Doing Laundry Abroad

Yes, you can do your light laundry in the sink. Suggest you take a couple of travel packets of soap (Tide is available in the travel size packets or you can pack some of your own in ziplock bags). You will probably need a travel clothesline. Someone in another forum suggested a chamois to help wring out the water. You do need to stay in a hotel for a couple of nights because most items do not dry overnight so do the laundry first night. Check other listings in Helpline. Laundramats are sometimes difficult to find in small towns.

Rick sells his own brand of travel soap for laundry, click the "travel store" tab at the top of this page. I also like his "travel clothesline".

Hi Corrin, yes you can definately do your laundry in the sinks.Not all sinks have stoppers (some places want to prevent the "sink laundry" thing) so I would suggest picking up a univeral plug. Its basically a circular,flat rubber thing that sits on top of the sink hole. (I am sure there are technical names for these things, but I have no idea)One of Rick Steves travel towels is a great alternative to a Chamois for wringing out your clothes if you decide to do so (I wouldnt travel without one) and definately bring a travel laundry line. In a pinch (just like at homee) you can use shampoo to wash your unmentionables. Have a Great Trip

Goodness! That is one of the RS "signature" travel philosophies; the triumvirant of "money belt + one bag + wash in sink = backdoor travel!"

Use google to search the Helpline for all kinds of discussions and tips on the intracacies of clothes washing in hotel sinks discussions. ( the website's search function is useless..) Check RS website planning tips too.

Do you have a good travel guide? (The cat's out of the bag that you don't have any RS guides and haven't read the travel skills book "Europe through the Back Door." That's OK, we'll let that slide...I'm teasing you..) But seriously, do you have a good one?

This website is a good resource for packing light. there is a section on clothes and laundry methods.

http://www.onebag.com/

The most important thing is having the correct type of fabric. Avoid cotton. It can be difficult to get dry overnight. Some of the newer synthetic materials are terrific for handing washing. Be very careful with the use of soap. Too much can cause problems. Remember -- you are really giving your clothes a good rinsing rather than a thorough washing. We try to run everything through a self laundry about every week to ten days. We use a liquid backpacking soap from REI that is designed for that purpose.

Corrin,

You might also try www.magellans.com as they have lots of items in the catalogue for laundry, including soap and rubber clotheslines.

Although you're leaving in May, their service is very quick and you could request priority shipping (they're located in Santa Barbara).

Happy travels!

Foolishness!

you're going to spend thousands of dollars on your trip. Heck, if you can fly there for under $500, you're lucky. Meals and motels are not cheap. So why quibble over spending 10-15€ having a local place wash your clothes once a week.

I always bring a small bottle filled with liquid laundry soap, one of those flat rubber sink stoppers, and some clothespins with hooks. There is no need to buy special soap. A plastic bottle with either woolite or regular liquid laundry soap (like liquid tide) works fine. Socks and undergarments are easy to do in the sink. Quick drying clothes can also easily be done in sink.

For other clothes, if you need to wash, I agree that it is worth paying to get them done for you so you don't waste a day of your travel in the laundromat.

One more thing ... a "tide-to-go" pen can really come in handy ...

John, cannot do that. I do not carry a week's worth of clothes. I am only carrying three days so do a little laundry every night is necessary. But it has developed as a habit and we don't think twice about it -- like brushing teeth. Just something we do each night.

I gotta say I traveled all over the place for a year - including remote parts of the world - and never had a problem finding a place to do my laundry in machines. This is a 2.5 week trip and, at best, you'll need to do a load of laundry 2 times.

It's great you are packing light and only bringing clothing to last a week - I suggest you bring 7 to 10 pairs of underwear and socks, you can always wear other things like jeans or tees 2 or even 3 times before you need to wash them, but having extra clean underwear and socks can help you stretch out the time between your laundromat visits.

If you are staying in hostels, check and see if they have laundry facilities (nearly all of them do). If you are staying in a B&B/guesthouse, ask the owner if you can use their machine if you give them a few Euros - 9 times out of 10 they will let you use it for free. In big cities, finding a neighborhood laundromat is not difficult. Check the hours - many are open early mornings or stay open late, so you wouldn't cut into sightseeing time and you can use the opportunity to write out postcards, have a cup of coffee and just relax for 90 minutes while you wash and dry.

kim - I assure you, you will find laundromats/cleaners everywhere in in Europe. Smaller houses and apartments mean that people need them.

I agree totally with Lisa! Giving your laundry to a hotel is a little expensive and could be considered a "splurge," but one well worth it to avoid the nuisance and other problems of having to do it yourself on a trip. I do the same on cruise ships.

