Laundry sheets on the road: washing without a bottle

A bottle of detergent is the one thing you pack while hoping you will not need it. It weighs something, it takes up the space of two shirts, and the cap works itself loose on exactly the day your suitcase ends up upside down.

Short answer

Take dry sheets instead of a liquid, and count them against the number of washes you expect to do.

Half a sheet for a small load of up to 4 kg, a whole one for a full drum or very dirty washing. They work at every temperature up to 60°C and on a cold wash too, and with half a sheet in a basin you can do a hand wash in a hotel.

Why a bottle of detergent does not want to come along

Three objections, and each one stands on its own.

Weight. Liquid detergent is mostly water. So you are hauling water halfway around the world, while there is water coming out of the tap where you are going.

Space. A bottle is round and hard and fits in between nothing. It claims a corner of your suitcase and you do not get that corner back.

Leaks. This is the real objection. A cap that turns half a turn loose from the pressure in the hold or the heat in a car means you arrive with detergent over your clean clothes. Then you start your holiday with exactly the washing you were trying to put off.

Liquids in your hand luggage are bound by rules as well, and those differ from one airport and airline to the next. A dry sheet is not a liquid, so you are spared that bother. To be on the safe side, always check the current rules at your airport.

What you take instead

Detergent without the water, in a box as flat as a pack of cards.

Laundry sheets are thin sheets of detergent, about as thick as paper. They dissolve completely in water and wash just as well as ordinary detergent. If you want to know how they are put together and how they compare with a bottle, read laundry sheets: what are they and do they wash just as well. This article is about what they do for you on the road.

The iZi-Wash Sheets are vegan and biodegradable and contain no phosphates, optical brighteners or bleach. They are also antibacterial and offer protection against dust mites, which is welcome when you are sleeping in a different bed every few nights. Take a look at the iZi-Wash Sheets with 100 washes.

The practical point while you are away is simpler than that: a box disappears between your clothes instead of claiming a corner of your suitcase. And there is nothing that can run out.

How many should you take?

Count in washes, not in days.

The question is not how long you are away, but how often you expect to wash. Reckon on roughly one sheet per wash and add them up. Two weeks away means sheets for two weeks, not half a bottle for three months.

Trip	Washing	What to take
A weekend away	Probably none	One sheet, in case something gets knocked over
A week in a holiday home	Once or twice	Two or three sheets
Two weeks in a campervan	A small load every few days	Four to six sheets
Backpacking for a month	Weekly, often by hand	The whole box, it weighs nothing

The dosing itself comes down to this: half a sheet for a small load under 4 kg, a whole sheet for a full drum, very dirty washing or hard water. You tear along the perforation, so you need no measuring cap and there is nothing to get wrong.

Washing in a hotel with no washing machine

The basin is your machine, and half a sheet is enough.

Dissolve half a sheet in water and leave your clothes to soak for about 20 minutes for the best result. That is how you get your shirts fresh again in a hotel basin. Treat a heavy stain separately first, then you do not have to wash any warmer than you need to.

Rinse through afterwards with clean water until the water stays clear. Do not wring by twisting, because that stretches the fabric out of shape. Lay the garment flat on a towel, roll the towel up and press on it. That draws out more water than wringing does, and it costs you no shape.

Then hang it on a hanger in the bathroom with the window open or the ventilation on. A shirt you wash in the evening is dry by morning. Thick cotton clothing and denim are not, so do not start on those the night before you leave.

Holiday home, campsite and campervan

The machine you do not know is exactly where pre-measured pays off.

The sheets suit every kind of washing machine, from an ancient top-loader in a gîte to a compact washer-dryer in a campervan or a flat. There is nothing to measure into a drawer, which helps with a machine labelled in a language you do not read: sheet in the bottom of the drum, washing on top, door shut.

The same goes in a coin-operated launderette, and in a Flemish one it is no different, with one practical advantage: you do not have to carry a bottle to the launderette and back again. You put two sheets in your pocket.

On a campsite with a shared machine it is sensible to wipe the drum out first before you put your own washing in. You do not know what was in there before you, and that is not a question of detergent. How to keep a machine clean yourself is set out in washing machine smells? how to clear the smell in five steps.

What you do need to know on the road

The limits are few, and they are real.

1
Not on wool and silk. Do not use the sheets on those fabrics, not even by hand. Follow the care label.
2
Not in the tumble dryer. The sheet belongs in the wash, not in the drying drum.
3
Only handle them with dry hands. A wet finger dissolves the sheet on the spot.
4
Keep them dry, out of direct sunlight. An open box in a damp hotel bathroom is not a good idea, and nor is one on the dashboard of a campervan.
5
Light and dark clothes separately. On the road as well, even when it is only a small load.

