle or wet forests will take longer to dry than in the desert.
• Try washing your clothes at home before traveling, preferably by hand, identify items that fade, take a long time to dry, or cause any other problems, and do not take them with you.
• If a small area on your clothing hasn't dried out (for example, an elastic band on your shorts), you can dry it separately using a hair dryer or iron.
• Be mindful of hotel staff and place wet clothing so that water does not run off onto a “vulnerable” surface, such as a carpet or wooden floor, and does not interfere with cleaning.
• Choose clothes made from quick-drying materials such as polyester - they dry in just a few hours. You can travel for several weeks with just one set of clothing.
• Hair conditioner can be used as a fabric softener. They have roughly the same chemical composition and have a similar effect on fibers. It is not necessary to use softener every time, though.
• Think again about the material of the garment. Cotton dries for a long time, while wool and synthetics dries quickly.
• Socks and laundry can be washed while showering before bed - place them on the floor of the shower stall (not on the drain) and step on them while you wash. Shampoo can easily replace washing powder. And when you get out of the shower, rinse your clothes under running water.
• Hang clothes as close to the air conditioner as possible. It dries the air, and with it the fabric, and water from wet clothes will add moisture to the air, which has a beneficial effect on sleep.
• Do your laundry on time, do not accumulate dirty things. So, you can take only two or three sets of clothes with you, besides, it will be easier for you to find a place where to hang things to dry. And the wash will take less time!
• You can help the environment if you don't wash every piece of clothing every day!
• Take laundry soap. Firstly, it is designed specifically for hand washing, and secondly, you can carry it in your carry-on luggage, and thirdly, if you let it dry between uses, one small piece will last for a very long time.

Warnings

• Do not put wet clothes on wooden furniture - you can damage both the furniture and the item.
• Do not hang clothing on objects that should be easily accessible in case of danger - emergency exit door handles, sprinklers, etc.
• Do not pack wet clothing. It can become moldy or odorless. Better put it on or not wash it at all if you know you will be leaving soon.
• Wet things can be heavy. If you dry your clothes on towel racks, shower curtain holders, doorknobs, etc., make sure they can support the weight.

What do you need

• The Universal Sink Stopper is a flat rubber disc that can be used to plug any drain hole. As a last resort, you can use plastic wrap.
• Clothesline for travel. You can find it at a sporting goods store or a travel store.
• Inflatable or foldable hangers. A wire hanger is a good option.
• Laundry detergent, shampoo or soap - either your own or those available at the hotel.
• Stain remover.
• Towel. If you are not sure that where you will be staying, they will be given a towel, it is better to bring your own. Choose one that dries quickly.
• A bag for dirty things, so as not to put them in your luggage with clean ones.
• Money if you plan to use the hotel's laundry or laundry service.