Packing tips: what I bring now that did not before

[MinnieVanMom]

It comes in a spray bottle and you spray it on your clothes and it will release some of the wrinkles. It helps a bit with unpacking. Most rooms do have an iron.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

It comes in a spray bottle and you spray it on your clothes and it will release some of the wrinkles. It helps a bit with unpacking. Most rooms do have an iron.

Thank you. It sounds like a very useful purchase!

 

[DakotaRose]

Each person in our family has his own shaving kit or her own shower kit for travel only. Each kit has a book of plain old matches. If sharing a bathroom, lighting a match or two and letting it burn down a bit clears the air in about ten seconds -- faster than any fan and far better than any spray.

A small open flame works so well that at home I always have a candle burning in the bathroom (out of reach) when we have company, typically unscented with respect to scent-sensitive friend.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Here we go.....

I FeBreeze the hell out of the room, and my stuff, every day. FeBreeze with Gain.

I haven't read the thread because THIS stopped me in my tracks. They make Febreeze with Gain? Where can I find such gloriousness? We had to give up Gain after we had kids because my daughter can't tolerate any detergents that have a lot of additives in them (All Free and Clear is the only one I've found that doesn't give her a rash). I would love love love to scent my clothes with Gain, though. I love Gain. I've missed Gain. **sob**

 

[jtowntoflorida]

We like the laundry sheets for doing our laundry whilst on vacation ( we come for 2 weeks ). You put them in the washing machine and then in the dryer as well. It isnt liquid so it doesn't spill everywhere! But it serves as a detergent and softener. We do not have them in the UK so not sure what they are called but we buy them in your walmart or target type stores. Might be made by tide or something like that?

These are Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets. I hate to be the bearer of bad news...but they're not widely available anymore. Purex seems to be phasing them out in favor of the new "pods" that are so popular here. I haven't seen them in stores in close to a year. I know they're still available online and you might stumble upon them in a brick-and-mortar store, but I wouldn't expect to just pick up a box anywhere like you could in the past. Sorry!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

These are Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets. I hate to be the bearer of bad news...but they're not widely available anymore. Purex seems to be phasing them out in favor of the new "pods" that are so popular here. I haven't seen them in stores in close to a year. I know they're still available online and you might stumble upon them in a brick-and-mortar store, but I wouldn't expect to just pick up a box anywhere like you could in the past. Sorry!

Thanks for the info! We will try the pods instead! We have 'liquid tablets' in the UK maybe your pods are similar? They are individual capsules of laundry detergent to save measuring it out. You place them in the wash. We have front loading washing machines in the UK quite different to your top loading machines in the resorts. You do have them types of machines in your homes as well?
We find them very good and fast! Ours take ages!

 

[MADnNOLA]

Thank you. It sounds like a very useful purchase!

I use diluted liquid fabric softener. It works the same and makes t-shirts look great after being in a suitcase. I just fill an old hotel shampoo bottle with fabric softener and throw in a small (empty) pump bottle. When I arrive I mix the fabric softener with water, 3 to 1 ratio, in the pump bottle. That way, I can dump out the pump bottle the unused portion before packing to leave. Works great!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Thanks for the info! We will try the pods instead! We have 'liquid tablets' in the UK maybe your pods are similar? They are individual capsules of laundry detergent to save measuring it out. You place them in the wash. We have front loading washing machines in the UK quite different to your top loading machines in the resorts. You do have them types of machines in your homes as well?
We find them very good and fast! Ours take ages!

Yes, it sounds like the products you call the "liquid tablets" are the same as our Pods here. It seemed like Tide used to have the only ones on the market, but now everyone has them.

Both top loading and front loading washers are available for residential use in the U.S. The top loading washers tend to be less expensive, although over time the price gap between the types has definitely narrowed, and I know you can find top loaders that are more expensive than some brands of front loaders. I'd say with people I know, it's 50/50 ratio on who has what type in their homes.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Yes, it sounds like the products you call the "liquid tablets" are the same as our Pods here. It seemed like Tide used to have the only ones on the market, but now everyone has them.

