Tips for doing laundry onboard ...

[BuckeyeMark]

No one likes doing it but for a long cruise we expect we'll have to do some laundry...  so what's your best tip for how to do laundry on board? What have you had good luck doing in your cabin - the bath tub or sink? What about using the ship's laundromat?  Is it jammed on a sea day?  Other good ideas for laundry?

[cruzin4us]

Bring your own soap and dryer sheets.   

I'm on vacation so I don't do laundry in the sink

Send it out for cleaning if I'm feeling really lazy

Port days are less busy than sea days

 

[neverbeenhere]

Buy and wear no wrinkle, quick drying clothing. 

[VibeGuy]

I’ve never had to wait more than one cycle for a machine.  I’m willing to move up or down a deck if needed. 

[Sprocket]

I take a large shopping type bag I have one I got in Alaska and hang it over a hanger in the closet and put my laundry in as I go.  Throw in my detergent sheets easy to carry to and from the laundromat and my dried folded laundry goes on the shelf or in the drawer.  I used a pop up hamper once but prefer the bag.

 

Ships are not at capacity so I never had issues getting a machine.

Edited May 16, 2022 by Sprocket

[thehowlingroad]

We pack with doing in-room laundry in mind-- mostly lightweight, quick-dry clothes, or clothes that will hold up for multiple wears between washes. We bring a spare bar of white soap and wash the delicates and lightweight stuff in the sink for a 7-day, and hang up any "outside" clothes to air out for a day or two between wears. Make sure to wring your clothes out well and let them drip in the shower stall, and once they've stopped dripping, you can move them out to the main room.

 

If you have a balcony and it's a nice day in port, hang your wet clothes near the balcony door so they'll get some sunlight, or even out on the balcony if you want to risk it (Princess discourages this); otherwise, turn the AC on to a reasonably low temp and your clothes will dry by the time you come back to your room after dinner. Make sure you bring hangers and clothespins for this-- we save the cheap hangers from dry-cleaning and get clothespins from the dollar store, and often leave them behind after a cruise.

 

For longer cruises, there's no avoiding the laundromat, no matter how much sink laundry you do... we do all the same stuff, except we plan one laundromat trip, knowing that we can't wash jeans/sweatshirts/outerwear in the room. Try going during an early morning or a late night, or maybe the late night after a port day when everyone's tired from their excursions. Every 10-14 day cruise we've ever done has been near or full-capacity pre-Covid, so trying to get a machine took me back to my college days.

Edited May 16, 2022 by thehowlingroad

[BuckeyeMark]

23 minutes ago, thehowlingroad said:

We pack with doing in-room laundry in mind-- mostly lightweight, quick-dry clothes, or clothes that will hold up for multiple wears between washes. We bring a spare bar of white soap and wash the delicates and lightweight stuff in the sink for a 7-day, and hang up any "outside" clothes to air out for a day or two between wears. Make sure to wring your clothes out well and let them drip in the shower stall, and once they've stopped dripping, you can move them out to the main room.

 

If you have a balcony and it's a nice day in port, hang your wet clothes near the balcony door so they'll get some sunlight, or even out on the balcony if you want to risk it (Princess discourages this); otherwise, turn the AC on to a reasonably low temp and your clothes will dry by the time you come back to your room after dinner. Make sure you bring hangers and clothespins for this-- we save the cheap hangers from dry-cleaning and get clothespins from the dollar store, and often leave them behind after a cruise.

 

For longer cruises, there's no avoiding the laundromat, no matter how much sink laundry you do... we do all the same stuff, except we plan one laundromat trip, knowing that we can't wash jeans/sweatshirts/outerwear in the room. Try going during an early morning or a late night, or maybe the late night after a port day when everyone's tired from their excursions. Every 10-14 day cruise we've ever done has been near or full-capacity pre-Covid, so trying to get a machine took me back to my college days.

Super helpful post!  Thank you!

[majortom10]

Nothing worse on any ship is to see clothes hanging on a balcony to dry.

[voljeep]

Pro Tip:  if you KNOW you will be going to the laundry ... get your tokens in advance ... might save a trip to the next floor, or to customer service carrying your clothes if the token machine in not working.

[OzKiwiJJ]

For drying tops in your cabin invest in some inflatable coat hangers. The thickness of the hanger when inflated stops the front and back of the garment from sticking together as much so it dries quicker. 

[Moustique]

42 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Nothing worse on any ship is to see clothes hanging on a balcony to dry.

