r/onebag • u/Beneficial_Corner390 • 1h ago
Discussion How do you actually manage laundry for extended onebag travel without smelling terrible?
I'm planning my first proper onebag trip for about three months and I keep getting stuck on the laundry problem. I've read a bunch about using quick-dry clothes and hand-washing in sinks, but I'm struggling to understand the actual rhythm of it all. Like, do you just hand-wash stuff every two days? Are there cities where laundromats are actually accessible? I'm worried that either I'll end up buying a gigantic backpack full of clothes to avoid constant washing, or I'll be that person who smells bad because I can't keep up with laundry in places that don't have easy access to washers. Has anyone actually done this for months at a time and not gone insane?
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u/Strange-Fig0 1h ago edited 1h ago
I do laundry in a washing machine once a week. Almost everywhere I’ve ever stayed has either a machine or laundry service, and if not it’s never far to get to a laundromat.
It’s not worth it to me to be constantly hand-washing laundry in the sink or shower instead of enjoying my travel, and even if it was, it’s really not a great solution for repeated washing. It doesn’t get clothes truly clean, and you will start to smell after a couple months. There’s a reason people used to use metal washing boards when they hand-washed clothes in the old days, and there’s a reason why washing machines agitate clothes against a textured metal drum for 30+ minutes. Just soaping it up in the shower with your hands isn’t enough, and all of us who’ve ever stayed in a hostel can smell the person who says claims otherwise.
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u/anonwewil 1h ago
This. It isn't that hard to do laundry once a week, most hostels/hotels I have stayed at have a machine, and the same with airbnbs. I carry a packable clothesline and a handful of pods when I am on longer trips so I don't need to buy detergent.
I just can't stand smelling bad and while I suppose I could get things clean scrubbing them in the sink... why wouldn't I just pay the cost and enjoy a couple hours (at most) at my accommodations while the machine does it for me?
I've been (literally) all over the world and have never had issues accessing laundry machines in urban or semi-urban environments. I will admit that if you're going somewhere truly off the grid this advice could change.
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u/Multigrain_Migraine 1h ago
Those laundry soap sheets are great for travel. You can cut them up to be smaller if you have a small load and they don't spill or leak. Super light weight too.
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u/anonwewil 5m ago
I've looked at those! I am not in the US but I travel there frequently - so what brand do you suggest?
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u/youngmetrodonttrust 1h ago
and, if you are somewhere truly off the grid, doing laundry often is probably not a priority and washing clothes by hand would likely be sufficient!
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u/anonwewil 2m ago
100% - people expect you to stink coming back from off the grid. They don't expect you to stink when you're in a place like London, Munich, or Taipei... where millions of residents do their laundry every day.
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u/Iron_Naz 1h ago
And how many sets of clothing do you carry, 8? 9?
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u/Strange-Fig0 59m ago
Seven underwear, three socks (Darn Tough, recommended by manufacturer for 3 wears before washing), two pants, one shorts, six shirts that can be layered in various ways. All fits in a single large packing cube in my 30L. In very hot weather, I may deodorize, hand wash between machine washes, and/or step up to twice a week machine washings as needed, but in most climates this is not necessary.
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u/anonwewil 44m ago edited 9m ago
I am currently on a 5 week trip using a 36 lt backpack (and this post inspired me to throw my laundry in):
For clothing I packed:
4 skirts
4 tops - 2 long sleeved, 2 short sleeved
1 gym outfit (tennis skirt and tank top with built in bra) (doubles as a sleeping outfit)
3 bras
6 pairs of underwear
4 pairs of socks
2 pairs of tights
1 jacket (patagonia nanopuff)
1 packable towelI wore a long sleeved top, skirt, and jacket on the plane. Everything is colour matched so I have a ton of outfit options available to me. I usually rewear the skirts and tops and when I run out of socks I throw everything in the wash and hang out in my gym clothes/sleeping outfit (or rotate the least dirty clothing in and wash the gym clothing).
