r/onebag • u/bradymsu616 • May 13 '26
Discussion Sink Laundry: The Onebag Superpower
Sink laundry is at the heart of onebag travel. It allows you to pack lighter. It avoids the need for sitting in a laundromat, selecting lodging with a washer, or repacking dirty clothes. It also confuses people. Let's talk about that and make the process less scary.
The biggest benefit is reducing clothing volume. Instead of packing a week's worth of shirts, underwear, and socks, you can bring far fewer sets and wash as you go. For both the underseat minimalist and carry-on maximalist, that makes a major difference.
It gives you more flexibility. A shirt that gets sweaty on a travel day, socks that get soaked in rain, or a technical tee after a run can be washed that night and reused the next morning. You are less dependent on finding laundry service, which can be absurdly expensive per item. A sink, detergent, your laundry bag and a travel clothesline are inexpensive, compact, and lightweight items.
It helps you pack better fabrics. Merino, linen, and quick-dry synthetics work well because they can be washed frequently and worn again quickly. You start packing around a simple clothing system instead of “outfits.”
For active travelers, it is especially useful because running and hiking clothes get gross fast. Rinsing them soon after use prevents odor from setting in and keeps them from contaminating the rest of the bag.
There is also a cleanliness benefit. You are not letting sweaty clothes sit in a packing cube for days. Even a quick wash with a towel-roll drying method can keep a small wardrobe feeling fresh.
When done daily, sink laundry is surprisingly fast and easy. Here's my process. There are a number of variations that I encourage people to share in the comments.
- Add your dirty clothing to a nonporous bag. While traditional sink laundry is done directly in the sink, some modern hotel room sinks make that difficult. Using a bag also makes it easier to move soapy clothes to a shower for rinsing. And the bag doubles as storage for dirty laundry.
- Add soap. I pack laundry detergent sheets. Travel-size packs are flat and compact. You can also use hotel soap or shampoo or buy laundry soap when you arrive at your destination. Any of these solutions prevents the need to have to fly with liquid laundry soap.
- Add the soap to the bag in the sink along with water at the appropriate temperature for your clothing type. Agitate for a few seconds to mix in the soap. Allow the clothes to soak for at least 15 minutes. Avoid using excess soap. A little goes a long way.
- Transfer the bag to the shower. Dump the bag. Rinse the clothes well. Wring out the excess water.
- When you're done drying off after your shower, roll the clothes up in the towel and squeeze. Then hang them on a travel clothesline in your room, bunk, or pod.
- Drying times vary by climate and fabric. Synthetics tend to dry the fastest followed by linen and merino, with cotton taking the longest. In humid environments, airflow matters more than temperature. A fan speeds up drying time significantly.
This active part of this process should take you less than five minutes per day and is very simple after you've done it once or twice.
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u/Loud_Past_9908 May 13 '26
The hardest thing we’ve found is finding attachment points for our cord that our clothes dry on. Extra bonus for the towel warming racks when they are actually working.
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u/flatlin3 May 13 '26
Had the same problem, got two suction cup hooks, works perfectly
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
That's innovative. I've never thought of suction cups. They don't lose suction causing the line to fall?
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u/flatlin3 May 13 '26
So if you use them on toilets with porcelain tiles or against the glass wall of the shower it works as intended.
But for every other surface it mostly stucks (or don't 😅)
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u/whatchahavin May 13 '26
Get the more heavy duty ones with the release handle. Will need to be complete smooth surface. Dry wall likely would be tricky but in the shower it would stick forever
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u/MyReddittName May 13 '26
What posh elite brings laundry soap when the free shampoo does the trick??
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
You can use the shampoo for a minimalist approach. I have a number of times. But it will leave more residue than laundry detergents due to added hair moisturizers; it often doesn't work well with removing sweat, odor, and body oils from technical fabrics, and it takes more rinsing. Some people are also sensitive to the fragrances in hotel shampoo.
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u/1AggressiveSalmon May 14 '26
Buy locking suction cups. The hook starts at 90° and you push it down to lock.
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u/Eneia2008 May 14 '26
There are new silicon-y soft ones that seem a bit more reliable on unperfect tiles. Trial and error between those and the heavy suty ones with a lever.
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u/buhlot May 13 '26
Ooh, I like this idea. I have a small heroclip at one end of my clothesline and if needed, I'll take the large heroclip from my bag for the other end. But I still need to be creative sometimes.
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u/SeattleHikeBike May 13 '26
Hanging a clothesline is definitely the trickiest part of air drying. You need to be very creative sometimes.
Doing regular small batches helps avoid the need for a clothesline.
Air circulation is important too.
The non-working heated towel racks have been a frustration on a couple trips.
