Questions and Answers

Hotel laundry can be expensive if available, and not necessary the best option for some clothing.

Does Lucky have a hack to get around this?

Hi [USER=2254]@James Lester[/USER], and welcome!

I had this same problem when I first started being semi-nomadic, and the answer is the local laundromat. They almost always have fluff and fold services for a dollar or two per pound, and will sometimes deliver. The most I’ve ever paid was a few blocks from the Park Hyatt Tokyo, which charged $20 for a full suitcase of clothes. In Peru I paid less than $5 for the same amount of laundry, and the woman had her son deliver the bag back to our hotel.

I generally use google maps ahead of time to scope out places. I’ve never had a problem finding one, just watch out for Sundays and holidays in some countries.

As someone who had all my clothes destroyed by a handy laundry service in Rome many years ago, here’s my advice. Services that charge by the pound many times launder your clothes with everyone else’s in net laundry bags. This is how my clothes were ruined – they ended up a dingy shade of green which leached out of someone else’s items. The best deal is to find a laundromat that has an attendant on site who takes care of your items (that are washed and dried separately) and has them waiting for you at a specific time for a small additional price.

Even if you shop in the bargain basement for your clothes, replacing them is expensive and time consuming while traveling.

[QUOTE=”Tiffany, post: 20249, member: 7″]Hi [USER=2254]@James Lester[/USER], and welcome!

I had this same problem when I first started being semi-nomadic, and the answer is the local laundromat. They almost always have fluff and fold services for a dollar or two per pound, and will sometimes deliver. The most I’ve ever paid was a few blocks from the Park Hyatt Tokyo, which charged $20 for a full suitcase of clothes. In Peru I paid less than $5 for the same amount of laundry, and the woman had her son deliver the bag back to our hotel.

I generally use google maps ahead of time to scope out places. I’ve never had a problem finding one, just watch out for Sundays and holidays in some countries.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Tiffany. I think using Google to scope out the situation before hand is the best option. If only airport lounges have washing machines (quick cycle) and driers!

[QUOTE=”Gia, post: 20257, member: 1566″]As someone who had all my clothes destroyed by a handy laundry service in Rome many years ago, here’s my advice. Services that charge by the pound many times launder your clothes with everyone else’s in net laundry bags. This is how my clothes were ruined – they ended up a dingy shade of green which leached out of someone else’s items. The best deal is to find a laundromat that has an attendant on site who takes care of your items (that are washed and dried separately) and has them waiting for you at a specific time for a small additional price.

Even if you shop in the bargain basement for your clothes, replacing them is expensive and time consuming while traveling.[/QUOTE]

I was unsure about this too! With any bulk load behind closed door service you not know what they use to wash them, what they are being washed with, whether or not they follow the instructions for washing the garment correctly or even the quality of the machine. I am often in China where “top-loading” machines are common place. They are disastrous for clothes. I have seen Chinese friends often put dettol in the washing machine to “kill off germs”, the bottle actually says you can do this, but it isnt something I would dream of in the UK. My other concern which might be more fear based than an actual problem is the chance of someone stealing my clothes, especially things like designer underpants, and shirts.

Thanks for the advice!