Bringing laundry detergent on vacation

[englishteacha]

I hope you "budgeteers" can help me with a minor dilemma. Due to our travel arrangements, I plan on packing clothes for half my trip and doing laundry. (The condo we're staying at has a washer and dryer.) My dilemma is that I have to use a "free and clear" type of detergent, and I can't find the powdered kind anywhere! I've looked in 4 local stores (Walmart, 2 grocery stores, and a Family Dollar), plus a Big Lots an hour away and only one place had a powdered unscented detergent...and it was ridiculously expensive. I don't want to buy a whole jug of liquid when I get down there...I will only need a few loads worth of detergent. So, the question is, if I can't find powdered detergent, how could I transport liquid detergent from Maine to Florida without it leaking all over everything in transit?

My thoughts so far:
a peanut butter jar, then put it in a ziplock
a Woolite container, also in a ziplock
a clean soda or water bottle (labeled so no one drinks it!), also in a ziplock

Is there anything better??? I don't know if the air pressure in the plane would do anything funky, or what damage the baggage handlers might do with the suitcase (I suppose I could put it in my carry on). Obviously the best thing is powder, but I need a "just in case" plan.

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[mtblujeans]

I have used small laundry bottles (such as fabric softener or detergent) that I know will not leak. I seal them in a large zip lock bag and pack them in the suitcase. I have never had one leak yet. These are 20 to 30 oz. bottles I am referring to. If you have purchased All Small & Mighty, that would be a good bottle to refill, too. You don't have to fill it all the way....just guesstimate how much detergent you might need. Then you can throw the bottle away when you get done with it and it will be no loss.

I have also washed out Jet Dry bottles to use for fabric softner liquid and they have never leaked.

 

[canwegosoon]

I have used the Tide (4 load size-from target)-with no problems on the plane. I put it in a zip loc bag, and then in a cosmetic bag(like a shaving bag-water resistant), in checked luggage. I know you can probably can not get the same size bottle for the detergent you need, but I think I would go with a mayo jar(plastic) or ask a friend to save you an empty travel tide bottle(I think they are $1). Good luck-worst case is a little spills and it is laundry detergent

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

ALL sells a skinny bottle concentrated versionn of free and clear--you can pack it as you would shampoo--tight cap, in double freezer bag. I will be doing this for our trip in October as I am allergic to everything else.

Wash one load at home to remove some of the liquid from the bottle so as not to waste detergent and it should do fine under pressure as the liquid has places to go.

The only time I had trouble with shampoos and stuff was when we were in a high elevation area when we landed. I have never seen liquids explode after opening as they did then. Learned my lesson. LOL!

 

[disneysteve]

Stop by your local pharmacy and ask the pharmacist if you could have (or buy) a couple of empty medicine bottles. That's what we pack all our liquids in when we travel: shampoo, conditioner, Woolite, mouthwash, etc. I've never used them for detergent because we use powder, but it would work just fine for that too.

 

[Kimmumum]

Go to your local laundrymat. The one by my house carries many different varieties and brands. They may have what you are looking for

 

[clh2]

ALL sells a skinny bottle concentrated versionn of free and clear--you can pack it as you would shampoo--tight cap, in double freezer bag. I will be doing this for our trip in October as I am allergic to everything else.

Wash one load at home to remove some of the liquid from the bottle so as not to waste detergent and it should do fine under pressure as the liquid has places to go.

ALL calls that size the "small and mighty", it is 32 OZ, and does 32 loads of clothes. I would actually use up 1/2 or so of the bottle before you go on your trip. Use what you need and then leave the rest behind. That way you aren't flying 2 times with the pre-opened detergent. Plus - you'll have a tiny bit extra room for souvie's

 

[Free4Life11]

I second the All Small and Mighty. That's what I use and I like it. It's a fairly small bottle, but you could put it in a plastic Ziplock bag.

 

[englishteacha]

Thanks for the good ideas!

 

[we3disneygo]

our wal mart travel size section has tide packets to wash out stuff in a sink? just thought I'd mention it. I would try the laundermat's around town and check what they have in the machines. have fun!

