My Simple Travel Laundry System
As you know, here at Roam & Gather I'm a huge believer in packing light. The benefits are countless: being able to carry your luggage means less chance of it being lost, you can head straight to your accommodations when you land, getting around is simply easier with less to haul—the list goes on.
One of my favorite strategies for keeping my packing minimal is bringing fewer clothes and washing them as I travel. So I thought I'd share my compact laundry kit with you (it all fits in a small pouch!). Hopefully you'll be inspired to build your own, freeing you to carry less while you're on the road.
My Travel Laundry Kit
Here's what I pack:
Dry bag (optional)
Laundry soap sheets
Foldable hangers
A few plastic hooks
Portable clothesline (optional)
Safety pins (optional)
The dry bag (I use this one, but any one around 4 liters will do) serves as your washing machine—I prefer it to a sink because it's easier to manage, though a sink works too. Laundry soap sheets are wonderful for travel (and home too!) and I keep them in a Ziploc baggie so they stay dry.
Foldable hangers are fantastic (I like these), and I pack them even on short trips when I don't plan to do laundry because hotel closets never seem to have enough hangers. I use the plastic hooks to hang smaller items to dry.
I prefer folding hangers over a travel clothesline, because they don’t require you to find a good place to string up everything. They also take up less space when hanging. But travel clotheslines are more compact than hangers when it comes to packing, so as with all things, do what works best for you.
The Simple Process
The key to travel laundry is rotation. Just do a bit every night—it takes no more than 10 minutes—and you'll always have something clean to wear without laundry feeling like a burden.
Here's my step-by-step process:
Put a soap sheet into your dry bag and fill it with water
Use your hand to help the soap fully dissolve, then add your dirty clothes
Agitate the bag, using your hands to scrub and spot clean your clothing
Empty the dirty water and refill with clean water
Continue agitating, then pour out the soapy water to rinse
Repeat the rinse step until the water runs clear and all soap is gone
Wring out your clothes as much as possible by hand
Lay everything on a towel, roll it up tightly, and press down to absorb excess water
Use your foldable hangers to hang everything to dry
This simple system works wonderfully, and I can travel indefinitely with just a few outfits and this compact laundry kit. I’m never without clean clothes, I can keep my luggage lighter, and I don't have to spend part of my trip looking for a laundromat or paying for expensive laundry services. It's one of those small changes that makes a huge difference in how you experience travel.
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hi there, I’m angi the founder of roam & gather. My mission is to curate joy-centered, small group journeys that are relaxed, intimate, and rooted in culture, community and slowness.
Roam & Gather is a small travel company offering soul-nourishing, curated travel experiences that help connect people with global communities, like-minded travelers and themselves.
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