Laundry in the sink?

I used the sink for everything. I have never tried washing something as bulky as jeans though. I use inflatable hangers and a clothes line. I also take a couple of hangers with clips for pants that I leave behind when it is time to go home. Next trip I will bring a microfiber towel to soak up more of the water, so hopefully the clothes will dry even faster. On a 3.5 week trip I only used laundry mats two times.

We have a gender difference here. I'm married to one of these "other" people, but I have never paid much attention to her clothes. I can only tell you about my clothes.

I go to Europe with three sets of underwear (one worn) and four shirts (one worn), golf style. Everything is cotton/polyester blend and dries easily overnight. Pants, khakis, are a different problem. I have never succeeded in washing those "en trip". For the shirts, I have inflatable hangers, the width of which keeps the sides apart and promotes drying.

For colder weather, I carry a sweater and wear a down parka. That works for me.

To add to what Andrea said, I wring out everything before hanging up to dry in the bathmat. Whatever I use is still going to be wet in the morning. I'd rather step out of the shower onto a wet bathmat than try to dry myself with a wet bath towel.

How long is your trip? If it's a week, you shouldn't need to wash clothes at all. If it's 2 weeks, what we always do is find a laundry - not a laundromat - that will take your bag of clothes & wash them for you & return them the next morning all dried, folded, and bundled. They usually charge you by the kilogram. Places like this are pretty easy to find in Europe in our experience.

I haven't tried laundering anything besides socks and undies in a sink either, but I can recommend Quick Fresh™ Natural Odor Eliminator from the RS Travel Store. You spray it on pants, shirts, etc. and it really freshens them up, almost as if they have been washed. The website says you can spray it on your clothes while you are still in them, but I prefer to hang them up, spray, and let them dry/air out overnight (although it doesn't take that long).

I bet it's the same odor eliminator used in hospitals, right? Similar (like Febreeze to the max)?

Thanks all. So far, not much of what I planned to bring dries very well.

I like the idea of a laundry service. Thanks!

Great input, thank you all. Keep em comin' (I'm an overachiever)

Here's the link to the odor eliminator:

http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&theParentId=150&id=246

Have been to Ireland twice for 2 week trips. We have done all of our laundry with the sink method. We each take 1-3 oz bottle of woolite or equal generic liquid laundry soap. Be sure to mix the soap into the water before adding clothing. We have either light polyster knit slacks(for my wife) or microfiber dress pant for me. Our shirts are lightweight, usually 100% rayon from Walmart. I usually do the washing, as I have more strength in my hands, and I double ring each item out, then roll them in a microfibre towel (we each take one) and step on the rolled up towel on the bath mat with bare feet. The MF towel is always dry by morning, and the clothes are nearly dry by the next day, and always dry by day 2. We always plan our sink laundry for the 1st night of a 2 day stay in the same B&B. It has worked well for us! Good luck! Dan

Once, on a 6 week trip to Europe, my sister and I washed our jeans out in the tub by soaping them up and then washing them like you see videos of women washing cloths in a river! Luckily it was summer time and they were dry after 3 days of hanging them on our balcony. They were actually quite clean too!

On our yearly 2 to 3 month Europe trips we wash everything in the sink. Most of our clothes are Tilley (www.tilley.com) bought over the years and only used during our travels. Just wring them out in the bath mat, or towel and become a European by using the radiators in the room to drap your wet clothing and /or towels over if the heat is on. This is very Italian - they all do it. Once in a blue moon we have used the laundry facilities in a hostel. For soap we use Lush shampoo bars - good for clothes, hair and body!
Buon viaggio!

I've collected a set of clothes just for travel and, with the addition of some REI Adventure pants, everything dries overnight. I look for sales and buy good stuff that will stand up to the rigors of travel.

I'm always on the lookout for lightweight clothing that will dry quickly for travel. We've done lots of sink laundry.

What we do is make sure we wash a few things each night, so if something isn't dry the next day, we still have more clean clothes we can wear. And I recycle my clothes and my kids' clothes, so we wear them a couple of times before washing them. We've hung clothes in bathrooms, in windows, and on clotheslines that the owners of our accommodations had.

In case some of you guys were wondering hotels in Europe do offer laundry service. I always used it!

I pretest everything I pack for it's ability to wash and wear. I take three pairs of underarmor underwear and three identical pairs of socks (in case I lose a sock or two) that dry well overnight. I pack two or three t-shirts that can be sink washed and hung dry overnight and two or three button up shirts for a total of five. That includes what I wear on the plane.

I normally wash a pair of underwear, pair of socks and an occasional t-shirt daily. Button up shirts and pants, although also picked to hand wash/dry easily, are usually worn several times and laundered at a laundromat every couple of weeks. I bring a Tide stick for the occasional spill.

My wash technique is to use a very large zip-lock bag as my "washing machine" rather than just using the sink. I think mine is a Hefty big bag, probably about 2 gallon size. I tend to make a mess around the sink just washing my hands so the bag helps me keep things neat while I vigourously shake my clothes clean and rinse several times.