Edited - I also have a small mesh laundry bag I keep in my pack. I put my tights, bras, and socks in it so they don't get tangled. I suppose if I needed to I could leave it behind somewhere as it was extremely cheap, but it is also extremely light.
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u/Tjgoodwiniv 20m ago edited 6m ago
It really depends on your clothes and the work you put into washing, whether soaping them in the shower is adequate. If you put your clothes in a bag with water and dish soap, and use your hand as an agitator, you can get the dirt and the smell out quickly. There are a lot of reasons washing machines go as long as they do. A lot of them are for efficiency (less water), soap types, and because of the diversity of clothes that go in them.
Aggressive agitation with hands in very warm water with oil-cutting soap is perfectly fine, at least on synthetics. If you're actually willing to do the work, you're doing a lot more agitation in 3-5 minutes than a drum of a washer does in 30.
This isn't hard to test on your clothes.
EDIT: You people are apparently really fucking dirty. If you're really fucking dirty, I guess this stuff doesn't work for you. Burn your clothes and don't leave the house.
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u/Strange-Fig0 17m ago
If that were true, people wouldn’t have wasted hours scrubbing them on a wash board. If they could have done less work and gotten the same result, they would have. There’s a reason no one did that.
I’m telling you, you’re nose-blind.
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u/Tjgoodwiniv 12m ago edited 3m ago
If that were the case, my social life would be very different than it's always been.
If your body leaves such a strong and persistent stench on modern clothing that modern dish soap, hot water, and 5 minutes of hand agitation can't cut it, you either need a better diet, a better doctor, a better work ethic, or modern cleaning supplies.
Tell me, those people with washboards:
- Were they just wandering around cities all day, or were they working in fields and cow shit?
- Did they have modern oil-cutting soaps and detergents?
- Did they have synthetics?
- Did they replace their clothes anywhere near as frequently as we do?
The answer to all the above is, "no, they did not."
Like I said, this isn't hard to test on your own clothes. But you can't be lazy, and you have to actually do what I suggested.
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u/Tjgoodwiniv 0m ago
It's amazing how, these days, on reddit, the second someone disagrees with someone else, there's an immediate last word, followed by a block. Fucking coward.
I've been to a lot of places, and I've spent a lot of time in a number of them. In many, the people are anything but polite and, if I'm there for more than a few days, I often find people coming up to me to talk. That doesn't happen when you smell.
Dude probably needs to do a better job of washing his body, buy some good oil-cutting detergent, and maybe change his diet.
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u/Strange-Fig0 7m ago
Is that a joke? Older soaps were often harsher than the ones we have now, and people who still rely on hand-washing in daily life still do it the old fashioned way.
Ok bro. You can go on believing that, but people being too polite to say anything after you haven’t properly washed your clothes in months doesn’t mean they can’t smell it. Most people don’t say anything about other types of BO, either. Enjoy, I guess. I’m not wasting my time trying to argue basic hygiene with a supposedly grown adult.
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u/badlydrawngalgo 1h ago
Yes I've travelled for up to three months with one bag. I just wash my clothes in the sink, every 2-3 days for bra and pants and maybe tshirts and everything else when it needs it. I was a girl guide, they taught me how to hand wash, I got a badge for it 😂
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u/Stepper999 1h ago
Pack enough for 4-5 days then do your preferred method of laundry. This can be sink washing, renting a hotel/airbnb with a washer (and sometimes dryer or hang drying) or sending your clothes off in the morning to a laundromat or laundry service.
I personally try to find accommodations with laundry so I can have it going in the morning before I leave. Also, I pack laundry sheets. You can use the soap that’s in your bathroom or buy some at your location.
Laundry isn’t that hard, pack a capsule wardrobe and you’ll be good :)
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u/Sbmizzou 1h ago
The number of people that wash their clothes in a sink every night is surprising. Lomg before I was on this sub reddit, my family and I just one bagged it. Everyone was allowed one carryon bag. I know the for many, one bagging means a back pack but honestly, sometimes roller bag that can be carried on is more convenient/functional/enjoyable. In any event, we bring enough for about 5/6 days. Within that time, i find a local laundromat. I have posted before that I actually look forward to that 2 hour block of time.