I would also note that in many countries outside Europe -- such as in Mexico or Central America -- you may find that the cost of having your laundry done for you is rather inexpensive and is a nice way to give some needed tourist dollars to the local economy.

John,, I guess you travel on a different budget then some,, 15 euros is two meals to a budget younger traveller, and that is a waste,, when for only 2.5 weeks they can rinse out some socks, undies and tshirts for free in their sinks. Many travellers do fine that way.

For our 2 week RS tour only a few families used a laundremat.. the rest of us did the sink thing. It really is not a big deal.

As noted, avoid jeans, they are impossible to clean in a sink,, but on the other hand you can wear them for a week before they look dirty...

This was just another chuckle as we traveled through the back door. At our Marais, Paris hotel, we did some laundry in the sink. Having noticed their large dryer downstairs in their utility room, I asked if there was any way we could borrow their dryer....the clerk on the phone immediately said certainly, he would send it up on the lift! Not quite knowing what to expect, we walked to the elevator, the door opened, and there it was on the floor.....an iron!

I confess, if a laundry service is available, I'll use it...after all, I'm on vacation! Happy travels!

I only carry enough clothes for 3-4 days so trying to find a laundromat every 3-4 days is ridiculous. Handwashing is not a problem for me. I only find that pants can be a hassle so I either find a laundromat every 10 days or so for a thorough cleaning, including the pants, or if available, just drop them off at a cleaners who will do them for me.

I do the handwashing thing, too. Even if a laundromat isn't very expensive, the dryers in Europe (at least in Germany) dry on a lower heat level, so they take much longer, and I don't want to spend half of my day in a laundromat.

They sell tubes of travel detergent in the grocery stores in Germany. The one I've gotten is called Rei. I wear lightweight clothing, no jeans. I buy lightweight pants that can dry overnight.

Just to remind you that you can buy soap, detergent and all kinds of laundry stuff in Europe. Really.

You can certainly buy soap and so forth in Europe, but unless you are spending many weeks, I personally wouldn't bother. I generally pack a small plastic bottle that I fill at home from my big bottles of Woolite or lingerie cleaner. It's enough to wash out my stuff (socks, undies, tops, but usually not pants) every few days for up to six weeks. I do try to hit a laundromat or use a washing service every two weeks or so for the convenience of bulkier items.

For me, having 7 to 10 pairs of undies isn't really an advantage--it's easier to find a place in the room to dry two or three pairs of socks and undies than a whole laundry line full of stuff.

Check out this thread:

This is how I do my laundry now.

http://www.fodors.com/community/travel-tips-trip-ideas/ultimate-road-laundry-idea.cfm

This is what I pack. It washes, wears and packs easily. Hopefully you can get some ideas:

http://www.polyvore.com/mens_travel_pack_list/set?id=1440268

I do my laundry just like in the Fodor's article. The only extras I bring are two inflatable hangers. They weigh practically nothing and take up no room, but help to dry shirts quicker.

Except for the laundry detergent, which has to go in the 3-1-1 bag, everything else fits in an Eagle Creek Pac-It Sac xsmall. That sac goes into my RS toiletry kit (smaller one) which holds everything I need, in regards to toiletries, except for liquids and gels (which are also in the 3-1-1 bag.)

I’ve read a lot of good travel advice, on this forum and others…including how to pack, how much to pack and washing clothes in hotel rooms, etc. I faithfully carried a Rick Steve’s clothesline and soap—including mini-packets of Woolite for delicates. I tried it all. And you know, it just didn’t work for me. The bathroom and sinks in many hotel rooms in Europe are small. I couldn’t get everything wrung out completely and drying takes forever. (When they do dry the clothes are very crispy). I’m sure it’s just me…there are quite a few experienced travelers who have their technique down pat. Personally, I found it a complete drag and a nuisance.

Here’s what does work for me: When we arrive at a hotel where we’ll be spending at least two nights, we have the hotel send our clothes out to be laundered. If they do not have this service, you can ask them where the closest Laundromat (we always opt for a laundry/cleaners establishment that will wash your clothes for you). In both cases, if you give them your laundry in the morning you’ll have it back by late afternoon. If you give it to them in afternoon, you’ll have you’re laundry back by the next morning.

Although this isn’t the largest cost on our trip, I consider it our “splurge”. It’s so nice going back to the hotel room and knowing you don’t have to do laundry or maneuver around drying laundry. But see what works best for you…you can always try washing the first half of your trip and if that doesn’t work for you, try having your laundry done for you on the second half of your trip.

