There's a heated debate - do you do laundry on vacation?

[clifffaith]

I usually pack 8 to 10 days worth of clothes when travelling to timeshare locations. My husband usually packs 4 to 5 days and does laundry for us on the 4th or 5th day. I pack more because I don't want to rely on needing to get laundry done until after a week. If we use hotels, we will pack enough to not need to worry about doing laundry. On cruise ships, we have laundry service every few days.

It is impossible to get Cliff to plan ahead. He goes limp if I try to discuss where we’ll be, whether there is in room, on premises or down the street laundry, and how many changes of underwear we should pack. I’ve learned to let him pack his usual 4-5 pairs of undies, and then when his back is turned I shove enough underwear in to get us to what we need based on my calculations.

 

[clifffaith]

I don't need to do laundry since I take the whole house with me (when we drive). I need to learn to take less of everything

I can go for three weeks by plane with a roll aboard and personal item. By car we look like the sultan’s caravan with everything but the kitchen sink.

 

[easyrider]

For a fee?

I think so. There seemed to be a cost for everything except the buffet's.

Bill

 

[Mongoose]

I happen to catch a heated debate on another travel board about doing laundry. Don't think I have ever seen this one on our forums. Probably one of those differences between TS and Hotel travelers. Kinda like cooking on vacation.

I always do laundry on vacation. If I have a 7 night stay, I usually pack for 4 days and do laundry in between. Easier if in-room washer/dryer but will still go find the community one if needed.

Also on that thread, someone said they will do laundry, but refuse to wash any undergarments as you never know what is lurking in washers that are community used. Never thought about that and will probably keep it out of my mind purposely on our next trip.

Curious, are there any timeshares that won't do laundry?

Agree completely. It makes packing a lot easier, especially with kids. While I understand some would say they won't it would still be good to have access in case the need came up.

 

[SteelerGal]

Always. Family of 7. Only will bring one large bag for the kiddos.

 

[noreenkate]

Paying for extra or heavier bags when flying - changes the metrics of packing for vacation
= doing laundry a necessary plan

this exactly!

I have a tendency to book frontier for shorter flights -
Whatever fits in the backpack and that’s it. So I have gotten in the habit of just doing loads as we go.

 

[Monykalyn]

I can go for three weeks by plane with a roll aboard and personal item. By car we look like the sultan’s caravan with everything but the kitchen sink.

I have a tendency to book frontier for shorter flights -

This sounds just like me-pare down if flying, but pack every "just in case" if driving. It's why I have an Owners Locker in Orlando-has all my 'good to have' stuff (and extras) while allowing me to catch cheap Frontier or Allegiant flights. Even though we have 2 daughters there lol.

 

[Monykalyn]

I also discovered laundry "sheets" to pack-used them on the cruise, that along with solid shampoo/conditioner and shaving cream-breeze through TSA and they don't add much weight or space to bags.

 

[mrsstats]

I will only do it if the washer/dryer is in the unit.

 

[noreenkate]

@Monykalyn

that’s us - seriously we have stopped by and picked up owners lockers in route to locations other than Disney

love the all in one laundry sheets…we are actually driving back to Nashville from a quick trip to Pulse NYC guess what’s in my bag!

 

[Monykalyn]

@Monykalyn

that’s us - seriously we have stopped by and picked up owners lockers in route to locations other than Disney

love the all in one laundry sheets…we are actually driving back to Nashville from a quick trip to Pulse NYC guess what’s in my bag!

LOVE the laundry sheets and feel like a dope for not knowing about them before now!!
And we grab our Locker when we stay at Universal, but have it delivered to other places we stay. Have talked with owner a couple times about drop location at airport or near Universal (those places won't let them deliver lockers). My MiL loved the locker idea so much she also talked with owner about opening a place in Puerto Vallarta for all the retired peeps who go for months every year LOL.

 

[Passepartout]

This subject seems to separate the 'hotelers' from the 'cruisers', from the 'timesarers'. When we timeshare or BnB, and laundry facilities are handy, yes, of course, and probably another round before heading home. What's the use of hauling dirty clothes home? Cruises- when we are on lines where we have loyalty status, we're all-in on having them do it. Otherwise, it's undies in the sink and get by.

