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People often ask how my family can travel for weeks at a time without bringing massive suitcases. We just returned from a seven-week trip through Europe, and we only packed about seven days’ worth of clothes because we do laundry along the way.
This strategy saves us money by avoiding hefty checked bag fees, keeps us from lugging around multiple oversized suitcases and means we don’t have to waste vacation time shopping for clothes or laundry supplies. Another big reason is that my family has sensitive skin, so we like using the same fragrance-free detergent we use at home instead of whatever happens to be available at a laundromat or hotel.
One of the smartest travel items we pack is laundry detergent sheets (thanks to reader Sandy M. for the tip). Unlike liquid detergent, they’re lightweight, take up almost no space, can’t leak inside your suitcase and are TSA-friendly. We usually tear the sheets in half before leaving home since most travel loads are smaller than a full load anyway.
If we can’t find our detergent sheets, we’ll sometimes bring a handful of liquid laundry pods instead. We put them in an old hard-shell sunglasses case for extra protection, then slip the case into a resealable plastic bag just in case one leaks. It takes up very little room and has worked well for us over the years.
Our laundry strategy
No matter how long the trip is, we try to pack only about a week’s worth of clothing. Then we plan to do laundry every six or seven days.
If we’re staying in an Airbnb or vacation rental, one of the first things we look for is a washing machine. If we’re on a cruise, we’ll use the self-service laundry if it’s available (another reason we love Princess). Hotel guest laundry rooms are becoming increasingly rare, but we’ll happily use one when we find it. If none of those options exist, we’ll head to a local laundromat or drop our clothes off at a fluff-and-fold service. We’ve used all of these options over the years.
How it worked on our latest trip
How it worked on our latest tripOur recent seven-week trip was a perfect example. Our first stop was a Whimstay apartment in Paris (pictured above) that included a washing machine, so we started the trip with clean clothes before boarding a Viva river cruise. The river cruise didn’t offer self-service laundry, so we simply waited until our next opportunity.
A few days later, we boarded Princess Cruises’ Enchanted Princess (pictured above), which had several self-service laundry rooms. The machines were clean, easy to use and cost $3.50 per load to wash and another $3.50 to dry. Pro tip: Set an alarm on your phone for about five minutes before your cycle ends so you can get back before it finishes. It’s courteous to other guests who may be waiting for a machine and helps prevent someone from removing your clothes and placing them on top of the washer or dryer.
After the cruise, we spent a week in an Airbnb on the island of Ischia that also had a washing machine, so we were able to go to Finland with clean clothes.
If none of those options had been available, I would’ve done what I’ve done on many other trips: find a local laundromat or use a wash-and-fold service. I’ve done laundry at laundromats in places like Sausalito, California (photo above), and have used fluff-and-fold services in Australia, South Africa and Italy. They’re often inexpensive and can save you hours of vacation time.
One more tip: If I can’t figure out how to use a washing machine, I take a photo of the controls and ask ChatGPT how to work it (here’s some real life examples). It’s been a lifesaver in vacation rentals overseas, where the labels are usually in another language and the settings can be confusing.
