Doing laundry on vacation?

[Anonymous]

Ok please help me decide this! We are headed on a 5 day vacation that requires a lot of clothes/shoes because of the activities and other stuff we need to bring for activities.

I can’t decide if I should just go the carry-on route and do laundry half way through, or say f it and pack the big check-on? We will have some planned downtime when I can do laundry but it’s not that convenient (other hotel in a resort complex, although we could just sit by the pool while it’s going). But I kind of hate the idea of having to plan a chore like that? But also hate the idea of paying $100 to check the bag and having to get to the airport earlier and linger at baggage claim particularly since I want to spend less time in crowds to avoid covid. (Not a covid phobe; just don’t want to be sick on vacation!)

I know I’m overthinking this …

[Anonymous]

What about C, take the smaller bag, pack less stuff, and just rewear clothes or rinse in sink?

If you’re going to a resort with a pool, you will likely spend much of the day in a bathing suit. If you bring athletic wear, bring two outfits, not 5-6. Wash one in sink after yoga/tennis/hike and hang to dry. Wear the second one the next day. One to two outfits for dinner, 1-2 for touring around. One comfy outfit to wear for travel there and back. Done.

[Anonymous]

Do laundry. I don’t check bags anymore. Not only is hanging out by the pool while laundry is going not a bad plan, but the resort might have laundry bags that you pay a flat fee for, ie, one bag of laundry is $20 to have washed, dried, folded, and returned to your room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about C, take the smaller bag, pack less stuff, and just rewear clothes or rinse in sink?

If you’re going to a resort with a pool, you will likely spend much of the day in a bathing suit. If you bring athletic wear, bring two outfits, not 5-6. Wash one in sink after yoga/tennis/hike and hang to dry. Wear the second one the next day. One to two outfits for dinner, 1-2 for touring around. One comfy outfit to wear for travel there and back. Done.

the activities require multiple changes of clothes. scrubbing clothes in the sink every night and putting on damp not really clean undies seems like the worst of both worlds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do laundry. I don’t check bags anymore. Not only is hanging out by the pool while laundry is going not a bad plan, but the resort might have laundry bags that you pay a flat fee for, ie, one bag of laundry is $20 to have washed, dried, folded, and returned to your room.

It looks like valet laundry is really expensive but still less than checking the bag …

[Anonymous]

I secretly love doing laundry on vacation. Sitting by the pool for a few hours wouldn’t bother me. You could also do it after coming home for the night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I secretly love doing laundry on vacation. Sitting by the pool for a few hours wouldn’t bother me. You could also do it after coming home for the night.

Same. Days and days of dirty clothes piling ip annoy me. So I’ve started doing laundry to cut down on the packing and clutter. The easiest is an airbnb with laundry on site.

[Anonymous]

I do laundry, but for a quick 5 day trip with lots of activities, i'd much rather check a bag. Why? The challenge with laundry is you have to be fairly certain you can get a machine. If a lot of guests are using like one machine, it can be annoying to wait around while your clean clothing supplies dwindle down to nothing.

[Anonymous]

Direct flight check a bag. Nondirect pack as much as you can and if laundry is really needed, so be it. (I have a weird aversion to communal laundry)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do laundry, but for a quick 5 day trip with lots of activities, i'd much rather check a bag. Why? The challenge with laundry is you have to be fairly certain you can get a machine. If a lot of guests are using like one machine, it can be annoying to wait around while your clean clothing supplies dwindle down to nothing.

apparently it’s a pretty big laundry room with an app

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do laundry. I don’t check bags anymore. Not only is hanging out by the pool while laundry is going not a bad plan, but the resort might have laundry bags that you pay a flat fee for, ie, one bag of laundry is $20 to have washed, dried, folded, and returned to your room.

+1

Spend the money you’d spend on checking a bag to do laundry part way through and maybe even at the end so you come home with clean clothes.

[Anonymous]

I always check bags and I always do laundry when I travel.

[Anonymous]

What are these activities requiring multiple changes of clothes? At a resort? Are you skydiving, trail riding, ballroom dancing, sailing, playing tennis, and having a formal dinner every day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are these activities requiring multiple changes of clothes? At a resort? Are you skydiving, trail riding, ballroom dancing, sailing, playing tennis, and having a formal dinner every day?

I’m curious too! I’m having trouble imagining the limitations—especially in summer when packing clothes is smaller (tank tops, not sweaters)

[Anonymous]

Just get in the habit now of packing light. It is a great lesson for your kids to learn. Plus as you age, heavy suitcases won’t be an option (especially in countries with plenty of stairs).

I suggest bringing laundry sheets to hand wash undies. You will find packing light to be SO freeing!