If you had to manage without doing laundry for two weeks - could you?

[clary]

Inspired by a thread (but not a TAAT) that touched on washing clothes on holiday.

We used to go on SC holidays in the UK for a fortnight, and for various reasons took few clothes, so we needed a washing machine in our cottage. Clearly some people take enough clothes with them for the holiday. My midnight question is simply - could you do this for a two-week break?

I (obviously) literally couldn't. I don't own 14 pairs of knickers (or anything like it). I own about eight pairs of socks (and I need socks daily for walking and running). I own two pairs of shorts and about five casual T shirts. I own two hoodies and one pair of jeans. I don't own anything like enough running kit for 14 days.

Am I weird or is this relatively normal? I do own other clothes but they are smart work tops, smart tailored trousers, smartish dresses, none of which I would take on a UK beach holiday.

Anyway my relatively lighthearted challenge to you is - pack for a fortnight without laundry tablets. Possible?

I wouldn't travel with this many clothes, but I wouldn't run out of stuff to wear if I didn't do laundry for about two months. I would then regret the piles of laundry I had to do.

I don't own enough socks or knickers to get me through a week without washing. I could probably manage the rest of it if I didn't get wet or dirty and could wear things for a couple of days.

Easy

I wouldn't want to, but yes, yes I could. Imagining a beach/spa holiday but somewhere it was cold in the evening....

I'd bring:
2 pairs of jeans
2 pairs of shorts
3 pairs of leggings/yoga pants
3 skirts
6 dresses (3 casual, 3 smart)
5 simple t-shirts
4 vest tops
4 pretty tops
3 jumpers
1 hoody
2 wraps
2 jackets
3 swimsuits
3 beach coverups
2 sarongs
Flip flops
2 pairs flat pumps
2 pairs trainers
1 pair smart shoes
Plus socks, knickers, 4 bras (could rotate)
And I guess 2 options for something to wear in bed

I would need a very large suitcase!

We could easily go two weeks without doing laundry. In fact, I have been known to do this for no obvious reason other than I can’t be arsed. When I’m busy at work, there’s a lot going on, etc the first ball that I drop is laundry.

The only places we’d struggle is maybe DH wouldn’t quite make it for pants - think he has about 12 pairs. It might also be tricky if we had the exact same type of weather for two weeks and eg. DD needed to wear a long sleeved vest every day. But even then I think she probably has about 10. I’m pretty sure she has too many clothes...

For a 2 week holiday abroad we would mostly take everything new anyway but even so we could do it without if going on a 2 week UK break ( my idea of hell ) and would not run out of underwear/socks/pj’s but would possibly need to buy a few bits and bobs dependent on weather.

We all own far too much and are having a huge de-clutter at the moment.
We seem to be obsessed with socks.

Easily. But I haven't had a 2 week holiday for over 20 years.

TBH I'm surprised that some of you don't even have enough underwear to last a week.

I could, but I wouldn't want to.

I have enough clothes. I’d still have a drawer full of bras and knickers at the end too.

But up until lockdown l used to travel a lot for work and prefer to travel light with things that go together, and wash things.

OP, I hear you! Our whole family probably has around four days worth of clothes each on average. I'd say the kids have:

About 6/7 days of underwear
Around 4/5 days of tops
Only 2/3 pairs of jeans

It isn't a financial thing, it just seems so wasteful for children to have drawers and drawers of clothes the hardly use.

With three children, even packing 'light' for about four days means loads of bags. I can't imagine taking more! I have no problem with doing a couple of washes while away. Washing up on the other hand - no thanks!

I could for myself and DP, but not for DC. They have a lot of clothes but not enough to last them 2 weeks.

As a teenager, I remember wearing the tatty clothes the day or two before holiday so the better ones were saved. We used to go abroad for 2 weeks and wouldn't have a washing machine. We would hand-wash a few bits to get us through, mainly underwear. However we were often just wearing swimwear most of the day.

I could probably manage 2 weeks without laundry in the UK but would need a fair bit of luggage for 'just in case' spillages. It would be trickier with young children.

Of course! I'm really surprised how many people can't get through a two week holiday without a washing machine. That is the last thing I'd want to do on holiday

Even when we went camping for two weeks we wouldn't use the laundry block. We all had enough underwear and clothes although taking 14 t-shirts each for the kids was slightly excessive, I'll admit to that!

Yep-easily. I don’t go running though so wouldn’t have enough running gear to have a clean set every day for 14 days, or any days. I just wouldn’t run.