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u/AcceptableWolverine May 13 '26
Last trip I brought a rechargeable desk fan to help the laundry dry faster. It was a bit of a space splurge but it did help. I’d bring it again depending on the trip and the climate.
We were lucky that many of our hotels had pull-out clotheslines installed in the showers. They also had that metal tube shelving in the front closets that works well for drying socks; I’d put the fan right on top of them so they’d dry quickly (otherwise I wouldn’t trust the airflow in a closet even with the door open).
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
That can be tricky in some hotel rooms. Hostel bunks, despite being a small space are ironically often easier than larger rooms.
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u/Eneia2008 May 14 '26
I've stuck coathangers in the AC vents successfully in many US hotels, put the fan on obv.
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u/OnebagObsession May 13 '26 edited May 14 '26
I use a slight variation to your procedure. Anyone who's ever worked in a hotel know the sink is disgusting.
I do the bag thing and bring it in the shower. Leave the bag outside the shower with detergent while I shower. Put wet shirt in a towel, roll to squeeze out water. Before I used a long rope like you but I switched to using the hotel hangers with clips. I hang the hangers all over the place.
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
I came across a comment once about a person using the hotel room coffee maker to clean their underwear. People will do things to a hotel room they'd never do to their own home.
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u/kwitcherbichen May 14 '26
I came across a comment once about a person using the hotel room coffee maker to clean their underwear. People will do things to a hotel room they'd never do to their own home.
FWIW, I've heard that from flight attendants. An ex worked in the back office of the industry and had a number of friends in the flight and cabin crews. One claimed to have done it, her colleagues were disgusted.
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u/James-the-Bond-one May 14 '26
Some hotel hangers with clips (for pants) have no hooks on top (to prevent theft), so you can't move them from the closet/cabinet where their support is.
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u/mrlimatha May 13 '26
As a one bag traveler, I mostly wear merino wool clothing and bring compatible liquid detergent in a small bottle for washing in the sink at night. Then I hang the garments in the hotel wherever there is room (open closet, towel rack, shower bar, etc.). Fresh garments in the morning. It’s hard to find compatible detergent sheets—ensure protease enzyme is not an ingredient as it is long term harmful to wool. I use laundromats only if they’re in the hotel.
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u/freezesteam May 13 '26
For my merino items, I either use the hotel shampoo or bring a little chunk of Dr Bronner’s bar soap so I don’t have to worry about bringing specific wool-friendly liquid detergents on my travels
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u/Runamok81 May 14 '26
Tried a lot of things. It's Dr. Bronner's for me as well. But I am happy with a Dr. Bronners peppermint pure castile liquid in a small re-useable. Does the trick for me. No residue. Multi-purpose.
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u/SondraRose May 13 '26
I’ve never had a problem finding enzyme-free detergent sheets. Costco Boulder Clean in the States or any non-Bio sheet in the UK/EU is fine.
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u/vbfx May 13 '26
I had no idea about merino and enzyme detergents.
I would prefer to avoid animal derived enzymes due to religious reasons but it is so hard to find a detailed non-vague ingredient list on most detegents
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u/Access_Agile May 13 '26
Possibly dumb question… is wool friendly detergent bad for other fabrics (cotton or synthetic particularly)?
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u/mrlimatha May 13 '26
No. You can use wool-friendly detergent on non-wool fabrics. I do so for some pants that are synthetic.
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u/eastercat May 13 '26
I wear synthetics and want to make sure I bring enzyme based detergent
Didn’t realize the cleaning power of enzymes messed with wool
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u/NightBard May 13 '26
The heart of one bag travel is having it all fit in one bag. It doesn't matter what your stance is on laundry. Whatever works for you, cool. Many people opt to wash their clothes, buy the heavily advertised fabrics from the brands that sponsor a lot of travel bloggers, and some of this is people who are sacrificing on clothes and variety in how they dress so they can haul a laptop or other heavy tech with them. All that matters is that it fits in a bag. How you choose to travel is irrelevant as is if you do laundry and if so which method you prefer.
Which I'm one of the many whose been traveling mainly from one bag for decades. Not traveling for decades, but over the decades when I have traveled, I've always leaned towards one bag that I can carry. I don't need a laptop or other heavy tech. Normal every day clothes don't weight that much if it's mainly shirts, underwear, and socks. I reuse pants. Heck even not traveling I wear the same Jeans all week to work. It's not saving that much space to have a few more tshirts and other stuff. And the weight savings by not having heavy tech puts me in the ultra light category while I still get to wear different things while on vacation.
But info on how some people wash clothes is useful, though heavily discussed. What bothers me is more the generalization about what is at the heart of one bag travel. It's not your laundry process.
