Going away for two weeks and cannot do laundry

[Dilbertian]

I'm going away for two weeks and will not be able to do any machine laundry. Most of my clothes are natural fibres so are not easy to hand wash and will not dry quickly.

Short of taking 14 shirts etc, any tips for packing or for reusing worn clothes?

We're staying in 3 different places, the last one being a youth hostel with a drying room, so if I have to do any hand washing I'll probably do it the day before we go to the YH and transport it wet.

Oh, and I'm a Sweaty Betty - I cannot re-wear a shirt without washing it.

I've had phases where I've had to do this (menopausal night sweats). If you wake up drenched in sweat 3 or 4 times a night, then yes, you want clean pyjamas every day.

Don't tell me, you're one of those who can't possibly wear knickers with your pjs because you need to air your fanny at night

I need clean pajamas every night ,if you don't you're either fortunate or not hit menopause yet!

I always put my own pillowslip or that day's t-shirt on any pillow outside my home. I wear pyjamas to minimise my contact with the bedding.

Bedding at my ILs is a real problem. For one night there I tuck pjs into socks and wear long sleeved pj top. For longer, I bring my own sheet and quilt case.

Commercially laundered bedding is rarely as problematic for me as domestically laundered. Perhaps commercial laundries use different products.

I never travel without my steroid ointment to treat my skin if it blisters.

Like I said, it's a pain in the bum.

For vests/T-shirts/undies could you use a salad spinner to wash and dry the clothes? Should take one tshirt and a couple of pairs of pants, then they could be hung up in the car with the window open an inch or so to stop the car get damp. In the hot sun they should dry really quickly.

Surely your relatives will let you do a load?

@Legomania Don't tell me, you're one of those who can't possibly wear knickers with your pjs because you need to air your fanny at night I was just going to post that the people who sweat in unhygienic knickers may well able to get away with less pjs!

DP and I have just been on holiday in the UK for two weeks with our two DC, everyone packed enough clothes for two weeks and I did not do any laundry as it's my holiday too!

Same if we go abroad, we all get our 22kg luggage allowance, pack for 7 days and everything is worn twice (swimwear washed daily in the shower).

If you're driving you can take as much as you like. Some things I wear more than once. I don't get what your problem is?!

I have three kids so a washing machine is obligatory for holidays. But hand washing every day, hanging wet washing in the car and popping socks on the car bonnet every time you stop does not sound relaxing to me. If you've got a car, why not just take more clothes?

I don't think you should rinse you knickers in wee then bin them

Or just make life easier and sleep naked ..

I wondered whether OP could take them again in day time too to help with her problem. Depends if she would overdose by doing that.

It's not a histamine reaction, so anti-histamines have no effect on it.

We're 3 adults and a very big teen, so while the car can carry everything, there isn't an infinite amount of space, and certainly not for clothes drying while we drive.

The suggestion to wash one shirt every day is good. And if I wash a set of pjs when I put on a fresh set then they'll dry by the time I need them. This way I can halve the number of shorts and pjs I pack.

Or maybe I'll just monopolise the boot 😄

Drying rooms at YHs are great. You can do handwashing there, blot in a towel and hang to dry.

14 tshirts sounds like the most simple solution given all the limitations.

You can handwash underwear while you're bathing each day, and re-wear trousers and outer layers several times so take fewer of those.

Op, did you google and see what’s available to help people deal with underarm perspiration, the pads, the deos, the little vest tops that prevent the outwear from becoming wet?

I have similar allergies. It isn’t possible to sufficiently clean a washing machine. Even washing in a sink is tricky because you have to make sure the sink is clear if any residue first.

I don’t know about you, but rewearing things is a problem because they pick up allergens from the environment.

I would ship a box of clothing, bedding, and towels to one of your destinations. Replenish your supplies with that shipment and package your laundry for shipment back home.

or you could go with my solution which was to buy a giant car just so that I can travel with obscene amounts of luggage.

allergies are a bitch

You can use a salad spinner to get the water out of hand washed clothes quicker. It works sort of like one of those spinners in pool changing rooms. I'd invest in some quick fry material if you wear it with your allergies.

You could also pull out the drawer from the in-laws machine and give it a proper scrub then run vinegar through the machine on a boil wash. That would get rid of any residue.

I'd hate to wash clothes on holiday, I do enough loads at home. We've just been away for two weeks with our teenagers. We took enough clothes not to wash but we only needed half a case each, so two suitcases between four.

Perhaps people have higher standards of hygiene but we wore clothes like T-shirts until they had marks on or smelt a bit musty or sweaty. Which is pretty similar to when we're at home. Do people really only wear T-shirts once (menopausal sweats aside)?

I'm sort of at the stage where if it was this problematic I wouldn't bother going.

I think you just need to make it work and stop overthinking every single aspect of it. Take as much as you can without buying more and wear more than once and hand wash if you need to. It's a holiday. It's supposed to be enjoyable.

Do people really only wear T-shirts once (menopausal sweats aside)?

Yes - walking 16 kilometres in dusty, dry countryside at 39 degrees!

I have never washed clothes on a two week holiday

Op, did you google and see what’s available to help people deal with underarm perspiration, the pads, the deos, the little vest tops that prevent the outwear from becoming wet?

I have some of those pads. I tried some years ago, but they weren't a complete solution. I have also tried various topical treatments. Not only do they sting, they cause me to sweat more elsewhere.

Being a sweaty person doesn't mean just having sweaty pits. It's not just underarm sweat that makes clothes smell, but general body contact.

Dermatologist said that I don't quite classify as having hyperhidrosis, and that the small issue is probably genetic. Makes sense, as my mum and my sisters can rewear clothes and are never smelly, whereas my dad and my brother are like me and get whiffy very easily.

I know it's a running joke on MN that some people wash pjs and bedding every day, whereas others use one set for a month. I think this is different.

Anyway, I'm going to pack for England and only hand wash clothes if I have to. I am on holiday after all!