 

[sdbrier]

Only when we travel abroad. Packing for 3 1/2 weeks takes to much space.

 

[dioxide45]

We certainly do laundry on vacation but we also hang dry most of our clothes. Since most timeshare units don't have HE washers, we tend to bring dirty clothes back home with us since they hang dry much faster out of an HE washer than a traditional top loader. And we have more space to hang dry at home than in a timeshare unit.

 

[Luanne]

We certainly do laundry on vacation but we also hang dry most of our clothes. Since most timeshare units don't have HE washers, we tend to bring dirty clothes back home with us since they hang dry much faster out of an HE washer than a traditional top loader. And we have more space to hang dry at home than in a timeshare unit.

I don't bring anything (or at least try not to) on vacation that needs to hang to dry or lay flat to dry. I want my laundry to be simple. I do hang things like bathing suits to dry, but if they're not dry by the time we need to pack to leave I've been known to thrown them into the dryer for a few minutes.

 

[dioxide45]

I don't bring anything (or at least try not to) on vacation that needs to hang to dry or lay flat to dry. I want my laundry to be simple. I do hang things like bathing suits to dry, but if they're not dry by the time we need to pack to leave I've been known to thrown them into the dryer for a few minutes.

We hang dry most everything at home. Not necessarily because it is an item that requires hang dry but because it prevent shrinkage, fading and also uses less energy.

 

[wackymother]

But when you go to Europe...what do you do? We have no problem finding washing machines, but they don't have dryers--everything has to be hung up to dry.

 

[clifffaith]

But when you go to Europe...what do you do? We have no problem finding washing machines, but they don't have dryers--everything has to be hung up to dry.

On our last trip to Europe we looked forward to arriving at a friend’s house in Berlin for several reasons; being able to do laundry after a river cruise was one of them. It was mid October and it was a shock to find out they didn’t have a dryer. Our clothes were hung around the guest bathroom for days trying to dry because it was too cold outside. Two years later they came to our home in Los Angeles for a week, also in mid-October. Looked out the back window to find their clothing drying on our garden furniture and bushes. No amount of encouragement got them to use the dryer. Thankfully a few hours was all it took to dry things because October is one of our hottest months.

 

[Limace]

We much prefer to have laundry facilities on vacation and pack lighter. It also helps when you travel with someone like our 12 year old son who once brought only the shirt on his back for a week’s stay and recently only brought one pair of underwear.

We just got back from10 days in Italy in Airbnb-which were lovely and cheaper than hotels btw-and had washing machines in both. Travelled with only carry ons and had no problem hanging stuff to dry. (And if I can take my then-17 year old beauty and fashion obsessed daughter to London and Paris for two weeks with only carry ons anyone can!).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Luanne]

But when you go to Europe...what do you do? We have no problem finding washing machines, but they don't have dryers--everything has to be hung up to dry.

We're dealing with this on an upcoming trip. Two weeks in Switzerland, in hotels. I was thinking of asking a friend we are going to visit if we could do laundry at her house, but decided I didn't really want to carry bags of laundry on the train. We may end up having the hotels do laundry for us as I haven't been able to find any wash and fold places close by.

 

[Glynda]

Yes. I will pack lighter if I know that there is a washer and dryer. If none, I pack a little more but also bring a travel clothesline and travel sized detergent

 

[Krteczech]

We bring easy care clothes on cruise and hand wash them. TS Ski trips and hiking trips - we bring laundry home.

 

[nerodog]

Yes...all the time. Prefer in Unit like everyone else but use the community ones as well.

 

[VegasBella]

Yes I nearly always need to do at least one load per week of vacation. Obviously I don't do laundry on very short trips. And so far I haven't stopped to do laundry when I RV.

We got into timesharing in part because our first stay at a timeshare property had in-room laundry and our son was young. It was absolutely fantastic and together with the kitchen completely transformed the way I thought about vacationing.

 

[Bernie8245]

We go to Marriott Grand Ocean in Hilton Head, SC for the month of January and then head to Orange Beach, Al. for the month of February every year, so yes, we do laundry when on vacation. We do have laundry facilities at both locations. We have been doing this for many years and it has worked well for us