Laundry

You might see if one of the laundry pens like Tide-to-go or Oxiclean works. Perhaps give it a try before you go. Another possibility is to bring some of the laundry powder for whites and give it a good soak.

Did you check to see if your hotels in Australia have self-service laundry? That was one of the nice things about New Zealand. I did a small load at several of the hotels in the evening. I wish more hotels offered this.

i’ve gotten to the point that I rarely wash anything in the sink anymore. Underwear and socks take up virtually no space so I don’t skimp on them. I typically take 10 pairs of socks and underwear and 7 shirts in my carry-on sized bag. I can easily go 7 to 10 days without washing. If I am not staying in a place with a washer and dryer, I head to a laundromat. I’ve found that I can get the laundry done in under an hour. I typically go in the morning when the laundromat opens. After putting the clothes in the washer, I set a timer on my phone with the length of the wash. I go get a coffee and use the time to catch up on email or write in my travel journal. I actually prefer going to the laundromat to spending the time handwashing and I don’t have to hang up laundry in the room. It works best when the laundromat is within a few blocks of your hotel. I’ve also used the wash and fold service in some places or stayed in flats or hotels with a washer/dryer; it really just depends on what is available in the particular country where I am traveling.

I wash whatever I want to in a hotel, squeeze excess water out in a towel, and hang the stuff in the closet to dry. Then I put the "Do not disturb" sign on the door because I prefer no housekeeping anyway.

I'd bring the orange shirt, as well as the white one. Your daughter's not going, right?

So far the only hotel we’ve encountered with the “no laundry sink washing, please” has been in Greece on the island of Naxos and they provided the “fill the bag” service for a very reasonable set price. I really wish more hotels did this because it was very nice not to have to do and it saves their room from the people that are not consciousness about water ruining the floor, etc.

We wash small items of clothing in the shower instead of the sink and wring them out. Then we hang them on a braided clothes line in the shower so there is no dripping on the floor or carpets. But we have not yet encountered a sign telling us not to wash our clothes. We have sent out heavier pants and shirts a few times when that service was available.

I do my wash in a 2Gal ziplock bag so I can leave it to soak for a while. If you take the oxyclean you might be able to make a little paste and put it on the collar and cuffs if they get dingy.

As to the no washing signs….I ran into that twice on my long-ago RS Best of Europe trip. Those signs were up in the tour hotels in Bacharach, Germany and Stechelberg Switzerland. I washed undies in each location at night then if they weren’t dry in the AM, hit them with the blow dryer so I could stash back in my suitcase. I waited until the next hotel to wash shirts and pants.

Strategy for not losing the white blouse? I’d make it a practice when you take it off to put it across your suitcase and never on the bed. It’s probably one of those thing that if you develop a routine, like always stashing your passport or money in the same place, that it will become habit.

I've only seen the no-clothes-washing sign one time; perhaps I've been lucky. I don't trust dryers not to shrink my clothes, so sink-washing is my best option when traveling.

I roll all undergarments and my sleep shirt in the bathmat and stomp on it before hanging those things somewhere in the bathroom. They never drip after the stomping treatment. When they're almost totally dry, I might hang them elsewhere in the room where there's better airflow, but my plan is to be able to return them to my suitcase before I leave the room the next day. Wet blouses and slacks I hang inside the shower/tub so they can't drip on the bathroom floor. When they are close to totally dry, I move them to other spots in the bathroom if I have more wet garments to hang in the shower or need to use the shower myself. I'm aggressive about starting on my laundry soon after I arrive at a new hotel; it helps that I'm usually traveling solo, so I only need space for my own clothes.

For spot-removal I carry a very small bottle of Zout, a liquid spot remover that has worked well for me. My summer-long travel wardrobe always includes a solid white cotton blouse and a second cotton blouse that's mostly white. On the one occasion when the inside of my collar looked dirty, Zout did the trick. It hasn't let me down on food stains, either, but I believe it is true that no single spot remover will remove all types of stains.

I have yet to run into the "no sink washing sign" but even if I did, I probably would ignore it. Not out of dudgeon, but because I doubt housekeeping would notice. Perhaps there are a few more used towels than might ordinarily have been used, but that's about it. I rarely stay at a place for only one night - and if I did, I probably wouldn't be sink washing. So anything that has been washed but not dry enough to pack or wear, is placed in the closet or wardrobe. And like jules, I'm careful not to mar furniture and I wipe up any drips.

I had a relative that would not take their best garments and undergarments on European trips. Instead of washing clothes out, she would just throw them away and buy new ones as needed. Now that is traveling light.

I pack all such items in zip lock plastic bags and squeeze the air out--making them a hard brick. Packing cubes work well too.

Jules, the only time I saw a “no washing” sign was in a little B&B in Hvar, Croatia. Unfortunately, I saw it after I had just washed my underwear & dress. I left them to hang dry in the shower. It was a 1-night stop, so no staff saw them.

Is there a specific country where you’re seeing the signs? I will be going to the Christmas markets soon in Austria, Germany & France. I am planning to wash a 32 Degree thin top and underwear each afternoon to be dry the next morning. I hope that’s not an issue.

From the master himself at https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/health/laundry

"Most European hotels prefer that you not do laundry in your room. Some bathrooms even have a multilingual "no washing clothes in the room" sign (which, after "eat your peas," may be the most ignored rule on earth). Interpret hoteliers' reticence as "I have lots of good furniture and fine floors in this room, and I don't want your drippy laundry ruining things." As long as you wash carefully and are respectful of the room, go right ahead."