For warmth. I have found several really nice washable wool sweaters that can either be hand washed or laundered. My favorite came from LL Bean on clearance at the end of the season. I also pack a lightweight (100 weight) full zip fleece jacket that washes and dries easily. I also have some polyester sweaters but I'm now avoiding them. Layering polyesters tends to create a lot of static electricity, I like to put a layer of natural material(silk, wool) between layers of synthetics.

I wash underwear and socks in the sink, and the ocassional shirt if I get something on it (spot cleaning).

On almost every trip to Europe, we have a middle portion where we're renting a car. The back window of a car on a sunny day is a great place to dry clothes. In addition, then they're not continually hanging all over the bathroom.

Hi Elizabeth,

Every 2 years my husband, son and myself spend 6 weeks in Europe. We always handwash all of our clothes in the bathtub and let them dry on hangers near windows.

Paula

We do socks/underwear in the sink, or even the occassional shirt/pants if we run low.

We plan on hitting a laundrymat every 4 or 5 days. It really doesn't take very long, costs very little, and is a great place to meet people.

The laundry just west of the Main Train Station in Rome is nice, and the one in Vernazza is particularly social.

In some cities your hotel can send clothes out for you and bring them back the same day or the next morning.

I've found that when traveling in cooler weather, I mainly need to wash the inner layers of tops. So my tees and long undies get sink washed, but I don't bother with the outer layers except for spot treatment as needed.

The tip on using heated towel racks to accelerate drying is a great one, but watch out for really hot ones. I fried a set of soytopia undies once that way!!

In over 100 days traveling in Germany, I have only seen two laundromats, no laundries. I found my first Internet Cafe while looking for a laundromat in Freilassing. Never found the laundromat.

On my first trip (business) to Europe (Belgium) I used the hotel laundry service for about five days of underwear and dress shirts. Cost me more than the room for a night.

In Germany, if you stay in a Ferienwohnung (vacation apartment) they will sometimes have a cloths washer and dryer in the kitchen. Ferienwohnungen usually have a minimum stay requirement, often a week.

In over 100 days traveling in Germany, I have only seen two laundromats, no laundries. I found my first Internet Cafe while looking for a laundromat in Freilassing. Never found the laundromat.

On my first trip (business) to Europe (Belgium) I used the hotel laundry service for about five days of underwear and dress shirts. Cost me more than the room for a night.

In Germany, if you stay in a Ferienwohnung (vacation apartment) they will sometimes have a cloths washer and dryer in the kitchen. Ferienwohnungen usually have a minimum stay requirement, often a week.

Before leaving home, I spray our clothing with ScotchGard Fabric Protector. The treated clothing repels dirt and stains and stays cleaner, longer. Also, since the dirt cannot penetrate the treated fabric as readily, clothes come out cleaner when hand washed.

Laundry/Dry Cleaners in Germany are called "Wascherei" or "Chemische Reinigung". In my experience there's generally a similar number of these places in European towns & cities as you'd find in the U.S.

Beats washing in the hotel sink every time.

And no, unless desperate NEVER use hotel laundry services.

Elizabeth,

I have tried doing laundry in hotel sinks and find it a total pain! On an average 2 week trip we budget for 2 laundry service days. What this means is that the Rick Steves recommended hotel we are staying at offers a service where you hand them your laundry in the morning, they send it out (or have it picked up)by an outside laundry service, and they have it waiting in your room by 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon of the same day.

There was one Rick steves recommended hotel in Seville that did not offer this service, so we walked 2 blocks, dropped off our laundry to be done for us, and returned the next day to pick it up all freshly clean and folded. This is works so much better for us than trying to wash things out in a tiny bathroom and then having clothes hanging all over the place or spending an hour or more in a laundromat doing it ourselves.

Washing laundry in the sink has been successfully done by many travelers on this forum...and they swear by it. I swear by sending it out to be done at a fairly minimal cost.

My wife,who is the washing specialist in our family,also uses the 2 gallon bag.Put in water and soap,add clothing and shake like crazy.It gets clothing clean and does it without a mess.A couple of rinses and hang it up.

Liquid shampoo will work. Some leave a pleasant fragrance. I just use the hotel mini bottles. It's hard for me to find mini bottles of Woolite.

If you hit a great sale, buying something might be cheaper than sending laundry out.

My pants always take 2 days+ to dry, but I've found tencel to dry faster than all cotton.

I've so enjoyed reading everyone's great ideas. Thanks!

I'm finding I'm learning more than I expected.

I love Love LOVE the idea of using a big zip bag for agitating the wash. Brilliant!

I make my own laundry soap at home, so Fels Naptha is a staple. Probably would be the easiest to transport too, I'll most likely cut 1/3 of a bar and take it with me for sink washing. I also use Dr. Bonners soap, which can be used head to toe--and on laundry. Guess I'll see how much is in my bag and how heavy it is before I decide.