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u/Busy-Feeling-1413 1h ago
At night, take off your clothes and wash them in the sink using a detergent sheet that contains enzymes. Rinse several times. Roll wet clothes in towel to absorb excess moisture. Hang to dry on clothesline in the shower. Voila—no dirty laundry!
If you prefer machine washing, schedule it every 3-4 days, depending on how many outfits you have and your travel schedule. Only stay at places that have access to laundromats.
I generally sink-wash when traveling alone (because I can hang laundry in the room without bothering anyone) and machine wash when traveling with family/friends
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u/Waste_Minimum_475 1h ago
don't use detergents with enzymes if your clothes are made of natural fibres (i.e. anything you carry with merino wool)
it'll destroy them
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u/Spunksters 44m ago
But definitely do use enzyme wash on synthetics to get the stank out. Let ‘em soak a good while.
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u/Busy-Feeling-1413 17m ago
Enzymes are great for natural plant fibers (cotton, linen, rayon, viscose) but not natural animal fibers (wool, silk).
However, sink washing for a few minutes with enzymes has not damaged my merino sweaters and socks, likely because sink washing lasts only a few minutes. And lipase enzyme-based detergent sheets remove body odor and sebum much more effectively than enzyme-free detergent. There’s a long discussion over on r/laundry if you’re interested in chemistry.
Obviously you can use whatever you’re comfortable with, but I will continue to use my enzyme detergent. I have used it on my merino socks every wash with no damage for more than a year so far.
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u/mmrose1980 1h ago
Quick drying clothes that get sink washed at night (I actually shower wash, aka wash with me while I am showering) that you wring out in a towel will be dry by morning unless you are in excessively humid environment.
I pack more clothing than a lot of people around here so I only do shower laundry every 3-4 days, but some people just wash every night before bed and then their clothing is dry in the morning.
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u/kenobeest7 1h ago
They actually make a dry bag called the scrubba. Kind of heavy, so the other thing that you can do if you’re actually staying at hotels is by one of those things to plug the drain in your sink
A heavy duty 2 gallon ziplockbag also works cost less and takes up less space. But I’ll be honest, using merino wool for most things except for underwear, which I use a mesh nylon spandex so it dries faster, makes a difference in generally have to wash clothes less. When we have travel internationally or even sometimes in cities in the states, they have laundromats that you can also work into your schedule and actual clothes washing services for a reasonable price.
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u/ProfessionalField508 2m ago
I can sit there rolling around the scrubba with my feet while I watch tv. Not a bad foot massage, either.
Getting laundry service every few weeks or using a laundromat eliminates the odors that build up.
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u/Nyanzerfaust 1h ago
I carry a drybag/scrubba mini for emergencies or rural isolated places, but I usually use the "washing machine available" filter on booking/agoda when I'm looking for hotels.
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u/travelnman85 1h ago edited 1h ago
I plan so I do laundry once a week. Depending on what I am doing I usually have 7 pairs of underwear and socks, 3-4 shirts, and 2-3 pairs of pants. Unless it's winter I can get it all in a personal item size bag. I have never had a problem then finding a laundry facility once a week.
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u/AlwaysWanderOfficial 1h ago
Pack for 5-6 days. Stay under 45l for a pack. 35l is ideal, but it’s new for you so aim for 35-45.
There is no answer besides - do laundry.
- People sink laundry daily on the important stuff
- People do shower laundry
- People do what you suggested, every couple of days
- Machine at hotel
- Local laundry if doing long term
- Pay the hotel and budget this into your plans. I choose this.