As for white a product a friend of mine swears by is fels naptha bar soap. She is a runner and uses it to get the mud out of her white socks. The bonus is that it is not a liquid that has to fit in your 3-1-1. You can buy it at Walmart, Ace Hardware, Amazon, many places.

Jules, that's interesting because back when I first started traveling overseas in the mid-90s, I used to see either signs like that or would find that the stopper to the sink was removed so that you couldn't do laundry there, or at least it made it difficult to do. That's when I started bringing a round tub stopper, sink stopper with me.

But I don't think I've seen a sign like that in the last 20 years, so I'm finding it interesting that you are seeing it now. I'm wondering if that prohibition is coming back. Or maybe it never left, and I just lucked out.

But I agree with the others that as long as you do it respectfully and with care for the hotel furniture, it's fine to wash out some things in the sink.

In all my years living in Australia I never saw a 'no washing' sign in a hotel - indeed it's common to see retractable drying lines over bathtubs or showers.

In terms of washing facilities, they're not common on hotels (which tend to provide laundry services) but common in serviced apartments and aribnbs. And plenty of space to dry on the balcony.

@Simon and Laura, just a general question. I’ve been seeing these signs in Europe, a few times in southern Italy, and just recently in Yorkshire, England. More of a curiosity than anything. Thought this was a good group to ask since many of us pack light and travel for extended periods. A few of the places I'm staying in Australia do have laundry facilities.

@ G3rryCee, we had a good laugh over your comment. My daughter said, "Motherrrrr, that blouse is in all your Christmas cards!" It really is quite ugly. I may just bring it if I feel like I have room. Of course since its so ugly, but so useful, I've traveled with it a fair amount. And it spites me because it never attracts a food stain, gets grimy or lost.

@Pam, love the large bag idea. I'm sure it works great, and when I do sink wash, inevitably, my husband needs to use the sink.

@Ann, I'll look for the Zout!

@Trotter, I'm with you. It's my room for the duration, and if I'm careful and its just a few things, I think it should be my prerogative. If I can wait to the next hotel, sometimes I'll do that.

@Mardee, maybe its the places I stay. Generally mid priced, family owned properties. Typically, not a larger place or a chain. Fairly Often, a Rick Steve kind of place.

Typically, I wash items while I shower. It is so much easier, and things get rinsed better. I hang in the shower, or over the tub until I can see that all the dripping is done. I try to hang items in the bathroom, but sometimes the humidity is so high in a bathroom.

In Sicily, several of the places had large drying racks. The place we stayed in Palermo had one, and I had my stuff drying in the corner of the large bathroom. When we returned from the day, housekeeping had moved it to the little balcony. My mother would have died! Unmentionables, out for the world to see. I apologized to the housekeeper that the rack had evidentially been in her way. Her response was that the items would dry better in the sun.

I think if I had something important, like maybe pants, that really needed a good washing, I would seek out a laundromat, but I just don't feel like I'd want to take the time. Mostly, I just wash a few things every few days.

When we returned from the day, housekeeping had moved it to the little balcony. My mother would have died! Unmentionables, out for the world to see.

I must think like your mother! There have been balconies where I've been tempted put out my unmentionables but have resisted the temptation. Who wants to look up and see that! The only things I've put out on a balcony is a bathing suit or beach towel when I've been in beach towns.

"love the large bag idea. I'm sure it works great, and when I do sink wash, inevitably, my husband needs to use the sink."

That made me laugh because although I travel solo, inevitably I need to use the sink right after I've "put in a load", hahaha. I also reinforce the side seams with mailing tape so I can easily set it in the shower to soak.

How does your stuff dry when not outside in the sun? I don't give it a thought--undies or not. That is how everyone in Italy does it after all! In many rooms, there is not even space for a rack, and my stuff would moulder while attempting to dry in a bathroom.

jules I gather you are not looking to spend money on this conundrum, but I pack lightweight sun shirts to wear when outdoors. I avoid white in most of life but especially travel because I can't go five seconds without getting it dirty. A light blue or grey would be versatile and not show as much. If not outright exercising, I take merino tunics for layering--wonderful because they don't require as frequent washing white is just too much trouble.

I'm similar to Janet. I wash a few pair of underwear and socks, maybe my merino T shirt. As I'm usually solo travel there are lot of towels to soak up moisture once I've squeezed out by hand. I hang in the closet with my other clothing. Typically it's dry by the next morning or evening. Of course I plan my packing and washing so that i do the washing on the first evening of a multi night stay so I know it will be dry.

I've never seen a No laundry sign, but I'm probably not as widely travelled as some of you on this forum.

I don't need room service every day too - I put out the do not disturb sign each morning. I get the room service if I want the garbage emptied, I don't need it for new towels each day or having the bed made up.

There was no sign, but I’m pretty sure the host of a B&B I stayed in once in England did not like the ALMOST DRY underpants I hung up in my ensuite bathroom. She removed them all and hung them up on a line in the garden, where they were RAINED ON. So she moved the now soaking wet underpants to in front of her Aga stove in the kitchen. When they were dry, she slowly COUNTED THEM OUT into my hands, as if I was worried one might be missing. My best friend was giggling in the background.

This incident might be one reason I prefer the privacy of an apartment with a washing machine when traveling!