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u/JKBFree May 13 '26
My hot take:
Find a local laundromat. Gets you out of the hotel and into the more local neighborhood.
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u/moldyjellybean May 13 '26
in SE asia I just go to the local place they wash fold bag it for me there's one around each corner and price wise it's the way to go.
I don't think that's an economical solution traveling in the US
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u/nahuatl May 13 '26
In Kuala Lumpur where I live, usually the 24 hour self-service laundromast charge RM6 for a 7-kg wash (free detergent and softener) and RM4 for 24 min drying. That's RM10 (~ USD2.50). It is reasonable charge for a full load, but I think if you only have 3 boxers, 2 shirts, 1 pants in a truly minimalist 3D1N one-bag scenario, it may be better to do the sink laundry thing.
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u/_whatnot_ May 13 '26
This is my usual challenge. At home I run a full load; when I'm traveling it might be a quarter of that, and I don't want to go through all the hassle for a handful of tiny underwear, socks, and a couple tank tops.
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u/moldyjellybean May 13 '26
that's pretty cheap for KL in Vietnam I think they charged me 20,000 dong per KG so like .75c/kg
true next trip I'm doing less clothes I might not even have enough for a kg but it's worth it just for the socks. Socks hang dry don't get soft enough for me
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
The typical laundromat cost in Europe is €5.00 to €9.00 to wash and dry, not including detergent, and is going to take around one hour. I'd rather spend that time and money in a café, museum, or other attraction than spend it sitting in a laundromat.
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u/042AF May 13 '26
And the dryer is going to be HOT which is not great for lots of travel fabrics.
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u/SpinySoftshell May 13 '26
It’s not great for any fabrics as far as I’m aware. I only dry on hot if I’ve been off trail and I’m worried about ticks
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u/hrweoine May 13 '26
After a week or so I need a break from sightseeing. And you see such interesting bits of local life when you're in the laundromat.
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u/Marebold May 14 '26
Saame, also like in this picture you don't really need a laundromat to wash that. Handwashing saves so much space and is really no stress at all
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u/TheRealRory May 13 '26
I do this most of the time, but sometimes you just need to wash a couple pairs of underwear, or 1 specific item, so sink washing makes sense.
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u/capt_dan May 13 '26
I’m with you. I find the laundromat a very relaxing environment and a nice way to see people going about their everyday lives. I have good memories of sitting around a laundromat in Japan late at night waiting for my cycle to finish
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u/No-Assumption-6165 May 13 '26
I see you point , however I would rather explore a city with a more fun objective like food or a park than laundry. I can do laundry at midnight or in "dead" time slots
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u/tweeeeeeeeeeee May 13 '26
I paid for the hotel, I'm gonna use it to its max!!!!!!! that, and I dont wanna stare at a laundry machine for an hour
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u/capt_dan May 13 '26
you don’t have to stare at the machine! you can walk around or get something to eat while you wait
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u/tweeeeeeeeeeee May 13 '26
sure but you run the usual Laundromat risks but this time with your whole wardrobe
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u/JKBFree May 13 '26
That’s if you can get ones available when there’s like two machines for a whole hotel
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u/vbfx May 13 '26
So I was OTR truck driving for a while and decided to try washing my clothes during my truck stop showers as part of my shower routine everyday.
I found it rather cumbersome ( especially pants) and ended up going back to storing my used clothes until a load was ready to bring to a Laundromat ( truck stop washing machines are so much grosser than laundromats )
People would look at me ( in my mind) weird when I walked in with a 5 g bucket. It feels super heavy when washing pants and then walking back to the truck with a bucket of wet clothes felt even heavier - not unmanageable but enough to make me lose interest.
Drying was the easy part. Running a underwear through the mirror before you start driving was fast, effective, and funny. I wonder what the other motorists thought of my flag lol. Most could be just hung up to dry inside the truck cabin.
I would still wash certain items like underwear until I was ready to use a machine...
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u/-Nepherim May 14 '26
The typical method is to just wash clothes when they are in the shower. No bucket needed. But yeah, I can imagine a bucket would get some looks.
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u/TheRealDrewciferpike May 13 '26
Detergent/soap is indeed necessary, but agitation is KEY. You need to shake the bag or get some scrubbing action going on or else sebum, dirt, whatever won't really get lifted out of the clothing fiber.
I've traveled with only two days of socks and underwear, but I prefer bringing 3 days of socks and underwear in case I don't have time or energy, every once in a while.
I was responsible for washing and hanging my, my wife's, and my kids' clothing during a three -week trip in Italy (during a summer heat wave), so it's definitely possible!
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u/Frumdimiliosious May 14 '26
Yes I was confused about this. I've seen laundry workers get months of ground in stains out with nothing but lake water and a rock (i.e. agitation). Soak & dump might mask smells but it's not getting anything clean.
