How to Pack Light Without Running Out of Clean Clothes

Travel tips

May 1

We're all about minimalist packing. Whether you're backpacking, road-tripping, on vacation, or traveling long-term, doing laundry on the go is a game-changer. It lets you pack light, save space, and leave more room for the fun stuff—like souvenirs and local finds.

We aim to pack only the essentials for a week, including outdoor, beach, or layering clothes based on the destination. This approach saves us money when we travel with just a carry-on, making it easier to hop on and off planes, trains, buses—whatever we need. It also leaves room for new clothes, souvenirs, and memories from our trip. While it may seem scary or time-consuming, it's actually easier than you might think.

Laundry Services

This is the most common and convenient option you'll encounter while traveling. It's simple—just ask at your accommodation or search on Google Maps for nearby laundry services. In most countries, we've paid an average of €1 - €2 per kg, and some homestays even offer laundry services for free. We only paid once per item in Palolem, India, and ended up with highest laundry bill of our world trip in the most affordable country.

Some laundry services go the extra mile by offering free pick-up and drop-off. However, we usually prefer to drop off our clothes ourselves. Most laundry services will have your clothes ready by the next day, neatly washed, ironed, and folded—making it the most easy choice.

To find a good laundry service, just search in Google Maps and read some of the reviews. This usually gives us a good idea of the quality and price of the service.

THE REAL TRAVELER TIP

We keep a record of the items we drop off and verify the number of pieces when we pick up our laundry. So far, we've never had a missing item or received anything in a different condition. However, we always double-check, as mistakes can happen.

Laundromat

In countries like South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, it is quite common to use laundromats. We typically pay around 1 - 3€ per load in the washing machine. Most laundromats also offer dryers. While we personally prefer not to machine dry our clothes, it’s a matter of choice. Just be aware that some items may shrink in the process, so don’t forget to separate them.

THE REAL TRAVELER TIP

We always travel with a small refillable bottle of eco-friendly laundry detergent. While some laundromats sell single-use packets, their machines are sometimes empty or out of order. We also pack a compact clothesline to hang-dry our laundry wherever we’re staying. Some accommodations even have clotheslines or similar setups already in place—perfect for sun-drying your clothes.

washing machines and dryers in a laundromat shop in okinawa japan

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Washing Machines at Accomodations

We’ve encountered this option the least, mostly because we travel on a budget and typically don’t rent higher-end apartments or houses. However, in countries like Japan, Brazil, Peru, South Korea, and India, it’s common to find washing machines even in budget-friendly, small apartments. Some accommodations provide laundry detergent, though others may not. Generally, you’ll find clotheslines or racks available for drying.

READ | How We Save Money on Accommodation While Traveling

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Hand-Washing

This is our last resort, and we’ve washed our clothes less than five times manually. We usually do it when we’re moving between destinations quickly and don’t have time to drop off our clothes at a laundry service. In these situations, having a small refillable bottle of your own laundry detergent and compact clothes line can be really handy.

Good to Know

Keep an eye on your laundry if you’re drying it overnight—sudden rain or strong winds can leave you with a wet or missing sock situation. In tropical climates, high humidity can also slow down the drying process.

Never stuff damp clothes into a plastic bag—they’ll start to smell, might get moldy, and you’ll probably have to wash them all over again.

If something’s just lightly worn, sometimes it’s enough to hang it outside for a bit to air out.

And be careful with sun-drying delicate or dark-colored clothes—the sun can cause fading if they’re left out too long.

Packing