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Home » Travel

How to Wash Your Clothes While Traveling

By: Claire  On: February 6, 2019  Updated: February 1, 2019   1 Comment

My mom has taught me a lot of important life lessons, but arguably the most useful thing I’ve learned from her in recent years is how to wash my own clothes while I’m traveling. Before she showed me how to wash clothing by hand in a hotel sink, I would either a) pack enough socks, underwear, etc to last my entire trip (which took up lots of space in my suitcase), or b) track down a Laundromat and waste my precious travel time and money waiting for my clothes to finish their wash and dry cycles.

Below, I’ve given step-by-step instructions on how I wash my clothing by hand while I’m traveling. I try to wash my clothing in small batches throughout the course of my trip so I never have to spend more than 15 minutes doing my laundry. Plus, doing laundry a few times over the course of the trip prevents me from having to do it all at once and subsequently having nothing to wear while waiting for it all to dry.

What you’ll need to hand wash clothes:

  • Travel packets of laundry detergent (I use Woolite)
  • A clean sink
  • Somewhere to hang clothing (back of a chair, shower curtain rod, etc)

How to Wash Clothes While Traveling

Step 1: Add most of the packet of laundry detergent into the sink, then fill it with warm (not hot!) water. Leave some room in the sink, otherwise it’ll overflow when you add the clothing.

Step 2: Put a few items of clothing into the sink. If you’re washing larger items, like shirts, add in only 2 or 3. For smaller items, like underwear, you can add more. If the clothing is stained, rub it gently against itself to remove stains. Otherwise, gently knead the clothes to fully soak them in the soapy water.

Step 3: Let the clothes sit in the soapy water for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how smelly/soiled they are.

Step 4: Rinse the clothing 1 to 2 times to remove all the detergent. Personally, I like to leave the soapy water in the sink and reuse it if the clothes I just washed weren’t really dirty, so I rinse the clothing in the shower (rinsing in the shower also minimizes the amount of water that’ll inevitably get all over the bathroom floor).

Step 5: Wring out as much water as possible from the clothes, being careful not to stretch the fabric or work it too hard. If you have extra towels on hand, you may want to roll the clothes in a dry towel to soak up excess water.

Step 6: Let the clothing air dry. If possible, hang the clothing outside or near an open window to prevent it from smelling mildew-y once dry.

If you think you’ll be doing laundry while traveling, do yourself a solid and pack clothing that’s easy to wash by hand and that’s not easily wrinkled. Some hotels and AirBNBs will have irons you can use to smooth out your clothing, but many won’t, so that’s something to consider! Also, you’ll want to give the clothing plenty of time to dry. Packing damp clothes in your suitcase is a guaranteed way to make them smell musty (not to mention you’ll get all your clean, dry clothing wet).

Tell me: Have you had to do laundry while traveling before?

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Here are step-by-step instructions on how to wash clothes in the sink while you're traveling, plus tips for drying your clothing. Doing laundry in a hotel room sink is much easier than you'd think! #travel #traveltips #laundry #budgettravel

posted in: Travel, Travel Tips

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Written by Claire

Hiya! I'm the writer and photographer behind Tall Girl Big World. After being laid off from my corporate editorial job in NYC, I spent a year building up my freelance writing business before moving to Berlin, Germany in 2019. As of 2025, I've just received my permanent residence permit and can now officially call Berlin home. I've traveled extensively throughout Germany and share my top tips and recommendations in my detailed travel guides. I also write guides to my favorite European destinations (when my freelance schedule allows, that is!). Meet Claire.

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. deborah says

    February 7, 2019

    Great article Claire! I also recommend a silicone sink stopper. They are completely flat and take very little room in your luggage. I use the solid laundry sheets because they don’t count as a liquid in your carry-on. You can even cut them in half and get multiple washes out of one sheet. Here’s the sink stopper I use ?
    Silicone Rubber Bathtub Drain Stopper https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012P77TPO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WemxCb1ZC1WGH

    Reply

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After being laid off from my corporate job in NYC, I packed up my bags and moved to Berlin in 2019. Tall Girl Big World is where I share my adventures in Berlin and beyond. You'll find detailed guides on my favorite European cities as well as my top tips and resources for living abroad.

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