Laundry on the Fly: 12 Tips for Handling Dirty Clothes Like Travel Pros

By

Andreas Jones

Hey! I’m Andreas Jones and I am the founder of KindaFrugal.com. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and lifestyle businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur On Fire, Lifehack.org, Influencive and Goalcast.

| Published on December 16, 2023

Woman packing for travel

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For many travelers, doing their laundry on the go is sometimes a must, but you don’t always have the option to throw a load in. That’s where Laundry on the Fly comes in—a clever way to manage your clothes while traveling. No one wants to co-mingle dirty and clean clothing or take home a suitcase full of dirty laundry to wash at home when they return from a trip. An online forum of travel pros offered notable suggestions on what to do with dirty laundry when you’re away from home.

Compression Packing Cubes

Compression Packing Cubes
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Travelers find these cubes are essential for ease of packing. Not only do they keep clothing neat, organized, and easy to see inside a suitcase, but they also can be used to separate clean and dirty clothes. Look for cubes that have vents and are water-resistant. The vented side can store clean clothes, and the water-resistant side can hold dirty clothes to keep scents in.

Air Your Dirty Laundry

Hanging dress in air
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Metaphorically speaking, airing one’s dirty laundry isn’t wise, but it’s a good thing regarding actual dirty laundry! You can pack items like socks and underclothes separately, but you can hang up the rest of your clothes overnight to allow them to air out. This process removes many smells and reduces the amount of moisture in them. Afterward, pack them in a separate bag or compression cube away from your clean clothes.

Plastic Laundry Bags

Plastic Laundry Bags with dress
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If you don’t have compression cubes to separate clean from dirty laundry, use ordinary plastic bags for a similar effect. Plastic bags won’t necessarily keep your clothes organized as you pack and unpack. Still, they help separate dirty laundry from clean clothes in your suitcase, and as long as they are free from holes, they’re also waterproof.

Wet Bags

Diaper packing
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If you can’t wash underclothes, socks, or dirty and sweaty clothes, buy a wet bag for cloth diapers to hold them. Parents on the go use wet bags to keep soiled cloth diapers in until they wash them. Wet bags are waterproof and are great for keeping unpleasant scents under wraps. Everything clean can go directly into your suitcase or compression tube.

Sink and Tub Washing

Washing cloth in sink
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If you’re traveling with clothing, you’ll need to wear more than once, and you won’t have access to a laundry facility or service, you can opt to wash the items in the sink or bathtub. This process works best with lightweight clothing that dries quickly. Once dried, store them in your suitcase or compression box with a dryer sheet to give them a fresh scent.

Compression Cube Liners

Man packing for travel
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You can use one compression cube for clean laundry and a different one for dirty clothes. However, if you prefer to use your compression cubes strictly for clean clothes, use a plastic bag as a liner for one of the cubes and place your soiled laundry inside. This keeps your clean and dirty clothes separate while keeping the inside of your compression cubes clean.

Baggu Bags

woman packing suitcase
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If a sustainable solution to handling dirty laundry on the go is essential to you, consider using BAGGU bags or a similar product. The company offers spacious reusable bags in different sizes that are perfect for temporarily storing dirty laundry in your suitcase until you can wash them on the road or until you get home.

Separate Certain Items

Woman packing medicine
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One straightforward approach to sorting your laundry while traveling is to keep the cleanest clothing folded neatly in the suitcase and store the dirty laundry in its own bag or compression cube. When using this method, ensure that the bag is strong enough to hold the clothing and its scent so it does not come into contact with clean items.

Giant Ziploc Bags

Ziploc Bags
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Ziploc bags are for more than just food storage. The company also makes extra-large-sized bags designed for closet storage but can easily separate clean from dirty clothing in a suitcase. Once sealed, the bag is waterproof and keeps any scents inside. Plus, they’re durable enough to be used again. Travelers who’ve used these bags can’t praise them enough.

Compression Bags

Woman using compression bags
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Compression bags work similarly to compression cubes in that they compactly hold clothing for easy packing and storage, but the bags often require a vacuum cleaner to seal them properly. These bags are excellent for storing and organizing clean clothes while traveling. Keep the dirty laundry in a separate bag until you can launder it.

Use a Shoe Case

Shoe Case
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If you travel with a separate bag or case for your shoes, you can also store your unclean laundry there. Place the laundry that needs washing in a small plastic or cloth bag, seal it, and put the bag in with your shoes. This step ensures your soiled laundry won’t mix in with your clean clothes, and by keeping them with your shoes, you’ll remember that they need to be washed.

Reusable Cloth Bags

Reusable bags
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While reusable plastic bags are a quick and easy solution to hold dirty clothes in, the plastic not only holds the scent in but may make it even stronger. To avoid this, use a zippered, reusable cloth bag instead. If you can find one that’s waterproof inside, even better. Cloth bags are also a more sustainable option than plastic bags.

Source: Reddit.

 

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