Really?  What’s wrong with it?  I have seen a lot worst.

[Lady Arwen]

33 minutes ago, Moustique said:

Really?  What’s wrong with it?  I have seen a lot worst.

Hmmm, just a bit tacky I think.  It’s an elegant cruiseship not a campground.  Just saying’.

[CineGraphic]

We use a tall kitchen trash bag for our laundry, and bring our own soap/dryer sheets.

The laundry rooms have multiple machines, and only twice in 15 cruises have we had to use one on another deck due to the one on ours being full.

[skynight]

Pick a port day in the morning or mid day, a port that you have little interest in.

Bring your own soap & dryer sheets.

Get your tokens in advance, don't want a vending machine issue at the time you wish to do your laundry.

Pack clothing that is easy to launder and quick to dry.

If you are not gone too long consider sending your laundry out. A load of typical laundry, you pay by the piece not the bag, underwear, socks, T's, shorts, PJs will run around $50 to $60. Maybe $100 or so is worth the convenience to you.

If you have a balcony some light weight clothing washed in the sink dry very quickly on the balcony, assuming you have warm days. Bring spring clothes pins to attach to the balcony chairs. Do not leave laundry on the balcony overnight. It will get very wet and sticky.

[Esprit]

We use the sink and then I iron my shirts whist still slightly damp (water sprayers are of course available in the laundry room).

Never ceases to amaze me how many ladies express surprise at seeing a guy ironing on board! 

 

[JF - retired RRT]

8 hours ago, Sprocket said:

I take a large shopping type bag I have one I got in Alaska and hang it over a hanger in the closet and put my laundry in as I go.  Throw in my detergent sheets easy to carry to and from the laundromat and my dried folded laundry goes on the shelf or in the drawer.  I used a pop up hamper once but prefer the bag.

 

Ships are not at capacity so I never had issues getting a machine.

I use a pillow case. 😉

You could also use the handy dandy blue bag that Princess leaves on the bed.

[JF - retired RRT]

8 hours ago, thehowlingroad said:

Make sure you bring hangers and clothespins for this-- we save the cheap hangers from dry-cleaning and get clothespins from the dollar store, and often leave them behind after a cruise.

No need to bring hangers. There are actually some in the closet.😉

[avonlady6390]

I use one of those mesh folded hampers and carry it to laundry room if doing b2b turn around day is a good day.  Do people really wash clothes in bathroom sink I don't think I would ever do that.

[cruzin4us]

I got one of these laundry baskets and it works really well for storing the dirty laundry and for hauling to the laundromat.    I used to have one of the mesh ones, but I like this one better but it weighs a bit more.    It stands upright in a corner of the room or in the closed.   

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B075XNN9QX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

Edited May 16, 2022 by cruzin4us

[vjmatty]

9 hours ago, neverbeenhere said:

Buy and wear no wrinkle, quick drying clothing. 

 

And patterned clothing, hides the wrinkles 😉

 

[vjmatty]

8 hours ago, Sprocket said:

I take a large shopping type bag I have one I got in Alaska and hang it over a hanger in the closet and put my laundry in as I go.  Throw in my detergent sheets easy to carry to and from the laundromat and my dried folded laundry goes on the shelf or in the drawer.  I used a pop up hamper once but prefer the bag.

 

Ships are not at capacity so I never had issues getting a machine.

 

Do you remember what brand those 3 in 1 detergent and dryer sheets are? I haven't been able to find them in a long time and they are so much easier to pack than anything else.

[coo359a2]

28 minutes ago, Esprit said:

We use the sink and then I iron my shirts whist still slightly damp (water sprayers are of course available in the laundry room).

Never ceases to amaze me how many ladies express surprise at seeing a guy ironing on board! 

 

I was surprised too.  Over almost 20 years of cruising, the majority of men i have seen come from either UK/EU (mostly UK) or AU.  Plus, they do a much better job of ironing than I do😃.

[vjmatty]

31 minutes ago, Esprit said:

Never ceases to amaze me how many ladies express surprise at seeing a guy ironing on board! 

 

 

When I first met my husband and he started staying over I had to buy an ironing board... he irons every day, even casual clothes.  All my clothes are either dry clean or they just don't wrinkle.

[cruzin4us]

I don't even own and iron......LOL

If it's not wash & wear then I don't buy it 😉

[Justprettynpink]

If you are going to sit in the Laundry Area with your clothes, bring your remote from your cabin to change the station on the TV 🙂

 

 

Edited May 16, 2022 by Justprettynpink