Packing Light Tip for Families: Vacation Laundry

When you think of traveling, do you feel all weighted down, or free and unencumbered? If it's the former, the problem may lie in your packing habits. I used to consider myself quite a moderate packer-just 'normal,' whatever that meant.

However, after traveling with other families, watching their habits and dilemmas, I realized I was a pretty light packer, and now, after really taking measures to be a very light traveler,I have some a tip to share: do a load of laundry on your trip.

It may sound a bit counter intuitive-the words "laundry" and "vacation" don't exactly seem to fit. If you think it would probably be a hassle, the last thing you want to deal with on a trip, or that it would likely come to some kind of desperate do-or-die scene, consider that it can actually quite a nice respite-compulsory downtime. Plus, there's something renewing about having freshly washed clothes on a trip.

Many motels and hotels have coin-op guest laundry machines. Motel 6, and the like usually do. Nicely, the machines are usually conveniently located and very available too; as many times as I have done laundry at motels, I have never once encountered machines being used by other guests, and I have never felt inconvenienced.

If your hotel doesn't have laundry services, consider looking for a Laundromat adjacent to a restaurant or diner. The washing and drying can be done while your family eats a leisurely meal, with people taking turns sorting, loading, and folding as needed.

Planning on making time to do a load of laundry (or two, depending on the size of your family and timeframe) just makes a lot of sense. It is a big dynamic in packing light because it cuts the amount of clothing you need to pack down by half or more.

It also eliminates the trauma of realizing you didn't pack enough clothing after all, and having to hand wash and air dry items. If you've ever had to wear a not-quite-dry shirt washed with shampoo, you know what an inconvenience this is.

The problem of hauling around those flimsy hotel laundry bags stuffed with of dirty clothes, or worse, packing them in with clean clothing is likewise solved, as is the "fun" of mountains of dirty clothes as you return home-right when you'd like to rest.

To transport detergent, get a small plastic Tupperware-like container, and fill it with enough detergent for however many loads of laundry you think you'll be doing. Make sure the container seals very tightly. Sealing it with some packing tape gives an extra measure of security. To save space and simplify, skip the dryer sheets, fabric softeners, stain sprays, etc.

On a final note, if you are unaccustomed to doing laundry in pay machines, remember that they require quarters. Make sure you bring quarters with you, (or crisp bills, for change machines) and save them for the laundry. Although machines vary, an average price per load is about $1.50 for washers and up to $2.50 for dryers, depending on how many jeans and heavy fabrics you have.