Travel Tip #6: Pack Plastic Bags for Laundry

The central tenet to packing light is not bringing a lot of clothes. With the exception of your travelling companions, no one will see you wear the same outfit twice, so wear it to your heart’s content (you hear that, favorite jeans?). Eventually, no matter how long you shine it on, at least some of your clothes will get dirty or wet. But before you stuff your dirty duds into your duffle with your clean clothes, take the time put them in a plastic grocery bag.

I know these bags are bad for the environment and you should be using your NPR tote bag for all your shopping, but the truth is, they are waterproof, stinkproof, light, free and available at all too many retail outlets. Not only does stuffing your dirtys into plastic bags keep your clean clothes clean, it also helps keep your bag organized. Remember, there is not a lot of room to spare in there, so by keeping your dirty laundry organized, you can save space. So before you leave, stuff a few of these bags into pocket of your bag and pull them out for an instant hamper on the go.

Stay tuned for next week’s tip – doing laundry on the fly.