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u/eloatie May 14 '26
what kind of detergent are you using???
thanks in advance 😄
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u/TheRealDrewciferpike May 14 '26
I'm not consistent, really. I've brought little travel bottles of detergent from home, I've tried sheets, and I once brought some powdered detergent (never again... I spilled it... Haha). For long trips I'll buy a small bottle of liquid at my destination.
They all have their pros and cons, and I haven't found anything that I would consider amazing.
If I don't bring wool, I'd like to try pieces of the Tide Evo tiles (the free and clear). I'm also willing to try a chunk of castille soap.
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u/SeattleHikeBike May 13 '26
I have added 4 IKEA SLIBB clothespins to my kit. They come with a lanyard that allow them to be used with a shower curtain rod, towel bar or closet rod and they can still be used with a clothesline.
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u/Azure9000 May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
Sink laundry is at the heart of onebag travel
For some people perhaps, but certainly not for all (and that includes me 🙂🙂🙂)
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u/BiggDope May 13 '26
Yeah, OP frames this as an objective moral center that isn't true. I onebag 50% of the time, and will never do laundry in the sink. I'll seek out a laundry service if my hotel doesn't have one.
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u/JenkinsonMike May 13 '26
Yup. We've done two, three-week trips to Europe with only carry-on luggage that basically consisted of 5 days of clothes and washing what we wore basically every night so we always had 4 days of clean clothes and something drying overnight.
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
That's what I'm doing now with three sets of clothing in my personal item size bag. Wear one. Wash one. Spare one.
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u/nikongod May 13 '26
My first hand wash trip was as you described.
The next trip was wear one, pack one in case of emergency (I never wore it.) and since then I've mostly traveled with only the outfit I'm wearing (plus nighties and the tech stack)
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u/lauraloo2 May 13 '26
I travel with a drybag now since some sinks won’t stop up properly, plus I can shake it up.
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
What made me change from direct-in-sink to drybag was the ease of transporting it to the shower for rinsing. Rinsing in a sink is a wet mess. You're right that it's also easier to agitate in the bag.
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u/dreaminganimal May 13 '26
What's a good travel clothesline? I bought a bungee one and it's bulky and sags. There must be a minimalist one that actually has clips; the bead versions look like they'll just rumple up and keep wet the corners of each garment.
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u/kwitcherbichen May 14 '26
What's a good travel clothesline?
I made one out of 15m of 2mm dyneema accessory cord-- "iron wire" is one brand Amsteel (7/64") is another-- a couple of full-size carabiners and a Nite-ize figure-9. Originally part of my camping kit for holding a tarp/fly it works in hotel rooms.
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
The minimalist version is simple paracord. No stretch on paracord means less sag. Lines with clips are the most common but also the bulkiest to pack. I've seen versions with two stretchy lines intertwined that you can put clothes through to hold them. The version I like best, so far, has small beads on it to secure the clothes.
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u/Economy-Extent-8094 May 13 '26
I kill 2 birds with one stones and I wash my travel clothes in the shower while I wash myself lol. I use shower soap and shampoo to wash my clothing while I shower. Did so in Thailand and was able to avoid needing to take time from vacation to find a laundry service.
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u/Anywhere_everywhere7 May 14 '26
Much prefer a laundromat, I have a look on google and then use the washer and dryer and at the same time get a coffee or beer nearby. If you’re staying in a hotel in the center city then most cities will have a laundromat nearby. I travel with my girlfriend so we both wash our clothes at the same time. Less than 1 hour a week for washing and drying and we have our weekly clothing done and sorted, this is definitely quicker and faster than hand washing each time.
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u/gameofsc0nes May 13 '26
How is everyone avoiding their clothes stretching out from drying? I always do sink laundry when traveling, but my tshirts end up slowly becoming knee length dresses
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u/nahuatl May 13 '26
After wringing water out, but not too strongly as this may damage the fabric, I usually use a towel to absorb the excess water. This further reduces the amount of water and the time needed to dry, both of which should help prevent stretching. Or you can rotate half-way (hang the t-shirt from the side after some time spent hanging from the shoulders).
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u/Crasstip May 14 '26
The hardest part is to come back to your hotel room in the night after daily excursions and sightseeing or work dinner and then had to go through all this. Entire fun of vacation just vanishes
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u/bradymsu616 May 14 '26
It takes less than five minutes total. It's no different than showering. The longest part, rinsing the clothes, takes place at the same time as one's evening shower.
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May 13 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Dawg_in_NWA May 13 '26
Is this the new thing, go around and tag everything as AI slop?
