Doing laundry during a European trip
Plan a wash before you run out of clean clothes, and leave enough time for drying before moving to the next stop.
Plan laundry for a day when you are staying put. Washing everything on the evening before an early train can leave you packing damp clothes in the morning. A little timing matters more than bringing a large collection of laundry gadgets.
Before booking accommodation, read what “laundry facilities” means. It might be a shared machine, a paid service or a laundrette nearby. Ask about the price, detergent and drying if you expect to use it.
At a laundrette
Read the instructions before loading a machine. Check its capacity, whether detergent is included and how payment works. Keep the machine number in mind if a central payment terminal controls several washers.
Choose a programme that suits your clothes. GINETEX's care-symbol guide explains the washing and drying marks on labels. The temperature shown is a limit, not a suggestion to use the hottest wash available.
Check pockets, separate items that might bleed colour and avoid overfilling. Stay nearby and return promptly when the cycle ends, especially in a busy shared laundry.
Drying can be charged separately and may need more than one short cycle. Check the drying label before putting wool, delicate fabrics or specialist clothing in a hot machine.
Small washes between laundry days
Hand-washing socks or underwear can help, provided the accommodation allows it and you have a suitable place to dry them. Use a small amount of appropriate detergent and rinse well. Do not hang dripping clothes where they could damage furniture or inconvenience other guests.
Give items airflow and time. Thick cotton can dry slowly in a cool room, so do not count on every hand-washed item being ready overnight.
Pack for a repeatable week
Choose clothes that work together and can be washed in a manageable load. Bring enough clean items to get through a delayed laundry day, but not a fresh outfit for every day of a long trip.
Our three-week one-bag guide uses that approach. If you use packing cubes, keep clean and worn clothes separate, then wash and fully dry the cubes when needed too.