When you’re cleaning clothes on the road you have two options: cleaning them yourself or having them cleaned for you. The later is obviously more expensive, but sometimes worth the money. If your clothes are all cotton and bulky...
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When you’re cleaning clothes on the road you have two options: cleaning them yourself or having them cleaned for you. The later is obviously more expensive, but sometimes worth the money. If your clothes are all cotton and bulky like jeans, sweatshirts and socks, it might be easier to just have them cleaned and dried for you. The reason behind this is because the methods I’m giving for cleaning clothes yourself require you to let them dry and cotton dries slow. When scouting someone to clean your clothes there are a few things to keep in mind. Services provided through a hostel or hotel usually cost more because of the ease of location, but walking just a few storefronts away you can find a laundry service. The best deals you will find are from the locals. Go to a local with a sign in front of their house or shop and avoid dry cleaners. The locals will usually hand wash, fold and dry your laundry for a few dollars. By using a hotel or hostel service you are charged more and they are machine washed and dried and many times returned to you damp. When you take your laundry, make sure to establish a price before you leave. Many times someone will tell you a price but that’s the price for 1kg or 1lb of clothing. Clarify this before you leave your laundry and asked to see it weighed. If you have sopping wet clothes, wring them out first or let them air dry to cut down on weight. If you decide to clean them yourself, ask your hostel if you can put them in the wash with their linens. Many times hostels have private washers and dryers they use for hostel linens and if you have a nice receptionist, they might let you throw your clothes in with a light load. Wash clothes yourself. This is the easiest way to cut cost. Many times I’ll wash clothes in the sink with bar soap and put them on a clothesline to dry. Most hostels have a place where you can leave your clothes to dry overnight. If not use a windowsill or shower rod to hang your clothing up. Keep in mind that cotton dries much slower and to expect to wait at least 24 hours for bulky clothing like jeans. A unguarded heat vent is a great place to leave your socks to dry. Another way to not only wash, but cut down on backpack weight is to wear your skivvies into the shower. I’ve traveled with 2 pair of boxers for an extended amount of time. This may seem odd, but everyday as I shower, I wear one pair and wash them, then leave them to dry overnight while wearing the other pair. I rotate through boxers each day, always having a fresh dry pair. Keeping your washing habits to a minimum is also easier with synthetic fabrics and any material but cotton. I’ve written a full article on the drawbacks to a cotton wardrobe while traveling and a list of possible alternatives. Polyester and nylon are great because they won’t wrinkle as easily, don’t hold water long and won’t smell like cotton does when it’s dirty. To read the full article on the drawbacks of using cotton while traveling please visit http://www.trifter.com/Practical-Travel/Tips/Cotton-The-Death-Fabric-of-the-Traveler.424461
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