We're staying near Termini in Rome, so I think we'll hit a laundromat there and then maybe again in the CT. I love the idea of meeting some people.

I'm hearing mixed reviews on laundry service.

You don't have to find 3 oz bottles of woolite...Walmart has numerous 3 oz bottles with secure leak-proof lids, to purchase in their minitures section. We get as many different colors of bottles as we need, and use them for shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap, or any liquid you might want to take along. Dan

Quick-dry fabrics, light silks, and thin cottons dry pretty fast.

Also, wearing pantyliners is a good way to keep your pants fresher longer.

Also agree with JER that during cooler-weather travel, I usually only need to wash the inner layers, unless I'm traveling more than 2 weeks.

If you're bringing a stretchy rubber clothesline, you might want to bring 2 mini carabiners, or S-hooks - it'll allow you to wrap/attach the clothesline around more things.

In addition to inflatable hangers, I've also heard some long balloons are good to put into shirt sleeves & pants legs to help them dry faster (I haven't tried that myself yet).

Everyone has great suggestions so far. Just for the record, you shouldn't wait to see how long your clothes dry until you're on your trip, test them NOW. Try washing (bar soap, liquid soap), wringing, wrapping in towels or microfiber, using inflatable hangers (my favorite!), or whatever technique you think you'll use. Wash and let dry in your bathroom, in your cold spare bedroom, basement, or somewhere else in your house (if you can find it) that approximates the weather you'll have on your trip. For example, even if you're in Venice in August, the humidity will keep any laundry from drying fast regardless of the temperature. I've bagged what seemed like reasonable choices long before I packed to leave, and ended up taking things I thought I'd never travel with. I now have a solid set of travel clothes in a modest green/tan/black color palate that I don't have to think much about before packing.

I wash undies and socks in the sink, only. It takes too much time to wash pants, jeans, shirts, sweaters in a tub (I travel in winter). Nothing dries on time. The soap never really seems to get fully rinsed off. My wrists start to hurt. To me, the time you take to wash, rinse, wring out, and wait for the clothes to dry, is not worth it. We took out a laundry service at our hotel. Gave them a bag in the AM, and when we got home, they were hanging up, wrinkle free in our closet. If you were to go to a laundry-mat, it would only take 1.5-2 hours, not too long, plus you can read, chill, and hang out with the locals.

CL is absolutely right. Test everything you're taking before you go. Don't take anything that doesn't look wearable after being handwashed. The higher the synthetic fiber in a garment the quicker the dryer time. I never leave home without my car chamois. Roll and squeeze as others have suggested. The more times you do this the shorter the drying time. Do your laundry at night as soon as you get back to the hotel in order to optimize your drying time. Hang near a radiator if possible. Also, what does your room's window look out on? The hotel I like in Rome has shuttered windows that open onto the roof. I put my hanger on the inside of one of the shutter slats, pull the shutter closed and shut the window. I don't the hotel has a clue I'm hanging my laundry out. I've done this in any hotel that doesn't have a good view from the window (or a good view of the window from the outside!). In all the trips I've made to different countries, I've never once used a laundry.

I generally travel in summer so my clothes are lightweight and the weather is warm. I've had good luck washing silk-cotton t-shirts, sun-protective long-sleeved shirts, and lightweight cotton pants in hotel sinks [socks and undies too as many have mentioned]. Wringing things out in a microfiber towel makes a big difference; I also use inflatable hangers for shirts and balloons for shirt sleeves and pants legs, to make sure the air can move through. And if your hotel has a hair dryer, that's a great way to jump-start the drying process or give it a push partway through. It's particularly good for socks! Also, even in summer, I can often wear things for more than one day before they need to be washed. Have a wonderful trip!

Elizabeth, I agree with the last posters' method of washing laundry. Although more expensive I buy the packets of liquid Woolite (no leaks) and wash everything in the sink. Long pants and capris made of microfiber/nylon polyester etc. Brands such as Royal Robbins,North Face, Tilley etc. wash and dry really well. Although haven't used the stomping method(yet)I do wring everything in the microfibre towel first, shake out,smooth and hang up on travel clotheline and any other space in room that works. The inflatable hangers are very handy for shorts and blouses. I also bring a flat rubber sink stoppper as not all sinks have water tight plugs. Husband and I travelled for 32 days in Italy (RS Convertible bag) and had no trouble doing laundry every so often, always on 1st evening of hotel stay . Very liberating way to pack and travel, we found. Buon viaggio, Sherry

Lexma, glad to see that someone else has used the back shelf in a car for drying; on a sunny day, undies will dry very fast. I just bought some of the little pocket sheets for laundry, shaving & shampoo today to try before our trip to France & Germany in June/. I first saw them in a Magellan's catalog and found them at REI. I hope they work because they're small and non-liquid. In the past I've taken a small bottle of powdered lingerie soap (Nordstrom)which works well for anything else you wash yourself. RS clothesline is by far the best I've tried.