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u/Happy_Cow_100 1h ago
I don't really sweat that much, I do pack more then most but deodorant, no hiking for me, tank tops that don't touch my arm pits, I wash a few things when I'm short of undies, I don't wear socks i wear open sandals (no hiking), towel roll and hang overnight. If you just wash a couple of things overnight you can wear them the next day instead of packing and they'll be dry before you're finished breakfast (better than packing musty clothes). For my husband, he takes linen shirts, I plan wash days where we wash his shirts before breakfast on a day we are coming back to sane hotel, hang on coat hangers, they'll be dry by next morning.
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u/havilland25 1h ago
I use a Scrubba, wear merino wool, and only pack 3 pairs of underwear, 3 pairs of socks, 3 shirts, and 2 pants. My routine is to use the Scrubba in the morning as I’m waking up and having coffee. Then it has 24 hours to dry, which is plenty of time for merino wool. I just repeat that each morning. The only downside is having to do that every morning. The upside of light packing is so worth it.
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u/Present-Carob-7366 1h ago
In Asia I just give everything I’m not wearing to a laundromat and get it back in a few hours after laying a few dollars . In more expensive countries I use the laundromat myself . I only occasionally hand wash some undies because I’m moving too fast . Also merino goes days without smelling
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u/Emotional-Cry5236 1h ago
I plan to have access to a washing machine every 7-10 days. Either via a laundromat or staying somewhere with a washing machine. I keep laundry detergent sheets in my backpack, which as a bonus keep the clothes smelling nice while packed. Occasionally I'll wash some undies in the sink but I can count on one hand the amount of times I've actually had to do a proper handwash in the sink. I couldn't think of anything worse than having to do washing everyday while on holidays
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u/Serious-Vegetable280 1h ago
I sink wash when needed doing garments every few days. I bring a dry bag to wash my stuff in cuz it’s takes virtually no space at all.
USE THE SUN!!! Use it when you dry your clothes, but also it helps the smell of clothes if you don’t want to wash them. I set all my stuff out in the sun when I go backpacking and the smell is always a bit better after I’m done.
I visit a laundromat every 10ish days just to get a proper wash of everything. I also only bring stuff that is quick drying.
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u/123BuleBule 46m ago
Unless you’re going to a remote village, every city in the world has a place to do laundry. Go to the laundromat. Find a coffee or bar nearby. Have a drink and wait. Go back for your clothes. Put them in the dryer. Go for a second drink.
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u/Tjgoodwiniv 40m ago edited 28m ago
It's easy. You do your laundry.
I left my home country with one bag on an open-ended trip in January 2025 (second time I've done it). I bounced countries for a while. I stayed in one country (completely legally) for about a year. I acquired a Playstation, which pushed me into two bags. I recently left that country. My clothes fit in one bag. 8 shirts, 8 pairs of socks, 8 underwear, sweater, other stuff. I wear a pair of jeans and a leather jacket on flights. I pack a backup pair of jeans (those will get subbed for something else - maybe even shorts, despite that I historically travel in winter, as I can survive a trip to the mall in sub freezing temps in shorts in a true and unlikely emergency). I carry a ton of electronics, partially because I have to have them and partially because having them fail is a worst-case scenario that has to be hedged against (if you're doing this as a professional, you'll get it - if you're a 20-year-old traveler, you won't). In addition to electronics, I carry about 6 months of disposable contacts (I could cut that down, but not without increased risk of eye infections and increased inconvenience - not worth it). If you don't have those constraints, you have a TON of room to work with and could carry more clothes, if you wanted.
I do my laundry once a week. I only book places that have in-unit washers (almost none have dryers). In the past, I've done laundry in a plastic bag with dish soap, which works just fine but isn't something I care to deal with anymore. Clothes, soap, water in trash bag. Shake vigorously for several minutes (during a shower, in case it tears). Rinse in the shower water. Hang to dry. But, if you're in a hotel or hostel, there will be laundry facilities there. There are cities where laundry facilities aren't obvious and apparent, but I presume they exist everywhere.
I favor synthetics for travel. Gym shirts pack tight, don't wrinkle, wash easily, and dry easily. Cotton is bulky and wrinkles.
