Never run out of clean clothes while traveling.

Luigi Rausch
Updated May 5, 2021
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10 Min Read

Are clothes the reason you can't travel light?

Clothes. The culprit to overpacking and, for many, the biggest hurdle to packing light. But what if we packed less and reused them the same way we do at home?

Yes, this means laundry. But what if it were easy? What if it was just a few pieces that you could wash and dry in your hostel, hotel, or hut, not an entire week’s load at a laundromat. You could travel for weeks, never running out of clothes and starting each day looking and smelling fresh, just like at home.

The infinite clean clothes plan

Learn how

Learn how to keep your clothes clean while traveling.

Change clothes

Change the type and amount of clothes you bring to make travel laundry easier.

Travel forever...

Never run out of underwear, stay anywhere as long as you want.

Paradigm shift.

Travel laundry gets overwhelming when you try to imagine yourself doing a full week’s load of laundry in a sink or hauling it to a laundromat. Yikes. Don’t do that.

Instead, imagine packing only three shirts, and every third day, you do a mini-load. A pair of shirts, underwear, and socks (no pants, I’ll tell you why later). Laundry would be quick and easy—no big deal at all.

Low-maintenance clothes

The most important step to doing laundry on the go is actually before you go. Bring low-maintenance fabrics and colors to make laundry even easier.

Bring lightweight, dark clothes.

(Don't bring white)

Never worry about stains or sweat marks, they’re easier to mix-n’-match outfits, and you can wash all the colors together. Boom.

Bring jeans.

(The OG travel pants)

Why? Denim jeans aren’t supposed to be washed after every use. Many Denim Heads recommend wearing the same pair of jeans two to six months before washing them or ultimately when they smell (Businessinsider, 2016). In this way, jeans are perfect for traveling light. They’re durable, look great with multiple outfits, and can be worn many times before a wash.

Bring fast-drying fabrics.

(Like merino wool, not cotton)

Fast-dry fabrics are made of polyester, nylon, or merino wool. They dry quickly indoors between 2-6 hours and less than an hour when placed in the sun (Tortuga).

What makes them dry fast is based on how much water they absorb when wet.

Polyester absorbs about 0.4% of its weight in water
Nylon absorbs about 0.4% of its weight in water
Merino wool absorbs about 33% of its weight in water
Cotton absorbs about 100% of its weight in water

The lower the percentage, the less moisture there’s too dry, the less time it takes to dry.

2 Ways to clean clothes while traveling

You often don’t have the luxury of a washing machine while traveling, but 9 times out of 10, you have access to a shower, bathtub, or sink. Allowing you to hand wash your clothes no matter where you are. This is the way laundry has been done for millennia, but now it’s easier than ever with modern conveniences — giving you complete control over clean clothes.

Option 1: The Scrubba bag

(The method I recommend)

The Scrubba is a portable washing machine you can carry and use anywhere. It’s easy, less messy, holds more, and does a better job cleaning than the sink. Plus, it doubles as a hamper for your dirty clothes.

Add water

Fill with warmish water if you can, about 85°F (30°C) to break down stains and prevent color running. However, cold water works fine too.

Add soap/shampoo

Add a few drops of soap or shampoo. I recommend Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 soap because it doubles as shampoo, laundry detergent, and 16 more things. Plus, it smells great—lavender is my fav.

Add clothes

Max load is 2 shirts, 2 pairs of underwear, and 2 pairs of socks. Or 1 pair of large jeans.

Roll, clip, and seal

Roll down the top 4 to 5 times and clip the buckle together to seal the bag.

Deflate

Twist the valve open and squeeze out excess air.

Swish, swirl, and scrub

Rub clothes against the internal washboard for 3 minutes for a machine-like wash. The washboard forces soapy water through the materials, losing the dirt and cleaning the fabric.

Rinse cycle

Unroll bag, drain the dirty water, replace with fresh water, and repeat step 6 to rinse clothes thoroughly.

Remove excess water

Remove clothes and squeeze out the excess water, but don’t wring them.

Dry assist (Optional)

Lay the damp clothing on a dry laid-out bath towel. Roll the towel from one end around the clothes while squeezing out excess water — drastically speeding up the dry time.

Hang to dry

Use a travel clothesline inside or outside to dry clothes overnight.

Option 2: Sink laundry

(The messier method)

Sinks. Great for washing hands, dishes, AND clothes. If you aren’t trying to wash an entire week’s load of laundry, this method works. It’s slower and messier than the Scrubba Bag method, but it’s free.

Clean sink or bathtub

Wash the sides of the sink with some soap and water to remove any residue.

Plug drain

Pack a universal drain plug or just a balled-up sock

Add soap

Add a few drops of soap or shampoo. I recommend Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 soap because it doubles as shampoo, laundry detergent, and 16 more things. Plus, it smells great—lavender is my fav.