🧼 How to Wash Your Clothes (and Towel!) While Travelling

If you’re travelling for more than a few days, especially through Europe or Southeast Asia, there’s one thing you can’t avoid forever: laundry. Whether it’s sweaty shirts, swimsuits that never fully dry, or that one pair of linen pants you’ve been wearing every other day — it’s gotta be done.

I used to dread doing laundry on the road. But after years of travel (and some less-than-ideal situations involving hostel sinks and soap that was definitely not detergent), I’ve finally nailed down a few go-to ways to keep everything clean — including your travel towels.

Here’s exactly how I wash my clothes and towels while travelling light — without lugging around detergent bottles or waiting forever for things to dry.

✈️ First Things First: Travel Light = Wash Often

When you're travelling with just a carry-on or backpack, you don’t get the luxury of bringing your whole wardrobe. That’s the trade-off. You keep things light and minimal… and that means doing a bit of laundry on the go.

The good news? It doesn’t need to be hard — especially if you pack smart, like bringing a quick dry towel instead of a big hotel-style one.

 

🧺 How I Wash Clothes While Travelling

There are a few ways to handle laundry while travelling. Here's what I’ve personally tried (and what I still do depending on where I am):

1. The Classic Hostel Sink Wash

• Fill the sink with warm water
  
  

• Add a small amount of liquid soap (or travel laundry soap if you packed it)
  
  

• Let your clothes soak a bit, then scrub gently
  
  

• Rinse thoroughly
  
  

• Wring out and hang to dry
  
  

Tip: If you can, use a dry bag or packing cube as a makeshift washing bucket. It works way better than a shallow sink!

2. Laundry Services

Many hostels or local shops in Southeast Asia and Europe offer per-kilo laundry services. It’s often cheap (especially in Asia), fast, and saves you time — perfect when you're short on energy or just want everything done at once.

3. Self-Service Laundromats

These are everywhere in Europe. Just Google “lavanderia” or “self-service laundry” and you’ll find something nearby. Keep coins handy and know that detergent is often sold in vending machines on-site.

4. Collapsible Wash Bag (Optional but Handy)

If you travel a lot, investing in a Scrubba wash bag or similar is chef’s kiss. It’s like a mini portable washing machine you can use in your hotel room.

 

🧴 What to Pack to Make Laundry Easy

• Small sachets of travel laundry detergent (or use a few drops of body wash in a pinch)
  
  

• A sink plug (some hostels don’t have them!)
  
  

• A microfibre towel to help wring out wet clothes
  
  

• Portable travel clothesline (with suction cups or clips)
  
  

• Ziplock or dry bag for separating dirty stuff

 

☀️ Drying Your Clothes While Travelling

Drying is where most people mess up. If you’re in humid weather (hello, Southeast Asia), things can take forever to dry if you don't plan for it.

Here’s what I do:

• Wring everything out thoroughly
  
  

• Roll clothes in a towel and press down to remove extra moisture
  
  

• Hang near a window or under a fan
  
  

• Avoid leaving clothes bunched in a corner — they'll stay damp and get smelly
  

 

🏖️ What About Towels?

Here’s where it gets real: don’t pack a big hotel towel. Ever.
They take up too much space, take too long to dry, and start to smell if you pack them even slightly damp.

That’s why I only travel with a quick dry towel — and after years of testing (and being disappointed), I designed the exact one I always wanted: the Nomadique beach towel with pocket.

Why My Travel Towel is a Laundry Game-Changer

• It’s a sand free beach towel, so you’re not carrying half of Bali back to your room
  
  

• It’s ultra lightweight and folds up smaller than a t-shirt
  
  

• It dries fast — seriously, leave it hanging overnight and it’s ready to go
  
  

• It’s made from fabric that doesn’t trap odours or moisture like regular towels
  
  

• Oh, and it has a hidden pocket — perfect for the beach or hostel showers when you need a place to stash your phone and key
  
  

You can also use it to wring out your clothes faster (works like a charm) or as a mini drying mat if you’re tight on space.

💧 Bonus Tip: Wash Your Towel, Too!

Your towel goes everywhere with you — beach, showers, floors, beds, ferries — so don’t forget to clean it regularly.

If you’re using a travel towel, washing is easy:

• Quick hand wash in a sink or tub with mild soap
  
  

• Rinse well and hang to dry — ideally outside or somewhere ventilated
  
  

• Don’t worry if you can’t machine wash it every week — these towels are made for low-maintenance care

Final Thoughts

Laundry doesn’t have to be a hassle while travelling. With a few smart tools and habits, it becomes part of the rhythm of life on the road — and having quick-drying, easy-to-clean items (like travel towels and versatile clothes) makes all the difference.

If you’re still hunting for the perfect beach towel with pocket that ticks all the boxes for travel, laundry, and chill vibes — I’ve got you covered 😉