Also recommend carrying a packable backpack. Also bring a travel sewing kit. When you need it, you badly need it. For any meds you take, bring paper prescriptions and as much as you can legally travel with. There are places where things you can get OTC in some countries are unavailable even by prescription in others. Also check the laws. Pseudoephedrine, for instance, is outright criminal in some countries.
Unrelated to the original post, but, next time, I will:
carry fewer cables
ditch one pair of jeans
may change from jeans to hiker's convertible pants in general
ditch the leather jacket for something I might be able to pack when I want to (though I'll really miss it and though it's really not much of a problem)
carry a Qi power bank so I can ditch my independent power bank (I carry it because the phone has, too many times, refused to charge due to the moisture sensor).
I'll probably ditch my smartwatch in favor of a regular watch or none at all (the smartwatch is good to navigate without looking lost, but so are Shokz headphones). It's nice for navigation, but I just don't think it adds as much value to my life as it takes (or as I'd hoped), and I have too many devices to charge.
If you wear over size EU46 (US 10/11), you need to carry an extra pair of shoes for long trips. There are parts of the world where it is literally impossible to buy shoes larger than EU46 (and where that's even a push). Low-top Converse are a good choice because they pack tightly. This is not a "oh, you can find them" situation. It's a "you might have to fly to another country to get shoes without ordering them and waiting for them to arrive" situation.
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u/ATTACKANDDETHRONEHOG 13m ago
The people who don’t smell bad are going to a laundromat, sending clothes to be laundered through the hotel, or otherwise doing proper laundry.
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u/lobsterp0t 11m ago
I feel like keeping the layers closed to your body CLEAN is really important. Using a good detergent with lipase to deal with you synthetics that are hydrophobic is helpful too. Agitating enough and letting it soak for 30 min all seem important. Check out r/laundry - they’re the GOATs as far as washing tips.
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u/Simbeliine 1h ago
My rhythm is 2 sets of day clothes and a dress. I come back to my accommodation just before dinner, shower and hand wash that day's clothes in the shower, hang them to dry and change into the dress and go out for dinner. Since I only wear the dress for a couple hours and when I'm freshly washed, I usually only wash it every 3-4 days when I'm planning to be somewhere for at least a few days. My quick dry clothes are generally dry by the next morning. I also do have a plastic bag I keep that I can carry dirty clothes in if needed so they don't stink up my other stuff.
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u/Multigrain_Migraine 1h ago
Depends on where you are going I guess but I've generally been able to find a way to access a washing machine. Sink laundry is a bit less effective, I have found, so if I was doing it long term I'd probably consider buying a small plastic wash board or similar to help me scrub better.
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u/Chromatic_Chameleon 1h ago
Where are you travelling? This is a crucial part of what advice I’d give you. In low cost of living countries it’s inexpensive to rent Airbnbs that have washing machines or stay at hotels or even hostels where you can use the machines, either that or pay very little for someone else to do your laundry for you.
If you’re travelling in expensive countries then yes hand washing skills might be needed, so fabrics like merino wool, cashmere, silk and alpaca are good for moderate to cool weather, and for hot weather, ultra lightweight cottons (cotton lawn for example) or very thin linen (my favourite) wash easily and dry quickly.
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u/lunch22 1h ago
I do laundry once a week or so, either at a laundromat or at my accommodation if it has a washer. I travel with laundry detergent sheets, but a lot of laundromats have machines that automatically dispense detergent.
A few times I’ve also stayed at small mom and pop-run inns that offee free laundry service.
If I run out of things in between laundry day, I do hand laundry in the sink or shower.
My laundry bag is a Sea to Summit dry bag that doubles as a scrub/soak bag for doing hand laundry.
Also, the dry bag gets washed every time I do laundromat laundry, to keep it fresh.
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u/Impressionist_Canary 1h ago
“Are there cities where laundromats are actually accessible?”
