Tips for doing laundry onboard ...

[junglejane]

25 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

 

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.

They were Purex Complete 3-in-1 but I think they were discontinued years ago. You can find people selling them on eBay!

[vjmatty]

4 minutes ago, junglejane said:

They were Purex Complete 3-in-1 but I think they were discontinued years ago. You can find people selling them on eBay!

 

Good to know, thanks!

[Nebr.cruiser]

2 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

 

Good to know, thanks!

I bought a bunch of those Purex sheets when I heard they were being discontnued, probably enough to last the rest of my life.  On longer trips we do a combo of some sink washing (mostly underwear) and using the laundromat; one great thing about Princess cruses.

 

For hand washing, I just use whatever soap is available in the cabin, wring out very welland roll up in a hand towel for a while.  Then they dry very quickly on the line in the shower.

 

i 

[JF - retired RRT]

44 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

 

And patterned clothing, hides the wrinkles 😉

 

And the spots 🤣

[roxievegas]

put a roller suitcase open under the bed, fill it with dirty clothes, when full, close it up, roll it down to the laundry room.

[applebutter]

I would only be re-iterating some of the great tips up thread from this so I will refrain. 🙂

 

One tip that will keep you from having to iron some clothes after you unpack is to bring a travel size wrinkle reducer. Downy makes a "wrinkle releaser" and it works. I've used it even on delicate fabrics and never had a problem with it staining the material.

 

You can also hang up clothes in the bathroom while taking a shower. The steam will help reduce wrinkles.

[BabySarge]

The reason the Purex all in one sheets were discontinued is that there were tons of complaints from consumers about the product leaving grease type stains on the clothing after using.  Which is why I stopped using them myself although I did think the idea was brilliant.  Now I just take my own laundry pods and dryer sheets in double zip locked baggies.  

 

Laundromat Courtesies:

1.  Empty the lint filter in the dryer after your clothes are done.

2.  Don't put your things in the washer or dryer and then leave for an hour or more to lay by the pool, play bingo, or go to the movie.  

 

 

[voljeep]

4 minutes ago, BabySarge said:

The reason the Purex all in one sheets were discontinued is that there were tons of complaints from consumers about the product leaving grease type stains on the clothing after using.  Which is why I stopped using them myself although I did think the idea was brilliant.  Now I just take my own laundry pods and dryer sheets in double zip locked baggies.  

 

Laundromat Courtesies:

1.  Empty the lint filter in the dryer after your clothes are done.

2.  Don't put your things in the washer or dryer and then leave for an hour or more to lay by the pool, play bingo, or go to the movie.  

 

 

what is a courtesy wait time before removing clothes ( not your own ) from a non-attended washer or dryer ? 5-10 minutes max??? - or as soon as the buzzer goes off if noone is there?

[applebutter]

15 minutes ago, voljeep said:

what is a courtesy wait time before removing clothes ( not your own ) from a non-attended washer or dryer ? 5-10 minutes max??? - or as soon as the buzzer goes off if noone is there?

I never saw anything or heard anyone say anything about a wait time. However, the first load of laundry I did (we were on a 21 day so I did a lot of laundry) was to wait it out in the laundry room with a good book and then make a note of how long it took for the washer to complete its cycle. Did the same for the dryer. Then I knew how long I could leave the machines to do their thing while I waited in my cabin. I tried to be back to remove the clothes as soon as I could after that wait time for the washer or dryer so 5 to 10 minutes is a good estimate.

 

I am talking about watching my own laundry load. I never touched anyone else's since I felt awkward about doing that.

 

Edited May 16, 2022 by applebutter
add info

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

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.

We were a lot less lucky than you on our longest Princess cruise, a Baltic cruise. St. Petersburg was about half way through the cruse with Helsinki next. It seemed that the Helsinki day was when everyone including us decided to do laundry. (Also there were water restrictions in St. Petersburg so no one could do or send out laundry even if they wanted to.)

 

I remember a wait for a washer on our deck. And then there would have been a long wait for a dryer. And one of the dryers on our deck had no heat! Found a dryer on another deck with "only" an hour or so wait. BTW, the laundry room floor for that dryer was covered with water. 

 

IIRC, the whole process took over 3 hours! 

