People often ask how I can travel for five weeks or five months with a carry-on suitcase. The key is to do sink laundry when traveling. I can pack for about a week and go indefinitely if I can wash my clothes in the sink when I travel. I mostly wash as I go, a little at a time.
I almost always do a bit of laundry every day so it’s not a burden, but on some of our more active trips, such as backpacking for a week, I’ve either done a load of laundry in a hotel or short-term rental apartment or I’ve sent it out to a laundry service. For example, in Peru, I found an inexpensive laundry right next to our hotel. When I’m in the US, I take advantage of the little-known fact that most US hotels have coin-operated guest washers and dryers, whether you’re in a budget or five-star hotel. I learned this when I used to travel every week for work, and it can be a lifesaver.
A few years ago, my husband Steve and I traveled through Southeast Asia and Australia for five months with carry-on luggage. We sent our laundry out once in Vietnam and had access to a washer/dryer in Australia. Otherwise, we did sink laundry. More recently, we traveled through Spain, Portugal, and Morocco for five weeks with a Travelpro Maxlite 21-inch carry-on suitcase and laptop pack. Later, I challenged myself to travel for three-weeks with a Travelpro Maxlite International Carry-on 19-inch carry-on plus laptop pack. I can report that I still liked my clothes when I had more variety with the 21-inch bag. I got bored with my limited selections with my 19-inch suitcase, but I was happy with the lighter weight.
I’m a backpacker and you can check out how I do this on the trail. Having a sink and running water is a luxury in comparison. So is having a hanger instead of a bush to hang wet laundry on.
Doing Laundry on the Backpacking Trail, from Inga’s Adventures
Doing laundry in the sink is simple, but one item makes a big difference. Having a flat, rubber universal plug means you can do laundry even if the sink or tub plus is missing or non-functional. Soap can be shampoo, body wash, bar soap, laundry detergent, or detergent sheets. I use a towel to wring out excess water at the end. Everything else is optional.
Required:
Optional Items:
Sink laundry is the term I’ll use, but I can wash clothes in the shower or tub just as easily.
My clothes will dry overnight 90% of the time. If I have something that I know might be in the 10% of items that might take longer, such as a cotton shirt or merino wool socks, I’ll save them until I’m in a place where we’ll be staying at least two nights.
My travel clothing comes from a wide range of brands. Some are outdoor, travel or just regular, everyday brands. Technical outdoor clothing is often a good choice, especially for pants, but many of my shirts, dresses and skirts are mainstream brands at a variety of price points. Here are a few brands I’ve used. I look for thin, lightweight fabrics that resist wrinkles. For active-wear, I look for odor-resistant clothing.
Some brands listed are pricey, but discount brands also have light, thin clothing that dries quickly. I have a few items from expensive brands that have lasted for many years of travel along with inexpensive clothing that is lightweight and quick drying.
Fabrics to look for: nylon, polyester, Tencel, polynosic rayon synthetics, or silk. Thin cotton and merino wool take longer to dry but are also options. I usually have at least one cotton T-shirt because it feels cool and soft against my skin.
It might sound like a lot of work, but the key to being able to do sink laundry is to wash as you go, a little at a time. If I pack for a week, I can go indefinitely if I can do sink laundry when I’m traveling.
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Elizabeth says:
I wash my clothes I wore that day when I take a shower at night. I hang them on a hanger and let them drip dry. Every couple of weeks I will have my clothes washed at the laundry or in a real washer/dryer. I find they smell fresher that way. I bring a very tiny bottle of echulan delicate wash . It’s made for washing woolens and only a bit is needed. Also it doesn’t need to be rinsed . I can travel forever this way .
Inga Aksamit 2 says:
Elizabeth, it sounds like you have a good plan for traveling indefinitely. Nice!
Susan Alcorn says:
On the few occasions when I have wanted to wash all of my clothes when reaching a laundromat, you can always wear your rain pants and rain jacket. This worked for me on the PCT. I almost always wash all of my dirty clothes daily in the basin or shower when on the Camino hiking or otherwise touring on foot, car, ship. It’s sort of a fun game to figure how the best place to hang them without dripping water on the floor. And you are correct the bathroom is often to humid. Agree the rolling up in towel to get out excess water is important! Good hints, Inga.
Inga Aksamit 2 says:
Love it! When I use a laundromat, I do try to wash every last thing.