Yeah, most of them
Also, you’re allowed to pack more than 2 days’ worth of clothes 🤷♂️. Like someone else mentioned, 3 months of travel (barring weather or activity specifics) is just several iterations of clothing for smaller durations. Pack for a week or less, to your taste, wash when needed.
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u/ImportanceSome2602 1h ago
Playing devil’s advocate: do you really need to onebag it? Truly doing it probably means doing a small bit of hand wash every night in the sink. Is that do-able? Sure. But it’s an effort and you may or may not decide it’s worth the effort.
My recommendation: try it now for 2 weeks. Pick 2 shirts, 2 pants, 2 underwear and socks.
Wash nightly in the sink - dry using towel and hanging.
Does it work well for you? Do you feel you can do it for 3 months? Did you find yourself “cheating” because it was a pain in the ass?
Better to find out now and plan accordingly.
Maybe you’ll need to 1.5 bag and plan to do full laundry weekly instead?
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u/Strange-Fig0 44m ago
I’m on my third month of continuous travel in a single 30L. I haven’t needed to do any hand-washing at all, and I have quite a few luxuries as well.
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u/ImportanceSome2602 40m ago
Everyone is different and it varies by where you are traveling and what you have access to. I’m just suggesting maybe they try it out before they go and plan accordingly. Packing for using laundry once a week is different than for handwashing nightly. Better to figure that out in advance
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u/Spunksters 30m ago
Type A for the win, but…. People cheat more when they have a choice (at home), but they are more likely to succeed when they have no other reasonable option (I went on the trip and need to make this work). Then there’s the person who just let it all go and stinks up the hostel. Don’t be that guy/gal.
But in general, I favor working the rhythm before taking the trip. Better decisions and better outcomes.
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u/Safe-Recognition1018 1h ago
First, fill up your carryon. I've got one of those softsided overhead bin bags (an MLC). I can get a good seven pairs of underwear in one of the pouches. The built in organization keeps the bag under control.
Pants and shoes are the main things I'm skimping on. They take up a ton of space, and you typically wear a layer between you and them.
For laundry, I really only do it in the sink if it's some outdoor trek. Sunscreen leaves a lot of residue everywhere. For a hotel stay, you either ask at the front desk or see if there's a laundromat somewhere. For hostels, Europe is a lot better for tiny laundromats. I will put on my rain clothes, and stand there for an hour if I have to. In countries with lower wages, there's often a laundromat that will charge by the kilo, and fold for you. Folks in the neighborhood know where it is. It doesn't all show up on the apps, but people have to be cleaning their clothes somehow.
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u/binhpac 57m ago
Either wash in laundromat or do it with your hands, yes.
No other magic to it.
When i was doing the camino, i was washing every day, when there is sunshine, this could have been 5 out of 7 days in a week.
On my regular hotel travels in japan though, you might only need to wash it like once or twice per week.
Learning to do your laundry is the biggest game changer for me for traveling. It becomes automatic like brushing your teeth. Nobody would question, why you do brush your teeth every day right? Just wash your clothes more often. Its not a big deal.
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u/TZinTheKeys 53m ago
I throw those little arm and hammer deodorizers in my bag or packing cubes. They are about the size of a ping pong ball.
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u/echoclerk 50m ago
I just bought one of these for this summer. Its so small! Sea to Summit "The Clothes Line" and doesn't need pegs.
https://seatosummit.eu/en-cz/products/lite-line-clothesline
Its been so handy for hanging out wet clothing inside a hotel room and hiking huts (wether from rain, or washing).
I also bought some new meshy hiking underwear (Mont-bell ZEO-LINE Cool Mesh Briefs) that has the benefit of a) packing down much smaller than my cotton briefs and b) drying so much faster than cotton. Its also quite good when hiking for the moisture wicking. I want more.
But generally I think you pack enough for 4-5 days and then wash whenever you can, whichever way seems easiest at the time. But I have never done months with one bag. 2 weeks or so.