Baby shampoo or woolite works well for handwashing clothes. As others have stated, some fabrics are better than others for this.

A couple years ago I did a 3 week trip across Spain and Portugal with just 2 pairs of pants, 3 t-shirts and one long sleeved shirt. You can get thin liner socks that dry quickly and wear them inside of thicker walking/hiking socks. REI has some clothes that are great for travel.

It's really personal preference. Some people hand wash, others look for laundry facilities.

I don't mind hand washing. As I'm only carrying enough clothes for 3-4 days, it wouldn't make sense for me to look for a laundromat that often. (I usually stay in hotels that don't have laundry facilities.)

I travel with quick drying, wrinkle free clothing. It takes about 15 minutes every couple of days to do my laundry. And then, about every 10 days or so, I'll try to find a laundry to do a thorough cleaning--especially pants and sweaters since I travel quite a bit during off season. (If anyone can suggest a good quick-drying sweater that can be hand washed and will dry overnight I'd appreciate it.)

On my next trip, I plan on staying in an apartment or two and will look for those with washers.

Interesting how this topic has generated so much discussion!

One thing I might add: many small inns or B&Bs have outdoor clotheslines at your disposal, especially in Italy. This has worked very well for me with hand washing. In Cinque Terre, for example, the breeze continually blows, so everything I wash in the evening, including jeans, is dry by morning. Also, things will dry faster if you wring them out, lay them flat on a large towel, roll the towel up like a long sausage, then twist the towel between 2 people as tight as possible. We call this "turkish toweling" and it takes most of the moisture out of everything. If you have anything that doesn't dry in time to pack up for your next destination, ask the housekeeper for a small garbage bag to put it in before you pack up. Then just hang the items out again when you get to your next lodging. Have a fun trip!

A couple of facts seem to have gotten lost in this discussion. First of all, the availability of self-service laundries varies enormously from country to country. They are everywhere in the UK; lots of luck finding one in village Italy. Second, there is the phenomenon of the wash-and-fold laundry service, which has all but disappeared in the U.S. These places are much more reasonable than hotel services. If you don't pass one on the street, someone at your hotel or a TI office can direct you. You do need to plan a bit, as sometimes these places need 24 hours turn around time. I would consider hotel laundry service only as a last resort. A number of years ago, even with a strong dollar, the laundering of one bag of duds cost us $32 at a pousada in Portugal! I am no fan of laundry in the sink, but I always prepare for it. You can get travel packets of Woolite or Tide at big drug chains like Walgreens. I think even shampoo would work in a pinch.

Thanks, Kim, for reminding everyone to be nice.

In response to your comment about Ireland, I have traveled there and not had problems finding laundromats in cities or larger towns. In the more rural areas, again, if I'm not staying at a hostel (which always have laundry facilities on site), I politely ask the owner of the B&B or guesthouse if I can use their washer/dryer. I don't take advantage of the situation by tying up their machine for hours. I'll do 1 load - that's it. Sometimes I ask to use only the washer and then hang clothes to dry in my room. If I have something heavy like jeans that may still be slightly damp after air drying a few hours, I'll then ask if I can use the dryer for 10 minutes.

Corrin's trip is just over 2 weeks and they are bringing clothing to last a week, I'm sure at one point during the middle of their trip, there will be access to a machine which should carry them over to the end of their trip. If they were only bringing 2 or 3 outfits, then I would say by all means stick to using the sink to wash out clothing every night. If Corrin is staying in a hostel, it will not cost much to do a load of laundry. Most hostels charge about 2-3 Euro for a wash, 2 Euro for 30 minutes of drying time and 1 Euro for a single use packet of laundry detergent.

Our last trip to Italy (we were gone 4 weeks), we had a hard time getting laundry done by the hotels as we were not staying long enough. Even laundromats who do it for you wanted at least three days. Finally, in Bergamo, I found a self serve. It took me 4 hours to do the laundry as the dryers were ten minutes per load and 6 of the 10 minutes were in cool down mode. It took forever. My upcoming 3 week holiday will include hand washing only. Live and learn.

For washing clothes by hand, in a sink in a hotel room, I do not recommend using Tide detergent powder. Rinsing that detergent out of the clothes can be difficult. I think the liquid soap that Rick Steves sells (in a small plastic bottle), or "Camp Suds" that is in the REI catalog, is good for hand washing of a small amount of clothes. Use a very small amount of liquid soap. Clothes are not likely to be very dirty.