Bathroom sink stopper

I used a washcloth to stop the sink. Many European sinks have different sizes and you may end up buying one that's useless.

If you're just stopping the sink to wash, bring a washcloth or rag to do the trick.

Just returned from Italy; visiting Venice, Florence, Rome. I brought the flat, rubber CD disk-shaped stopper that fits any sink, held in place by water pressure. For each of the 3 hotels stayed at, I simply pulled out the existing stopper, which was NOT hooked in properly to allow it to work as intended, plopped down the sink stopper I brought, and turned the water on. Worked great.

Here's a link to a photo of the kind you want. I think they are in the hardware dept at walmart.

http://www.magellans.com/store/Toiletries___Kits___Clothes_CareTL469?Args=

Thank you for the clearification. I'll return the one I bought and try to get this style. What is the diameter?

We have had the same problems. Our solution was to go to a plumber store (Lowes, Home Depot) and look for a big 3 to 4 in rubber gasket or washer WITHOUT a hole. It not only works nicely but takes no space AND can be used to stop a 'traveling bed' if you encounter that. (I.E. one that slides if you try to sit up in it to read, etc.)

I used the flat rubber disc type and it worked great when needed.

Susan, they are usually about 4" diameter or so. They just lay flat in the bottom of the sink, so they don't have to "fit", just cover the hole.

I bought rubber jar openers - essentially the same thing as the big flat sink stoppers, but thinner and more flexible. It worked great. Two for a buck at the Dollar store!

I bought the rubber disc shaped one from a travel store. Never needed it though as in the dozen or so hotels we stayed in, everyone had a usable plug!

Thanks so much!

I just bought a synthetic one yesterday. It was dry when I bought it and since then I washed and dried it in the laundry. I figured you treated it just like a towel. Are you sure it needs to remain damp?

A lot of European sinks have a small lever near the tap ( faucett ? ). You operate that to hold the water in the sink. If that's not the case, why don't you just ask the owners for a sink plug ?

Susan and Monte, you can purchase a one size fits all plug from shops which sell travel goods, perhaps even back packing outdoorsy stores. It will have a larger size top piece, which covers any size plughole, and a small stopper bit. Way more stable that the face washer or an unended cup.

I used to use the rubber disks that are given away to help open jars, but I have a much better technique now. We found we still made a mess washing in the sink so I changed to something that washes better and keeps the mess contained.

I use a zip lock bag. I think I've said before it is a gallon zip lock, I was mistaken. It is at least two gallons and I think it's called a big bag from Hefty or Zip-Lock.

My daily wash is a pair of socks and underwear with maybe a t-shirt added (all non-cotton of course). I put the clothes in the bag, add a very small squirt of concentrated detergent and fill the bag about half-way with warm water. Seal it, shake well, open the corner to drain into the sink, then add rinse water, shake, drain and repeat until no more soap suds are evident in the rinse water.

For drying, I use a car chamois to wring them out before hanging on my twisty nylon line. I've found the chamois to be a million times better than using a room towel or travel towel. It pulls more water out of the clothing and then wrings to almost completely dry for wringing more clothes or line drying. A 5.5 square foot chamois can be had at Costco for about $15.

If you're looking for travel towels. Costco also has a set of three car wash mits and two towels that are made from the same material as travel towels. The towels are much cheaper and better than the travel towels we already had in our travel gear.

The synthetic chamois are great! Don't forget to store it in a baggie - they are not supposed to dry out completely. They are very durable. The one I use on my car I have had for years, with no signs of slowing down.

I just returned from Europe and did lots of sink laundry. Luckily all our stoppers worked but I kept wondering if it is okay to wash clothes in the bidet? There certainly was more room in there than in a lot of sinks we had. I never did because I just wasn't sure. What are your thoughts?

I don't think the chamois has to stay wet but, like a sponge, it absorbs more when you get it a little damp to start with.

Thanks..good to know. I think I'll buy the large zip lock bags too, but I also just bought the correct stopper.

I was thinking about buying the general soap from REI. Any different ideas, or do you think it would be good to use?

I believe Rick Steves says he has done laundry in the bidet. I would probably do laundry in there if I was washing something bigger than a thin top, undergarments or socks.

You might also think about taking a 2 oz portable washing machine.....they're called 2 gallon ziploc bags.

Put your clothes in the bag, enough water to cover (but don't fill more than halfway), add soap, seal the bag and shake--the bag, not you. (The shaking is like the agitator on a washing machine).

Then let it sit for a bit. Shake again and drain. Add fresh water a few times to rinse and then let the bag dry overnight (and upside down) with your clothes. It will be ready to use again.

I think Rick suggests using all-in-one camp suds for every soap need. I like camp suds when I'm camping. When traveling I prefer to use concentrated liquid laundry detergent. You can buy small reusable travel bottles to put it in so you don't have to spend a lot on a tiny portion of soap.

Either way it has to go into your 3-1-1 bag that needs to be pulled out of your carry-on for TSA.

I've been using Rick's brand of laundry soap for years and like it. I've been trying to find it in its generic form but have been unsuccessful.

Tide now has individual use packets of laundry detergent for sink washing. I've found them at Wal-mart and Target in the "sample" aisle. They come in packs of 4.

This is something interesting. This "creation" was posted on the OneBagOneWorld site. The author calls it "stinkfighter", it's a mix of Febreze and antibacterial soap for doing laundry. It actually works!

http://onebagger.squarespace.com/blog/2007/4/4/incredible-stinkfighter-10-beta-test.html

Wow!
I am dazzled by this topic!

Really, I am!
Laundry, while traveling, is very important!

First off, I want to confess that I do travel with a roll of duct tape and a leatherman tool (check-in, NOT carry-on!), a small tube of Rei washpaste - AND my nifty, braided, rubber clothesline (Magellan).
Besides my dessous and socks, and once a week T-shirts or so,
I simply hang out my clothes to air out, or steam up in the bathroom.
If a sink needs to be stopped up, a washcloths or sock will do.
But I am NOT against sink-stoppers, on the contrary, I am very intrigued!