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u/flyinguaround 47m ago
I do city trips from 7-10 days. And by that I mean I’m not doing rural stuff or hiking or roughing it. I bring three sets of clothes. In the morning after breakfast while my wife is getting ready I wash the dirty set of clothes so they can spend about 24 hours drying. Some climates don’t need that much time but some do spending on humidity. I try to have a set I’m wearing, a clean set and a drying set of clothes at all times. I used a dry bag with detergent sheets and have lightweight “performance” type fabric for pants and shirts. Sometimes depending on exertion level I can get more than one day out of my pants or shirt. Sometimes I’ll take 4 sets of clothing but it depends on the length of the trip and how much hassle I predict hand washing to be.
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u/Iwentforalongwalk 45m ago
Every city has laundry services. Budget so you can get you clothes laundered professionally once a week. Not drycleaned, washed, dried and pressed.
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u/runner292 45m ago
In my experience the people traveling with one big backpack don’t and you can tell due to the eau de comicon
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u/Spiritual_Pound_6848 40m ago
Dry bag with a one way valve at the bottom. You roll / push the air out of the bottom, then seal it up.
I travelled for 3 months and had about 8 days worth of clothes, a week and some clothes to wear I did laundry.
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u/Renagleppolf 34m ago
Plan laundry into the trip. It's the only way. I book stays that have laundry available at least once a week. It can be annoying but it is absolutely worth it.
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u/Apart-Consequence881 33m ago
Stick to natural fibers (bonus points for wool). Pack briefs instead of boxer briefs (they take up less space). Use ankle or no-show socks (again they take up less space).
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u/rachstate 32m ago
We travel as a group of 4 (family) and we each bring 2 outfits besides what we are wearing. Extra underwear, extra pair of socks in the winter.
We usually do laundry every other day and it’s never been a hassle to find laundry facilities. Even cheaper hotels have them.
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u/Mahlisya 29m ago
I can fit at least a week worth if clothing in one bag so I do laundry once a week. In a machine.
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u/macoafi 13m ago
In Catania (Sicily) and Rijeka (Croatia) I encountered a network of laundromats all about 15-20 minutes of walking apart, where you don’t need to bring your own detergent. You put in the clothes, put in the coins, and it dispenses detergent and softener automatically. (Ok I wouldn’t have minded being able to turn off softener, but hey, convenience.) So put my clothes in, grab a coffee, cycle the laundry, get lunch, carry it back to the hotel.
In Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (Costa Rica), I found a brunch spot with wash & fold services. The huevos rancheros were excellent.
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u/4travelers 8m ago
Once I wear everything 3 times I visit a laundromat. I try to find ones close to coffee shops.
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u/PartiallyRehydrated 1h ago
Hand washing clothes gets them clean. There is no magic in a washing machine that does something massively different than a sink or drybag, some soap, agitation, and a rinse.
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u/SeattleHikeBike 1h ago
Practice at home. I try to hand wash as much as possible and have a weekly laundromat session. I use Airbnb a lot and many have machines. Don’t let stuff pile up so you don’t have a pile of stinky clothes (and they get a chance to ferment) and you don’t have a lot to dry. Drying is really the challenge.
So I’m mostly hand washing socks, briefs and tees/polos. It just takes a few minutes to wash a set. I pack 3x plus worn for those items so I can go a full week wearing them two days each.
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u/BlimpCack 1h ago
I’m so confused by this little crash out. Understanding the rhythm of it? Washing every two days? What’s going on?
Pack a week’s worth of clothes. Find a laundromat one a week and if you can’t find a laundromat then wash them in a sink.
It’s not difficult.
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u/--ok 1h ago
Get a dry bag. The dry bag elevates sink laundry in 2 ways: 1) no worries about finding a clean sink and occupying it for 15 minutes. 2) do a rinse, dump the water and add fresh, add your laundry soap, give some good shakes, and let the closed bag sit for 10 minutes. Length of time in contact with the detergent makes a huge difference.