On our first cruise, we brought All Free & Clear small & mighty
pods. Mistake.
The first load of laundry I stayed a little bit and watched just how very full of suds the little washer got. Then, I came back near the end of the cycle when it was still doing a rinse, and there were still lots of suds. It took FOUR full cycles (at $2 each...) to get the water to run without suds. Lesson learned: the washers are too small for the pods.
The second and subsequent trips I brought All Free & Clear small & mighty
liquid detergent in a Nalgene container (I like the narrow mouth 250 mL from their travel kit, though some places also sell it separately:
http://store.nalgene.com/product-p/9941-0001-12.htm ). Although it is leakproof, I still put it inside two Ziploc bags (the same as I do for shampoo and other liquids); so far it has not leaked. I also bring a
small plastic measuring spoon that has markings for 1 tsp and 1 tbsp. Experience over the last three cruises demonstrated we only needed about 1 teaspoon of detergent to do the job. yes, 1 teaspoon. compare that to how much is in a pod !! even then, we still have to do a second cycle as a "rinse" cycle to get all the detergent out -- but better than 4 !
We have now discovered that I can tolerate Sunlight sensitive skin liquid laundry detergent, which we can buy locally here in Canada [the All brand is only available in the USA, which meant cross-border trips to buy detergent...]. So in the future we will use Sunlight. But still the liquid in a Nalgene with the measuring spoon.
I also have an inexpensive rubbermaid-type container I bought on a work trip several years ago. It seals well (the lid clips down to help hold the seal), and I put the laundry detergent and some other items into it >> keeps them coralled well and if they leak out of their ziploc it is into the container which is also leakproof [so far, so good]. FWIW< I bought it at Target and have seen them there within the last year, in different sizes. It might be Sterilite brand ?
SW