 

[plummer925]

Stop by your local pharmacy and ask the pharmacist if you could have (or buy) a couple of empty medicine bottles. That's what we pack all our liquids in when we travel: shampoo, conditioner, Woolite, mouthwash, etc. I've never used them for detergent because we use powder, but it would work just fine for that too.

Great idea, but the only concern I'd have would be airport security with medicine bottles.

Also - some people may be thinking of putting powdered detergent in baggies - this is also something I wouldn't do due to airport security (white powder looks like drugs, even if it SMELLS like laundry detergent, I personally don't want to take any chances). I'd rather pay more in Florida than risk having my vacation delayed or ruined because of over zealous security guards at the airport!

 

[bookworm61]

I brought All Small and Mighty on a cruise recently. I went to Walmart and bought a medium sized travel container meant for shampoo or lotion or similar and filled it with the detergent. It worked out great.

 

[DawnM]

If you will be in a condo does that mean you will also have a rental car and possibly stopping at the grocery after you arrive?

I normally just get it the first day we are there when I get grocery supplies.

That way you can get the liquid if you need to.

Dawn

 

[patsal]

All Free and Clear, small and mighty sealed in a ziplock for extra protection!

 

[java]

I aws going to suggest gettting a travel size tide from Target(they are in the travel section) use it then fill with Tide Free. We can only use Tide free(and I can't find that in a travel size) So I plan on buying the regular one- using it for the dogs beds? or maybe kitchen towels? Then using the container to take our tide free. But now that someone mentioned Laundromats I am pretty sure I saw the Tide free in powder form at the laundry at a Fairfield Inn- so they must make it.
although in checking here I couldn't find it
http://www.minimus.biz/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=9
Ah but I just found that they make Tide Free in a powder - the smallest size is 40 loads -but you could just pack what you need in a ziploc search here for a store near you
http://www.tide.com/products/tide.jhtml?productId=97

 

[Jenn]

I found travel size packets of liquid free and clear detergent (CVS brand) at CVS in the travel size section. They were 50 cents each. I picked up several for our upcoming trip. I will put them in a ziplock along with dryer fabric softener sheets just in case they leak during the trip.

 

[Ozymoe]

I aws going to suggest gettting a travel size tide from Target(they are in the travel section) use it then fill with Tide Free. We can only use Tide free(and I can't find that in a travel size) So I plan on buying the regular one- using it for the dogs beds? or maybe kitchen towels? Then using the container to take our tide free. But now that someone mentioned Laundromats I am pretty sure I saw the Tide free in powder form at the laundry at a Fairfield Inn- so they must make it.
although in checking here I couldn't find it
http://www.minimus.biz/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=9
Ah but I just found that they make Tide Free in a powder - the smallest size is 40 loads -but you could just pack what you need in a ziploc search here for a store near you
http://www.tide.com/products/tide.jhtml?productId=97

Java,

You're a genius! This gives the OP exactly the options for which she asked in her original post!...and if for any reason the product cannot be found in her immediate (home) area...and the OP will be making a grocery stop...put in Disney's zip code to see if it's available at a close grocery stop in Florida.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

Also - some people may be thinking of putting powdered detergent in baggies - this is also something I wouldn't do due to airport security (white powder looks like drugs, even if it SMELLS like laundry detergent, I personally don't want to take any chances).

I ALWAYS take powdered Tide in baggies on every single vacation and have never, ever, not once, had a problem with it being in my suitcase. I premeasure it before I go and it's so easy to do laundry!

 

[DsnyDrmr]

I found travel size packets of liquid free and clear detergent (CVS brand) at CVS in the travel size section. They were 50 cents each. I picked up several for our upcoming trip. I will put them in a ziplock along with dryer fabric softener sheets just in case they leak during the trip.

I did this on our trip, and it worked out great--one packet/one load. I think I also put them in a gallon size zip lock bag in case of any spills.

 

[Schachteles]

We buy Purex tabs to do our laundry, they are pre-packaged in the packets, you open one and drop them into the laundry and you are done...no worries then with things getting broken!

Good luck!