How to do laundry while travelling long term

Believe it or not, the fear of dirty laundry is one of the main things holding a lot of people back from living their dreams. Don’t think that we are joking either. Besides the obvious reasons such as the feeling of isolation and lack of money in a foreign country, the irrational fear of bad hygiene standards is very real.

How to do laundry while travelling long term

While it does sound like a drag to wash your clothes in a sink in the middle of nowhere, things are not as bad as they seem. In this article, we will do our best to bust some of the common myths while also providing several solutions for this problem. Are you following us so far? Excellent, let’s begin.

Coin laundry to save the day

No matter where you go, you should be able to find a coin laundry with relative ease. However, not all coin launderettes are the same. Some deliberately aim for tourists, and can put a strain on your budget, so make sure you ask around with the locals to find the most affordable ones, or search for the solution online, if you have internet access. Some of them even do clothes delivery to your doorstep, although this is a more expensive solution. Also, in some parts of the world, Sundays are considered holiday days, so be sure you planned everything ahead of time.

Make sure you pack a lot of clothes created from durable materials

Don’t get us wrong, we aren’t saying that you need to give up on your favorite sweater, but some planning will do you good in the long run. For instance, denim is a very rugged fabric that doesn’t require a lot of washing, and even more important than that, it doesn’t need ironing. The only drawback is that it takes a lot of time for it to dry, which can present a problem if you are heading to colder areas. In that case, make sure you pack on a few layers. Not only that this will keep you warm, it’ll also be a lot simpler to wash.

Wash your wardrobe in a waterproof bag

These bags have many uses, and washing wardrobe is definitely one of them. Best of all, they are pretty cheap, can be found anywhere, and aren’t too heavy to carry around. The process of washing is fairly simple. Just fill the bag with hot water, pour in some detergent, stir the whole batch together similar to how a machine does it and let it sink for a few minutes. After that, rinse with fresh water for a few times and it will be as good as new. In my opinion, this is a far better solution than washing clothes in a sink.

Contact your nearest laundry lady

Depending on your destination, this can possibly be your best option. In countries such as Thailand or Vietnam, where there are lots of Digital Nomads, locals have adapted very well. One of the main businesses are the family-run laundry operations. These kind ladies will do everything for you, from collecting your dirty clothes, to ironing them and returning to your address. All that for a pretty acceptable fee is more than I could’ve hoped for. The clothes are weighed before the wash, thus determining the price. It is like having your personal assistant away from home.

How to dry the clothes

Sometimes, drying clothes is actually a bigger issue than washing. In case you are living in a warm climate, it’s a piece of cake, but what is the solution for people stuck at humid places that have colder weather? Especially for them, we have a trick to share. Take a towel, place your garment on it, and roll them tight together. The dry towel will absorb all the moisture, enabling you to dry your clothes even faster. From there, just hang it all on a rope, and it will be ready in no time. If you have any other tricks, share them with us in the comment section below. Thanks!


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