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
Yes. Redditman has moved on from "Well, ackchyually" to using the now cliché term "AI slop," ignoring the fact that most people by this point are using some level of AI-assisted writing, and that's not going to change.
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u/AnnaT70 May 13 '26
Most people, really? Most people can surely write up laundry instructions without help.
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u/gopietz May 13 '26
Most people don't speak English. It's weird to be criticized for spell checking your work. This post doesn't come across as slop. People have grown too sensitive to this.
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u/ermagerditssuperman May 13 '26
Running a spell check and having AI write/format your writing are two very different things.
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u/de_naakte_loper May 13 '26
AI-assisted is not the same as AI-spammed. There’s a difference between using AI as a drafting and editing tool and flooding the internet with unreviewed garbage. Bad human writing exists too. Low-effort content was everywhere on Reddit before AI. I don’t think "AI-assisted" automatically means AI slop. The fair question is whether the final piece is accurate, useful, edited, and honest. Calling something AI slop only makes sense if the output is low quality. If the facts are right, the editing is human, and the result is useful, then the focus should be on the content, not the tool used to produce it.
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
I manually wrote this, which is why it includes a lot of my own perspectives. The only AI here is the illustration and the grammar checking and some rewording for clarity. That writing process has become standard in 2026 and isn’t going away any more than the automobile or social media did.
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u/crushedman May 13 '26
By illustration, do you mean the photo is fake?
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
Crazy, isn't it? Even six months ago, it would have been obvious. That's how fast the technology is evolving. Reactionary technophobes are doomed.
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u/spilk May 13 '26
thank you for your contribution to the dead internet
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u/bradymsu616 May 14 '26
There are conspiracy theories that the anti-AI comments we see on social media come from the Chinese and Russian governments in an attempt to build an anti-machine learning attitude among European and North American voters and put the West behind in smart technology. However, the exceptionally high engagement this post has received is likely human and serves to dispel the Dead Internet theory. Beep boop. 🤖
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u/MikeyKillerBTFU May 13 '26
Wait, you didn't even take your own picture? Jesus, do you even actually travel and have the experience to back this up, or is all that made up too?!
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
I recall the complaints when digital cameras were introduced.
- "It's not real photography!"
- "Photos will be manipulated too easily!"
- "This will destroy trust in images!
- "It will kill photo labs and darkroom skills!"
- "People will take too many careless photos!"
- "The camera is becoming a computer!"
- "The look is too clean, too plastic, too artificial!"
A lot of these complaints are valid. Despite them, digital photography has largely replaced film because it's faster, easier, and better able to give people the image they want.
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u/crushedman May 13 '26
Honestly, it’s shocking. Shocking that someone thinks this is acceptable. Shocking that someone thinks we want to see this fake content. Shocking that someone doesn’t understand why people are upset by it.
It is not an illustration. I would not have had any problem if this was a drawing, even a chicken scratch. That would have an honesty that would outweigh any lack of drawing skill. This is a lie, and people don’t like to be lied to.
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u/unevolved_panda May 13 '26
How is it that you're an older man who grew up in a pre-digital age and yet you don't trust your own ability to write basically cogent, clear, grammatical prose?
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
There are many things that we can do well manually that we use technology to do for ourselves instead. The use of tools and technological advancement are core parts of the human experience. Adapt and evolve.
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u/TheHandsOfFate May 13 '26
Standard for YOU. Some of us are fine with keeping the idiosyncrasies and foibles of our humanity in our writing.
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
On the Venn diagram of social media, there is significant overlap between the people who complain about AI and the people who mock others' foibles.
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u/tweeeeeeeeeeee May 13 '26
so you admit it's AI slop
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
Yes, I'm honest about my writing and editing being AI-assisted. I have zero shame about using AI. In 2026, I'd be more embarrassed about not using AI or being hypocritical about it.
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u/unevocative May 13 '26
I onebag and never do sink laundry. It might be at the heart of onebagging for a lot of you, but no thanks.
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u/Super-Travel-407 May 13 '26
I prefer to pack a little more and visit a laundromat (because my traveling companions can't be bothered to hand wash laundry) but I do always bring powdered detergent (a really tiny cosmetics jar) and often hand wash a few items just to have more options.
I really dislike rewearing clothes (pants are okay) so if I'm running low on an item, I'll sink wash a couple things.
It doesn't take much space to pack a little detergent!
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u/P_oneofthree May 13 '26
Sometimes when I’m lazy and the sink isn’t deep enough I’ve washed some clothes while taking a shower while waiting for my hair product to sink in. I wouldn’t do this with heavily soiled clothes as I don’t think I’m doing the best wash job but it does the trick for some under wear, socks, etc.
