Laundry on Vacation

[snarlingcoyote]

We're just two, so it's easier for us. I bring a pop-up hamper and several plastic garbage bags. Everything goes in the hamper until it's full and then in the plastic garbage bag inside a suitcase.

DH will only bring 3 pairs of shorts for an 8 day trip and I have fave tops, so I know that somewhere along in there, one evening, I will use one of my extra shampoos from housekeeping (I beg as many as they'll give me. I have extra, extra thick hair, thanks to the genetics of being a mutt - so I go through one tube of shampoo a day!) to wash a couple of things out in the sink, then I either lay them out on the balcony to dry or I hang them up on the line in the bathroom.

When we go home, one suitcase has plastic garbage bags with various dirty clothes, one has everything else and I've usually got a couple of duffels that were zipped up and flat in the bottom of our suitcases opened up and full and maybe even a packable shopping tote or two opened up and full. We drive, so we pack as much as we'd like.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

We normally do it halfway through the vacation. I started doing that a couple of years ago when my husband started complaining that we had too many suitcases.

Then the remaining dirty laundry goes into white kitchen garbage bags in each suitcase with a sheet of bounce thrown in so it doesn't stink up the suitcase.

It also has the added bonus that if we still have some clean clothes not worn, we can easily tell and put them away when we get home instead of just washing everything in the suitcase.

 

[DawnM]

We stay in a condo with a w/d so we do a load daily usually. It is so nice to drive home with clean clothing in your suitcase, but the biggest benefit is that we can wear one set of clothing, pack just two others, and be good for the entire trip with only 3 outfits.

Our last November vaca to Disney was a 2 week stay. We all only had 3 outfits each, although DH had to take work clothing as he had a training conference the first 4 days.

Dawn

 

[tinkmom2]

We usually do laundry once a week when on Disney property. Swim suits get nasty after a few days even though we pack 2 per person usually. In the last few years we have been going on the DCL cruise afterwards and have only done laundry once on the ship. I bring a few draw string garbage bags to put our dirty laundry in. The laundry at CBR is right by the quiet pool so you can do your laundry and swim at the same time
We tried the Purex all in one sheets once but they leave stains on our clothes so we just use what they have available at the laundry.

 

[abcboys]

We bring about 4 days worth and wash halfway through so we can pack less. Doing laundry at disney is funner than at home and like other people said it really only takes a few minutes to throw in, switch over, and bring back to the room. I actually hate the thought of doing a whole weeks worth of dirty clothes after getting back from vacation than doing 2 or 3 loads while on vacation.

 

[suzyqsam]

I like to come home with clean clothes so I usually end up doing laundry. Also, if I can pack less, do laundry mid week, we can wear the clothes again.

 

[momto2inKC]

We always do laundry on long vacations. I am an over packer as it is. If I had to pack 2 weeks worth of clothes i'd be in trouble!! I don't swim, so while the kids are enjoying the pool I do laundry. Not to mention I couldn't stand having stinky clothes laying around for 2 weeks Regardless of how 'clean' you are, laundry stinks lol Especially when you're walking around a theme park all day long sweating and such.

 

[goodeats]

Before DD1 I never did laundry on vacation. I would bring so many clothes/outfits. Even when I went to Ireland for 10 days, I brought enough stuff. I would bring a garbage bag for dirties. I had plenty of time to do laundry once I got home.

Now with two kids (I need to update my sig) I really need to do laundry otherwise we'd have to bring a sherpa for a weeklong vacation. Not to mention the cost of checking in bags nowadays!

 

[Bell30012]

Even on vacation laundry still has to be done. Luckily, I have a daughter! We generally put the laundry in, go swimming for a little while then take the laundry back to the room to fold or hang up.

 

[girli565]

I just take a plastic garbage bag and fold the clothes as small as possible and stuff them in the suitcase to take home.

I HATE doing laundry so laundry on vacation is a huge buzzkill. i'd rather do it at home after vacation.