Both top loading and front loading washers are available for residential use in the U.S. The top loading washers tend to be less expensive, although over time the price gap between the types has definitely narrowed, and I know you can find top loaders that are more expensive than some brands of front loaders. I'd say with people I know, it's 50/50 ratio on who has what type in their homes.

How interesting! Thank you for that insight into your homes! We are limited for space in the UK are homes are much smaller so I think that drives a lot of design as well. We love the space you have in the US although I guess it depends what State you are from. Those in New York may share the same fate as the UK!

 

[Sphinx610]

We are bringing the self filtering water bottles! This way it doesn't matter where we refill them

 

[PrincessSamanthaC]

We now bring a night light, a bag to carry stuff to the pool like sunscreen, etc. And we like to do laundry at the end of our trip so we bring"laundry sheets" where u put one sheet in with your clothes in the washer and it gives off it's detergent coating.and then when it's time for the dryer u put the same sheet in and now it's a dryer sheet. It takes up no room if u stick it in a ziploc and one box lasts a couple trips!

 

[mkarizona]

After a horrible trip to Nashville a few years ago I never travel without cough medicine.

 

[niffer5150]

We are bringing the self filtering water bottles! This way it doesn't matter where we refill them

i bought a camelbak filtered one too. florida water is very different tasting than california tap and i didn't care for it. i'm also bringing dayquil and pepto. last trip, i got food poisoning from the "worlds largest mcdonalds" that apparently can't even serve a cheeseburger properly and i ended up with a bad cold for the flight home. i was miserable and everyone around me looked like they were certain i was going to give them the plague since i looked like death warmed over both days i was ill.

 

[RIdisfan]

DW always brings a zip bag with little sponges that she uses to wash out our refillable mugs every night. She makes them by sqirting dish liquid on a regular size sponge , letting it dry ( at least overnight ), and then cutting it into six or eight pieces. I can't remember how many , but they work great for sanitizing the mugs and then you just toss them.

 

[itsdisneytime]

I had to post as soon as I read this twice ... now I need to know...

What exactly is the Poly supposed to smell like in the lobby? Ive heard several references to it in the past. I've only been once and I rushed right in to make my ressie time for Ohanna. I didnt look in or hang around the lobby. What does it smell like that would trigger someone to specifically mention it?

 

[Luvamouse]

Just to add some levity to a potentially tense thread....

The other day my husband dropped a fabric softener sheet on the floor and the dog came running over to it and started to lay down and roll on it.

So I guess we all know which way he is voting in the Fragrance/NO fragrance debate.

~NM

My Black Lab is in love with our dryer vent! Whenever I have clothes drying-- which is all the time I think-- he will head out to do a "hot air bath" dance, turning this way and that, rubbing up against the house. If it is dry-ish, he will roll on the ground in front of the vent as it blows hot lavender air! Of course he likes to roll in dead things too.

Let go & let god as my girlfriend would say. Birth a sweet little tip thread for it to be devoured by the lions. Give it to the world and see what it does with it. Def not a winner. Poor little thread. Didn't even see it coming.

Amen. Glad to see the turnaround not long after this post!

I take a collapsible hamper... It's so nice having a place to put dirty clothes! Plus, you can easily lug it to the laundry if you do laundry on your trip.

We drive. I do laundry. The collapsible hampers are a God send for keeping the room neat. Then I tuck it into one of the wheelie suitcases to go to the laundry room.

Ziplocs- I bring quart, gallon and the huge ones that can hold wet swim suits or towels for the drive home or from hotel to hotel on the trip down or back.

Quarters for Laundromat because the change machine never seem to work at the Poly.

Small pair of scissors to cut open packages or cut tags off.

Tons of other things I cannot for the life of me remember now of course, but have learned from experience