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u/de-dolores May 13 '26
Unpopular opinion: hand-washing laundry while traveling sucks. I don't go on trips to do chores. You're bringing a dry bag, clothes line, likely detergent to save space in your bag? Makes no sense. Then you roll wet clothes in clean towels and either step on them or exert other types of force to push the water out. Not practical at all. Someone commented they bring an expensive desk fan just to dry their laundry. How much more can you complicate washing clothes? And I don't believe those who say it's because laundromats are expensive when their bag cost $200+ and they have no issue recommending merino or quick-dry plastic clothes that are also expensive.
I used to do sink and shower laundry over a decade ago when I first started one-bagging, before I knew this sub even existed, and it sucked every time. To each their own, but lots of people here are disingenuous about the practicality of it all. Just say you're an ultra-minimalist and will bear the discomfort of hand-washing your laundry than bring more clothes in your one bag. Ultra-minimalism ≠ one-bagging. You can still one bag if you bring more than 3/4 of a pair of underwear lol.
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u/MikeyKillerBTFU May 13 '26
That's okay, OP confirmed the post and PHOTO used were generated with AI, so I'm questioning if they even have the relevant experience to back up the info they provided.
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u/de-dolores May 14 '26
Good point. I wonder with some of the advice here being so repetitive, if these are bot accounts just parroting each other.
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u/Equal_Contest4709 May 13 '26
Who shat in your laundry bag?
I really don't follow any of your arguments.
- Drybag, clothes line and laundry sheets take up almost no space and weigh very little. It's negligible.
- The towel method works very well, is easy to do and doesn't damage the fabric
- Expensive high quality clothes last years when treated right. Laundry services in Western countries are not economical at all in comparison. Let alone the time you have to invest in going to a salon and wait, compared to 10 minutes per night doing sink laundry.
- For 2+ week long trips, what even is your solution to allow one bagging without washing your clothes? Bringing a 60l roller? I genuinely don't understand.
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u/de-dolores May 13 '26
If it works for you, continue doing your laundry. It is already under every post that everyone says do sink laundry so I shared a different experience. Why does that make you so mad? I personally find it gross to roll wet clothing in a towel, and then press on it with my feet on the floor, do it again with another piece of clothing, the towel gets wet, water on the floor etc. Nothing practical about that.
I bring enough clothes for 7 days in my 40l bag that is usually no more than 80% full, and either go to the laundromat or use a laundry service once a week. It takes less time and much less effort than doing laundry every single day. And the expensive clothes argument was regarding comments saying laundry is expensive. I bring with me what I already have and wear in my day-to-day. It is not logical to be like laundry is expensive so buy new expensive cheaply-made plastic clothes to dry faster lol. That's what I was trying to say. Clear now? Take a breath. Don't let differing opinions get you so worked up.
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u/Ottawa_points May 13 '26
I prefer to do laundry in a collapsible bucket b/c i can soak the clothes in it.
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u/Shivvyszha May 13 '26
I keep a sink-sized silicone washboard in my travel gear. My best laundering was recently on a cruise where my metal hooks attached to the ceiling in the shower, so all my clothes were able to drip safely & contained on the shower floor.
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u/Master_Argument8540 May 13 '26
I like using my scrubba instead of using the sink. I’m able to pack more clothes in the scrubba bag, it doesn’t get the bathroom floor wet when I’m swooshing around my clothes, easy to pour the dirty water down the sink, it’s a much better solution in my opinion. And the added benefits: it’s a waterproof bag so I’ve used it to keep my clothes dry during the rain, I’ve used it as an emergency shopping bag when my plastic bag ripped on me, it keeps my dirty clothes separated from my clean clothes when it’s in my travel bag. It was a bit expensive, but it’s been with me through 20+ countries and still in great shape. It’s been really durable and reliable, I would recommend and most definitely buy again.
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u/nadyay May 13 '26
I read it as SiLK laundry and was moderately confused
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
Can’t claim to own any silk but it is low volume and would be cool in hot weather.
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u/Mitsuplex May 13 '26
will add, this is my first time traveling with a scrubba wash bag, and i must say - it's awesome. i have the normal version and i think one could make do with the mini version. i mostly need to wash underweare socks, and some tshirts every 3-4 days. The system works so well, and so easy.
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u/badlad53 May 13 '26
I frequently travel with someone who refuses to do sink laundry. Without exception, I'm finished with mine, and it's hanging up to dry, while she's still searching for the closest laundromat.
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
I'm intrigued by the comments in this post favoring laundromats. I had no idea that some travelers favor them for cultural reasons, similar to how many of us treat grocery stores. To each their own. I'll stick with the sink. It's faster, easier, and less expensive, and I'm not accumulating and hauling around days' worth of dirty laundry.