Wash your hands after use. And leave the sheets in their original packaging, then they stay dry and you keep track of how many you have left.

What it gains you in your luggage

Two things at once: less weight and less risk.

The size and the weight are what make the difference. You take exactly what you need for your trip, and there is nothing that can run out over your clothes.

A second bottle drops away as well. You do not need fabric softener: the sheets leave your washing soft on their own and give it a fresh cherry scent that lingers. They are suitable for whites, darks and colours and protect the colours of your clothes, even after washing them often. Take a look at the iZi-Wash Sheets Cherry.

And anyone who travels light knows that it is not about that one bottle, it is about everything together. A box of sheets is the kind of decision you only notice when you lift your suitcase.

Are they a sustainable choice as well?

Briefly, because that is a subject in its own right.

The sheets come in plastic-free, fully recyclable packaging and are vegan and not tested on animals. Because they are so compact, the CO2 emissions from transporting them are far lower than for ordinary detergents.

What that means exactly for your laundry routine at home is worked out in are laundry sheets better for the environment than a bottle. You will find all the varieties in the laundry sheets collection.

How often do you actually wash while you are away?

Washing little and often takes less effort than doing the lot in one go.

Most people pack too many clothes because they start from the idea of washing nothing at all. As soon as washing is a small job rather than an expedition, that sum turns around.

Two shirts every three days and rinsing something out every other day works better in practice than taking seven shirts and facing a pile on day six. Your suitcase is lighter, you have something clean every day, and you do not have to go looking for a launderette.

Underwear and socks are the easiest of the lot: they are thin, they dry overnight and they take only a few minutes in a basin. The heavier work, trousers and jumpers, you then do in one machine load when you happen to pass one.

Who this matters most to

Not just for backpackers.

If you fly with hand luggage, you gain space and side-step the bother with liquids. If you drive to a holiday home with the family, you do a load halfway through the week without going to find a supermarket first. If you are regularly away for work, you keep two shirts wearable for longer without a bottle in your trolley case.

And whatever you have left over, you simply carry on using at home. There is no travel version and no home version, it is the same sheet.

Frequently asked questions

How many laundry sheets should I take on a trip?

Reckon on roughly one sheet per wash and add up how often you expect to wash while you are away. Two weeks away means sheets for two weeks, not half a bottle for three months.

Can laundry sheets leak in my suitcase?

No. They are dry sheets in a flat box, so there is nothing that can run out over your clothes. No cap working itself loose from the pressure in the hold or the heat in a car.

Are laundry sheets allowed in hand luggage?

They are dry sheets and not a liquid, so the rules for liquids do not apply to them. Those rules do differ from one airport and airline to the next, so to be on the safe side always check the current rules at your point of departure.

How many laundry sheets do I use per wash?

For a small load of under 4 kg, half a sheet is enough. For a full drum, very dirty washing or hard water, use a whole sheet.

Can I hand wash with them in a hotel?

Yes. Dissolve half a sheet in water and leave your clothes to soak for about 20 minutes for the best result. Then rinse through until the water stays clear and press the water out in a towel instead of wringing.

What temperature can I wash at?

The sheets work at every temperature up to 60°C, and on a low or cold programme too. Handy with a machine in a holiday home whose controls you do not know.

Do they work in an old washing machine or a campervan?

Yes, from an ancient top-loader to a compact washer-dryer. There is nothing to measure into a drawer: sheet in the bottom of the drum, washing on top, door shut.

Are laundry sheets suitable for wool and silk?

No, do not use the sheets on wool and silk, not even by hand. For those fabrics, follow the care label.

Do I still need fabric softener?

No. The sheets leave your washing soft on their own and give it a fresh cherry scent. That saves a second bottle in your luggage.

How do I store them best while travelling?

Only handle them with dry hands and keep them in their original packaging somewhere dry, out of direct sunlight. So do not leave the box open in a damp bathroom, and not on the dashboard either.

How do I get my washing dry on the road?

Lay the garment flat on a towel, roll the towel up and press on it. That draws out more water than wringing does. Then hang it on a hanger with the ventilation on. Thin cotton is dry by morning, denim is not.

Can a laundry sheet go in the tumble dryer?

No. The sheet belongs with the washing in the drum, not in the tumble dryer.

Can I use a sheet in a launderette?

Yes, and that is exactly where it is practical: you do not have to carry a bottle to the launderette and back again. Two sheets in your pocket is enough.

Is half a sheet enough for a hand wash?

Yes. Dissolve half a sheet in water, leave your clothes to soak for about 20 minutes and then rinse through with clean water until it stays clear.

Laundry sheets on the road: how do you wash without a bottle?