An interesting debate, although the piece about panty liners was a little too much information! Then again, "don't knock it till you tried it!

I used to travel a lot on business but am now in danger of becoming a permanent back packer. We are currently on a six month trip around South America one of several extended trips we have taken around the world over the last 5 years. We travel with carry on bags ( 40 litre) only so doing laundry is essential. We tend to stay in a variety of places, mostly small hostels and B & B s but with the occasional splurge in upmarket hotel.

In many parts of the world, notably Asia and South America getting laundry done is ridiculously cheap ( often around $1 per kilo) so we will usually do that, except for expensive stuff like merino thermals etc. where you just don't want to risk it. In many cheaper hostels it is fine to do your own laundry in room using anything from proprietary washing powder or laundry soap to shampoo or shower gel in an "emergency" no need to take a washing line, a piece of string, or even tooth floss will do just as well. Drying can be a problem in humid climates.

When I used to travel on business even on expenses, I would refuse to pay the often outrageous prices charged for laundry - I would rather shell out for a new shirt!

I rarely iron stuff as I no longer need to impress anyone and, the sort of stuff I wear, doesn't need it and, even if it did, an hour after wearing it it looks like it needs ironing again Life is too short to iron tee shirts..

" I would never take up valuable packing space for detergetent and clothes lines."

They would take up a lot less room than extra clothes. However, I find shampoo works just as well as detergent, and I carry a couple of light weight plastic clothes hangers rather than a clothes line.

Sure...a month without laundry. Why not? First, a month is only four weeks. So we take a weeks worth of clothes and wear each thing four times. We live the majority of each day in swimwear. No need to launder that. It gets rinsed out in the shower at the end of each day to get rid of any salt water, but that's all. Then it's just whatever we pull on to go to dinner each night. Tee shirts and shorts, a sun dress......no need to iron. I pack a lot of light weight linen that requires no ironing. In humid climates, merely hanging it up will do. At the very most I will hand wash delicates in the bathroom sink with some shampoo to get the sweat out. That's it. Like I said....I'm on vacation!

"Life is too short to iron tee shirts.."

I want this on a t-shirt

TC: OK - maybe it is a semantics thing, but isn't hand washing in the bathroom . . . Doing laundry? It is to me.

Why not? I am anything but a neat-nix but I couldn't go a month on a week's worth of clothes without doing a bit of "laundry" (either sending it out or in the sink) in Mexico where it is so hot and humid. Things actually do get sweaty. Plus workout clothes/sneaker socks really do need washed.

I agree with the tshirt, shorts, sundresses, linen strategy. Also sounds like we're doing different things (I'm not in my bathing suit only all day, I'm out around town, in clothes -lol).

Janis & Suze, I guess it is semantics...but rinsing one bra and a pair of delicates in the basin isn't "doing laundry" to me. I don't even take work out clothes or sneakers or socks. Swimming is my workout. So while I do rinse out a thing or two in the basin and occasionally spot off a drop of salsa on a shirt, I don't consider that "laundry". No machine, suds, line, pegs or iron involved.

Definitely semantics. I travel for months at a time, and all my laundry is done in the bathroom sink. Suds, yes. Use of shower rod as clothes line, yes. Machine, pegs, iron, never.

Do you think those women in places like SEA or India who do their wash with river water and rocks aren't doing laundry?

I've done the laundry in a plastic bag thing, but only when backpacking or camping. Otherwise I use a sink.
If you're going to do this, you should have quick-drying clothes made of nylon and similar materials and NOT cotton. These clothes also tend to not wrinkle, so forget the ironing.
I didn't think anyone actually ironed their clothes anymore (except for suit shirts and trousers, and I send my husband's to the cleaners for them to do that..) but my husband told me last week that his secretary was relating how she irons her husband's undershirts, even, and it drives her nuts when they travel because she sometimes cannot find an iron. !!

I like the ziplock method because I can really shake up the clothes. In a little sink the water gets every where.

>>but rinsing one bra and a pair of delicates in the basin isn't "doing laundry" to me<<

Yep -- that is officially 'Laundry'. That is the only sort of laundry I usually have to do on any trip less than maybe 3 or 4 weeks.

For longer trips I sometimes have to do one bigger load that works better in a Launderette.

<I don't even take work out clothes or sneakers or socks.>

Like I mentioned, clearly we do different things on a "mexican vacation". I often walk miles around town in the daytime (it's hot, the clothes get sweaty/wet), I take Zumba classes, I go to a gym.

I don't carry a clothesline, clothespin, etc. but do take a small bottle of Woolite in my toiletries case and wash stuff in the kitchen sink and dry out on the sunny patio. Sometimes even drop a small load at the lavendaria or have the maid at the apartment building do one for me. I don't see this as any big hardship or horrible inconvenience to do on vacation.

Well...back to the original post. My version of "laundry" and the OP version are worlds apart. I still will not give over one inch of space in my packing to "laundry". Stripping off my swimsuit in the shower for a rinse or dipping my bra in a little water to refresh it isn't how I do "laundry" at home.....but <I>"you say potato"</I>.......etc, etc. :). It's all good.

"Pants get rinsed as needed, though generally just the waistband." Iowa_Redhead

The waistband? Really? I've been rinsing out the wrong part all these years.

No kidding. I was cracking up over the wash the waistband idea.

Shampoo is really too often overlooked as a laundry product. It does a remarkable job on collars, grease spots, and general grime. Hotel shampoo isn't much good for anything else. Also take a pair on insoles along for the trip and exchange them for the ones in your shoes/smeakers when needed.This wat you don't have to worry about drying overnight.

"Pants get rinsed as needed, though generally just the waistband." Iowa_Redhead

The waistband? Really? I've been rinsing out the wrong part all these years.>>

I suspect it depends on your definition of "pants".

And which "pants" require the rinsing of the waistband? Whatever the definition, that seems to me to be a bit north of the usual concern. Or maybe I just don't sweat enough around my waist to understand. Anything is possible.

<<<Or maybe I just don't sweat enough around my waist to understand. Anything is possible.>>>

Italy in August plus LOTS of walking means pretty much everything getting sweaty. :) The waistband of the pants (trousers) gets sweaty since that's the part that's tight against the skin so wash that part. The legs of the pants stay fairly clean so why dink with those and wait for them to dry??

As for being further up than the area of usual concern, that's what underwear are for. Wash those after every wash.

<<<Wash those after every wash.>>>

Oh for... grr! "Wash those after every WEAR".

:P