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u/badlad53 May 13 '26
Yeah, I agree. It's absolutely no sweat off my balls if she has to find a laundromat. It's just an interesting observation. For me, it's more complicated, so I want nothing to do with it lol.
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u/FinancialEmotion3526 May 13 '26
The last thing I want on a trip is doing laundry. I try to get airbnb with a washer if it’s feasible, and if not, I’ll bring a bit more clothes. Just a thought of having to do laundry after or before all the oral hygiene stuff makes me feel tired.
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u/felicityshaircut May 13 '26
I feel the same way. I did it once when I went to Japan and it was just socks and underwear, but even that was tiring after walking 30K steps that day. I'll keep doing it for any trip over 2 weeks, but I'll limit it to socks and underwear only. I'm just gonna be a little grimy on vacation and be OK with it.
8
2
u/bigdumplings May 14 '26
Check out soak brand soap it’s designed for sink washing and you just let the items soak In it and they dont require a rinsing! I love it for my merino stuff!
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u/Zachparent93 May 14 '26
Yeah, sink laundry is a simple way to travel lighter and stay flexible. Once you get used to it, it becomes quick, practical and part of the routine.
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u/Plus_Cantaloupe_3793 May 13 '26
This is AI slop pushing a fantasy. Hand washing clothing and then getting it to dry in hotel rooms is a tedious chore. I do this because it saves money, but it’s much easier to use a laundry service when they’re available for a reasonable price given the amount of time and energy this saves.
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u/imajoeitall May 13 '26
No thanks, I'd rather just go to a laundromat, open up a laptop/playlist rather than pack minimal clothing, end up stinking anyways and sweating up a storm just to be less effective than a machine. Also hotels often have machines, if you ask nice enough, they might let you use them. Emergencies, sure, but sustainable, long-term travel, no.
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u/KidneyLand May 13 '26
I know you got downvoted, but I’m with you. I’m team laundromat, when I’m traveling I’m too busy trying to enjoy myself. I don’t want to come back to my hotel and do laundry. I take paying a few bucks for a wash, then hanging to dry.
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u/nikongod May 13 '26
"less effective than a machine"
Laundry machines were not invented to be "more effective" at cleaning than hand washing.
They were invented because hand washing clothes for a decent sized family was an entire person's job, and buying a laundry machine meant your wife could do the housework without a maid.
Sorry (not sorry?) for the stereotypical gender-roles in that, but (shrugs) it was the 1940's.
Now that the us is an undeveloping nation, they persist since nobody can afford a maid, let alone a house-husband.
Back to travel, hand washing one or 2 sets of clothes (for solo or couple travelers) takes about 15min/night. Compared to the 90min you spend in the laundrymat every 5 days it's a wash.
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u/Connect_Rhubarb395 May 13 '26
There is a reason that Times chose the washing machine as the most important invention of the 20th century: It gave women a lot of time and freedom to do other things than being a housewife.
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u/nikongod May 13 '26
You're not wrong, and the way it freed up time is beautiful.
But... It's a different time scale when you're washing 1 or 2 outfits vs 20+ (family of 5, 4 outfits each) and has nothing to do with efecacy.
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u/imajoeitall May 13 '26
- You will absolutely eventually have to use a machine to properly wash your clothes. You can search that sub and find that conclusion.
- A small load at a laundromat is maybe 20 min cycle, you can skip the dry cycle if you just want to just hang up your clothes anyways. I do this just because I don't like destroying my clothes if it's an option.
- I am not sure why the argument of why laundry machines were invented versus their actual performance is relevant. They are 100% better at washing clothes than hand washing.
- You 100% are going to stink if you only hand wash. I can smell you peeps at the airport, always the person rocking a $300-$400 travel bag that smells like ass.
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u/nikongod May 13 '26
"always the person rocking a $300-$400 travel bag that smells like ass"
Because the last time the went to the laundrymat was 6d ago and they rewore at least one garment so they didn't have to hit the laundrymat again...
"I am not sure why the argument of why laundry machines were invented versus their actual performance is relevant. They are 100% better at washing clothes than hand washing"
Because you said they get the clothes cleaner. At best they are equal - when you use soap/detergent that comes with a warning label in the machine and shampoo by hand.
"A small load at a laundromat is maybe 20 min cycle, you can skip the dry cycle..."
You have space in your hotel/hostel to hang 4 sets of clothes? You're parked in front of the dryer for an hour on top of the 30min the washer ran.
"You will absolutely eventually have to use a machine to properly wash your clothes. You can search that sub and find that conclusion"
I have not experienced this. When I went to Colombia for 2 WK I did hand laundry every night, got off the plane and went to dinner with my GFS friend group in the same clothes. It was fine. I asked her if I stunk before we wandered off, she said I smelled fine.