 

[sparkyboy]

We pack light so tend to do laundry once or twice late at night or early morning

 

[chimilady]

I don't mind doing laundry .... dishes on the other hand

I'm right there with ya. I could do laundry every day, but if I had to do my own dishes.... well, it wouldn't get done.

 

[SDSorority]

Hello!

I would like to know what YOU do with your dirty laundry on vacation.

Do you set aside a day to go the a nearby/hotel laundry before you go back home?

or do you carry the dirty laundry with you?

I prefer to pack enough clothes to get me through half of the trip, do laundry mid-way through, and then pack the dirty clothes in a plastic bag to bring home in the suitcase. Immediately throw the dirty laundry in the washer when we get home.

We don't like to check suitcases, so we almost always do the above routine.

 

[Taja]

We tend to visit WDW for 10 to 12 nights - and usually in December. That = variable weather and layering clothing, so it's usually necessary to do laundry at least once during the visit, depending on the weather.

I tend to do my laundry at WDW twice--about mid-point and the day before returning home. By the time I shuttle home from the airport, it's usually fairly late at night and I have to go to work in the morning! I much prefer arriving home with clean clothing! *LOL*

My BFF has been known to make it through the entire trip without doing laundry or repeating outfits. She is Pooh-sized and somehow manages to fit tons of clothing--without compression bags!--in the same size case (24" or 25") that I use! We had a longer warm spell than anticipated in December 2007 (before it became wicked cold!), so she did do a load about Day 7. Her DD did laundry every 3 days or so, as she had her 14-week-old DS, as well as her 9-year-old DD. The little guy's stuff didn't require a lot of space, but he could go through clothing quickly! *LOL*

 

[LJSquishy]

I was wondering how long it takes to do one small load of laundry...an hour? More?

I'm trying to figure out if it makes more sense for me to pack enough clothes for 8 days or to try and pack fewer things and do a single load of laundry in the middle of our stay. It is just my husband and myself. He won't need to do laundry, but I will be packing a little of everything because the weather (Feb 11-18) can vary so much from cool morning/evening temps to warmer midday temps.

 

[luvthemouse71]

I wash my clothes when I get home- they recommend doing this because of bedbugs anyway...

 

[Bell30012]

The washer takes 45 minutes and the dryer takes 30 or 40 minutes. When my daughter and I fly, we don't take as much because we don't want to deal with the issues of luggage if we can help it. If we are driving, it depends on which car. The 2000 Honda Insight which gets the best mpg, has very little luggage room but at 55+ mpg who's complaining?

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

When we were gone 10 days I did the dirty clothes while we were still on vacation. This week we have been gone from Thursday to Thursday and I am just taking the dirty clothes home with me. I take on 13 gallon garbage bag per person and all week when we take our bath we put our dirty clothes in the bag and tote them home.

 

[Lumiere Lover]

I prefer to do laundry while in the pool. I don't like putting dirty clothes in a suitcase. If I have to, I pack the previous nights dirty clothes into a trash bag, then into the suitcase.

We bring a pop up hamper, do laundry at the resort (bring back to room in clean bag from home (not the hamper that had dirty clothes in it). When I get home, I can then unpack from the suitcase into the closet. I prefer doing all the dirty laundry the night before we leave (in not earlier in the vacation also). I can't stand coming home from vacation and having to do laundry immediately!!

 

[DawnM]

I am curious if flying actually saves you time?

I live 9 hours away but by the time you calculate everything out, it only saves 2-3 hours of time overall.

We prefer to have a car there anyway, and expense is a factor, but I am always curious about those who live that close and fly.

Dawn

The washer takes 45 minutes and the dryer takes 30 or 40 minutes. When my daughter and I fly, we don't take as much because we don't want to deal with the issues of luggage if we can help it. If we are driving, it depends on which car. The 2000 Honda Insight which gets the best mpg, has very little luggage room but at 55+ mpg who's complaining?