How do you unpack once you get back home?

[Buzzard]

Well I was thinking about starting one on " do you get stressed out about washing clothes when overseas?" Have a 6 week o/s journey and are obsessively trying to find decent aparthotels which is not easy in Germany

We had no problem finding laundromats in Germany. Biggest problem was reading the instructions. Tomorrow we board our ship in Durban so first port of call today is the laundromat.

 

[Austman]

I have a travel adage:

"Always do laundry when you can".

 

[Quickstatus]

I have an travel adage:

"Always do laundry when you can".

Yes and if possible I do the laundry before I pack for the return home. that way most of the clothes are clean and can remain in luggage for the next trip

 

[Denali]

I have a similar packing procedure, except for a seperate wallet. That seems a bit, er... excessive.

Both husband and I have travel wallets. I used my new Bellroy this trip and was super happy with it. Hubbys current wallet is phone book thick with rubbish, sorry very important things he needs, so I make him leave that wallet at home

One bag opened and lying on the floor. The personalised Heinekens (tour gift) made its home OK but that's as far as I got. Next trip is August, wonder if I need any of this stuff before then

 

[Milboo]

I’m really intrigued with the idea of doing all the laundry while still on holiday and returning with clean clothes!

I ain’t spending my holidays doing washing - and no way am I paying hotel prices for it!

I do have some washing done when I’m away for more than a week but prefer to do it on return so it’s all fresh, not been folded in a case with random other things like shoes, in humid climate and smelling like chocolate (there is usually s stash of presents in the case!).

 

[Denali]

I’m really intrigued with the idea of doing all the laundry while still on holiday and returning with clean clothes!

I ain’t spending my holidays doing washing - and no way am I paying hotel prices for it!

I do have some washing done when I’m away for more than a week but prefer to do it on return so it’s all fresh, not been folded in a case with random other things like shoes, in humid climate and smelling like chocolate (there is usually s stash of presents in the case!).

Our airbnb had full laundry and I don't iron so it's really machines doing it so no hardship otherwise I budget to send laundry out. I'm not looking for public laundry places when I can be relaxing or enjoying myself

 

[Austman]

and no way am I paying hotel prices for it!

No way I will either. At most hotels that is.

"Always do laundry when you can" has a practical side to it. If possible, it allows for HLO on even very long trips.

But "when you can", for me, means that there is a handy and practical laundry facility available.

 

[Blinky]

A

No way I will either. At most hotels that is.

"Always do laundry when you can" has a practical side to it. If possible, it allows for HLO on even very long trips.

But "when you can", for me, means that there is a handy and practical laundry facility available.

A bit off topic. I normally avoid hotel laundry like the plague......unless it’s free. As it was at Sofitel Nusa Dua we stayed at last year. Only 4 items a day or something, and we laundered four items a day.

 

[Hillbilly64]

Actually makes a lot of sense. I always take my Oz credit cards out when I travel...and then can never find them when I get home and usually end up having to get them reissued.

 

[tgh]

Cruising tips:
1 Balconies are great place to dry laundry.
2. Balconies are also good places to lose laundry…..leads to..
3 As well as our de rigeur clothes lines, we also bring along a few hooks and other stuff to facilitate clothesline construction..leads to
4 Ship and hotel designers must have, as a part of their brief, a requirement that no bathroom or balcony may have anything to which a clothesline might be attached.

 

[Quickstatus]

I don’t use hotel laundry unless it comes with guest operated laundry. Last place I stayed in KL there was an Uber style laundry pickup from hotel

 

[Renato1]

I put my suitcase in my spare bedroom, get dirty clothes out of it, and then proceed extremely slowly to take other bits out of it.

So slowly, in fact, that I've never actually unpacked it after the last four trips.

Saves heaps of time when packing for the next trip, and I don't forget some essentials which have become permanently located in the suitcase.

My wife unpacks all her stuff.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Eija]

I’m really intrigued with the idea of doing all the laundry while still on holiday and returning with clean clothes

HLO & stay in Hotels that include 2-4 laundry items per day I did take a suitcase once - only once though. This does me for 1 day-3 weeks.

 

[Quickstatus]

One of the other benefits of doing laundry before arriving home is that if not travelling again soon, the items can be progressively used out of the suitcase until the suitcase empties.

 

[amaroo]

I'm not sure how the bags get unpacked...

 

[Bundy Bear]

Unpack as soon as home washing straight into washing machine and that is ok if I can get it washed and on the inside line before bed.

Bag is emptied and stuff put away, anything new stays in the dining room table until a new place for those things to live is found.

 

[Bindibuys]

I much rather wash in my own machine. Yes, if on a long trip will do a mid-trip wash, but endeavour to come home with all clothes dirty.
I posted a parcel back home with bibs & bobs, but my husband told the staff at the local PO that it would be containing my dirty clothes. When I went to pick up the post-pack, they had it sitting outside..... just in case.

 

[Bindibuys]

I'm not sure how the bags get unpacked...

AHHH just like my husband says.... there is a "holiday fairy" that books and pays for his holidays. You have an unpacking fairy.

 

[Denali]

AHHH just like my husband says.... there is a "holiday fairy" that books and pays for his holidays. You have an unpacking fairy.

Thing is, without the husband I would be all carry on. I just did 3.5 weeks in Iceland and Netherlands with 2 tshirts, 2 knickers, 1 pair socks, 1 skirt, 1 tights, boots (which I donated to a shelter in Iceland) cossies, bra, pharm supplies and 1 fleece jacket. His photography stuff, spares kit plus tripod and all the stuff he buys while we're on hols is why we need check in. I even buy toiletries on arrival so I dont have to pack them.

Going to have to count how many tshirts he bought on this trip (when I finally open the bag) but Im guessing its about 20.

 

[Pushka]

I learnt, decades ago, that to the quickest and easiest way to handle packing and unpacking for a true frequent traveller is to have a completely separate set of many items duplicated just for travel.

For me, I have a separate set of bathroom items, clothes, shoes, electronics/adapters and even a separate wallet pre-filled with travel only type cards and standby cash.

That way, packing and unpacking at home takes less time than packing and unpacking at a hotel. Many items can just stay in the bag at home and are replenished/replaced during the next trip(s) as necessary.

Unpacking for me is about doing laundry and not too much more. Packing is about putting that now clean laundry back into the bag and not too much more. Ironing, except for the clothes I am wearing on the plane, is done at the hotel.

In thinking about this, I agree. But I do tend to travel to places with weather the opposite to what we have at home so not necessarily separate wardrobe so much but have clothes that aren’t needed. Separate toiletries which I keep in a travel bag. And I have a travel wallet which is slimline versus my usual bulky one that contains all the cards.

Cruising tips:
1 Balconies are great place to dry laundry.
2. Balconies are also good places to lose laundry…..leads to..
3 As well as our de rigeur clothes lines, we also bring along a few hooks and other stuff to facilitate clothesline construction..leads to
4 Ship and hotel designers must have, as a part of their brief, a requirement that no bathroom or balcony may have anything to which a clothesline might be attached.

Mmm. On a cruise we ended up with someone else’s HUGE knickers on our balcony. I told the cabin attendant that they weren’t mine and I refused to touch them. We also wondered where the pool of water on our balcony each night was coming from until we saw the stream of drips from neighbours washing coming from under the partition.

The cruise we are going on has free laundry facilities including detergents so those will be muchly used.