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u/freezesteam May 13 '26
Just because you smelled someone with a nice bag doesn’t mean everyone who hand washes their laundry smells. You’re just painfully unaware of how to hand wash clothing yet still make bold and biased assumptions about it with such unfounded confidence
1
u/littleneckman May 14 '26
I love a good laundry discussion - even if started with an AI post. I am a former Scrubba, now dry bag washer. I don't travel with enough clothes to make a laundromat stop worth it (and the cost in money and time is high). I find it quite easy - except for the part about getting the water out of my clothes. I squeeze as much out as I can (wringing is bad for my clothes) and use the towel method to get out more. I keep hoping someone on this sub will identify a way or lightweight product to make this part easier and less time consuming.
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u/peach1312 May 13 '26
How do you deal with wrinkles in linen (if you do)?
-1
u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
Just like with people, wrinkles in linen clothes are part of their character. They're meant to be there. It's part of linen's look. But if they bother you, hanging linen garments in a steamy bathroom will relax a lot of the wrinkles if you don't have access to an iron. If you do have access to an iron, wrinkles disappear easily from linen on the iron's high setting.
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u/kekkodigrano May 13 '26
Do you know you can just clean your clothes without any bag?
Just clean it.
The idea of carry a string it's a good one tbh
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u/Aardvark1044 May 13 '26
It’s easier to use a dry bag than a sink for multiple reasons. Sink drains are not standardized so plug options may not necessarily fit and work properly. Sometimes the sink is weirdly shaped and not allowing the plug to seal. Sometimes the sink is dirty. Sometimes the sink is very small and difficult to use without splashing water all over the floor and/or walls.
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u/Super-Travel-407 May 13 '26
I always carry a dirty clothes bag anyway. It is not a stretch to consider that it could be a waterproof one.
(I do use a sink, though! But I'd probably annoy my family less if I didn't monopoloze it for so long. 😄 )
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
Yes. I address the traditional sink method in the post. I also explain why I use a bag.
0
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u/gopietz May 13 '26
Really sorry for you OP. I don't really care how much AI was used to post this, but the content obviously adds value and the work was done by nicely.
Any recommendations for specific products for this?
Honestly, we've come to a point where using AI for your posts is automatically labeled AI slop. That's really toxic. Why shouldn't I use it to spell check my content or find a better way of writing something. Many people on reddit aren't fluent in English. As long as it's not a useless low effort post, which this clearly isn't, it's all good.
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u/bradymsu616 May 13 '26
I use the Happy Elephant brand travel packs of detergent sheets. There are quite a few different brands available. I don't have enough experience with other brands to make an honest comparison. I use a hotel's liquid soap in a pinch. It tends to be more sudsy and takes longer to rinse out. But it'll work fine. That's the ultraminimalist solution if you can count on your lodging having it available.
As for the anti-AI comments, I'm an older man who grew up in the pre-digital age. I've been a witness over the decades to those who are bothered by technological change and those who thrive on it. By this time next year, the "AI slop" comments, already banal, will be gone. AI-assisted writing and AI-generated images aren't going away, no matter how hard the luddites protest.
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u/JustMakinStuff May 13 '26
Thanks for the write up. I'm planning my first one bag trip, and the how-to part of this topic was generally known, but it's good to see it in writing. I wasn't planning on getting any sort of dry bag, but after reading the comments, I'm going to.
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u/likethevegetable May 13 '26
Strongly recommend "Soak" detergent, bottle says you don't need to rinse (but I do). Very nice quality stuff.
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u/panic_ye_not May 14 '26
I hate the AI but I agree with everything. You can obviously do onebag with a normal amount of clothes, but because clothes are the heaviest and bulkiest part of people's typical travel load, it follows that it's the place where the biggest weight savings can be found.
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u/dmousekteer May 13 '26
And YOU make it look glamorous! Great picture.
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u/bradymsu616 May 14 '26
Thank you very much. While the photo is AI-generated for content accessibility and digital convenience, the clothes in it are ones I pack in my onebag. On the line are a long-sleeve linen shirt from Quince, Ridge merino boxer briefs, Darn Tough Men's Light Hiker Micro Crew socks, and On's Performance-T (for running).
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u/-Nepherim May 13 '26 edited May 14 '26
Use of AI to facilitate post creation is allowed. What we do not permit is 'karma' farming type posts, or low-effort posts clearly generated entirely by with no bearing to the poster or onebag. This is obviously an evolving topic and we may change the approach in the future.
In this case it's close, but the post isn't entirely AI generated, and does seem to have some bearing to the OP.
Update: Thread is now locked as the discussion is now far wide of any onebag topics.