I would be ok. I think DH would run out of underwear.

I'm completely baffled by owning only 3 or 4 pairs of socks. Same for knickers. All mine come in 5 packs anyway, but I have dozens of both.

Do you not own different tiers of pants? Good pants, oh I suppose they'll do pants and period pants?

Also, do you not sort your washing for colour and temperature? I'd have thought it was a lot more wasteful if you end up running the machine for 2 pairs of knickers, 2 pairs of socks and a bath towel every 2 days, than just to buy an extra couple of 5 packs and wash less frequently.

I expect frequency of washing clothes/willingness to sponge off spills comes into play here though. In some cases at least. Like 6 pairs of trousers being in no way enough for 2 weeks... I know that's a whole other, often repeated thread.

Personally I could probably pack for a month without too much trouble. Wouldn't really want to though.

@MrsJBaptiste

Of course! I'm really surprised how many people can't get through a two week holiday without a washing machine. That is the last thing I'd want to do on holiday

Even when we went camping for two weeks we wouldn't use the laundry block. We all had enough underwear and clothes although taking 14 t-shirts each for the kids was slightly excessive, I'll admit to that!

But it isn't just 14 of everything. You go to the beach, clothes get sandy and damp so they need something clean for the evening. Even if it's just generally a but suntan lotiony and worn, if you're going out on the evening you'll what something new. You can use the nights top for the next day but you'd prob want long trousers / skirts rather than shorts. You could wear them more than once but you need to make sure you're covered for dropped ice cream and pop and general children being messy. Of you're out all day and coming back and having a shower before dinner, that's clean underwear. So if I couldn't wash underwear that's 28 pairs of pants per person. Two weaning children so Def spare tops and they're in nappies so occasionally have a leak so I'd want some spares. DS is nearly toilet trained but has the odd accident, so again, spares.

And I don't drive.

So when we did a week in Wales with just 1 kid, yeah we ended up doing one darks load and one lights load mid week, chucked in to wash before we went out, to dry whilst we had dinner. Did same on the last day and came home with virtually no washing to do

God yes! I don't routinely wash stuff on holiday when I am away for a fortnight. I take a tube of hand wash liquid just in case but don't intend to use it.

The only time I really wash stuff on holiday would be for specialist items like maybe merino hiking socks on a walking holiday. Normal pants and socks I just take enough pairs.

I sometimes go away for a month at a time so always book somewhere with laundry facilities. I don’t want to lug half my wardrobe along with me just to avoid washing stuff. I don’t really take 2 week holidays, it’s either a short break (less than 5 days) where I do just take the clothes I need, or it’s 3weeks+ in which case I need a washing machine.

At home I could get away with 2 weeks without washing anything. I only wash my clothes (adult DC do their own) and I probably do a couple of washes every 10 days (1 of bigger stuff like jeans etc and 1 of smalls, underwear, nighties etc).

How rude to say it's bizarre the OP has 'so few clothes'. There could be many reasons for this.
I'd have enough clothes to get through two weeks myself but I do tend to wear my favourite things a lot more so it'd be pointless me taking others.

Nope.

Washing machine broke a few weeks back.

Thankfully I'm in a support bubble so was able to use my mums washing machine!

I could probably manage a month if the washing machine broke down

Like someone upthread posted, going on a UK holiday means being ready for a whole host of weathers, a couple of years ago there was a 10 degree difference from one day to the other. Usually we end up packing wellies, walking shoes sandels etc. We usually keep wet weather stuff in the car. Luckily there was a washing machine at our last holiday let

Sudden washing machine break down? No chance, DH and DS don’t seem able to wear anything more then once, DS can be forgiven for this as he’s only 2, DH doesn’t really have an excuse.

Two week holiday? Probably, clean underwear/socks for each day, enough clothes for half to two thirds of the time and wear again. The only time I’ve washed clothes on holiday is when I took a three week trip to Florida.

We always go self catering and I do the last load of washing on the penultimate day. I'd hate to come home to two weeks of washing for four people. 56 pairs of pants and 56 tops, plus copious other items! It never takes time to put a load on on holiday, we can take fewer items and wear our favourite items several times. I also find that after a day at the beach everything is so sandy and really needs washing. If we couldn't do laundry on holiday we'd have to buy more clothes or wear items more than once (which I wouldn't want to do in hot, sweaty weather!)

Just, but it would mean wearing some not v appropriate clothes, so I wouldn’t.