[BabySarge]

4 minutes ago, voljeep said:

what is a courtesy wait time before removing clothes ( not your own ) from a non-attended washer or dryer ? 5-10 minutes max??? - or as soon as the buzzer goes off if noone is there?

I would have to say that it really depends on how busy the laundromat is to be honest.  In the pre-COVID days when the ships were sailing full and you could have two or three people waiting for one machine to free up I would think that waiting 15 - 20 minutes would be more than reasonable before removing someone's clothes from a washer and setting them aside.  If the laundromat isn't super busy you might want to wait a bit more but I wouldn't feel bad about not waiting longer than 15 - 20 minutes to take someone's things out if they had not returned and the machine was needed.  Probably same time frame for the dryer, maybe a little bit shorter actually say 10 minutes, with the only difference being once I removed the items from the dryer I would fold them and not leave them in a heap, but that's just me.

[thehowlingroad]

2 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

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

there’s 3 of us! even without laundry, there’s never enough hangers. and I believe the ones on board are wooden hotel ones, which is not a good idea to drape wet clothing on them.

[sandyoftheseas]

2 hours ago, vjmatty said:

 

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.

My local grocery store sells E-Z Wash sheets.  They are only the detergent not the dryer sheet but they work well.  I just checked on amazon the have a product washeze I have not used them but they get good reveiws.

[Sprocket]

I use dry cleaner bags over my dresses and tops and hubby’s dress shirts, a twist tie holds them together and they don’t wrinkle.  I have magnetic hooks and items that don’t go in the dryer get hung from the ceiling in the shower excellent for wet bathing suits also.  My own hangers come in handy for this.  

[Sprocket]

2 hours ago, vjmatty said:

 

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.

I just have the detergent sheets and pick up dryer sheets from the dollar store, they go in a ziplock bag.  I have a box that all my frequently used items go into and I just replenish as needed.

[dreaminofcruisin]

42 minutes ago, thehowlingroad said:

there’s 3 of us! even without laundry, there’s never enough hangers. and I believe the ones on board are wooden hotel ones, which is not a good idea to drape wet clothing on them.

 

Your room steward will be happy to provide more hangers if needed--just ask🙂

. (Doesn't solve your wooden hanger issue though.) 

[JF - retired RRT]

1 hour ago, applebutter said:

One tip that will keep you from having to iron some clothes after you unpack is to bring a travel size wrinkle reducer. Downy makes a "wrinkle releaser" and it works. I've used it even on delicate fabrics and never had a problem with it staining the material.

You can also make your own. A tablespoon of Downy in a small spray bottle of water.

 

53 minutes ago, thehowlingroad said:

there’s 3 of us! even without laundry, there’s never enough hangers. and I believe the ones on board are wooden hotel ones, which is not a good idea to drape wet clothing on them.

Just ask your steward for more, he/she will usually bring the wire hangers they use in the ship laundry

[wowzz]

87% of all fights on cruise ships start in the laundrettes.

Be careful out there ! 

[cruzin4us]

1 hour ago, thehowlingroad said:

there’s 3 of us! even without laundry, there’s never enough hangers. and I believe the ones on board are wooden hotel ones, which is not a good idea to drape wet clothing on them.

 

I just pack my stuff already on the hangers....I know you can ask for more, but it's easier for me just to pack my stuff this way.    I've been doing this for my past 10 or so cruises.

[coo359a2]

24 minutes ago, wowzz said:

87% of all fights on cruise ships start in the laundrettes.

Be careful out there ! 

I have seen upset people who return after who knows how long and find their clothes on top of a washer, etc and are livid that someone has touched their laundry.  Not saying their action is right or wrong but I wouldn't touch someones clothes for no amount of money.  I have made it a point to always  stay in the laundry room until my washer and dryer are finished.  We are Elite and still use the self laundry for anything that I don't want to shrink, stretch out of shape or have pin holes.  Have had this happen to our clothes sent to the ship's laundry - must be lucky.  

[avonlady6390]

Another tip bring a couple of sheets of color cling to add to wash so you can do just one load one brand is shout.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

87% of all fights on cruise ships start in the laundrettes.

Be careful out there ! 

Did you make up that statistic?

 

Nice quote from Hill Street Blues.

[dreaminofcruisin]

It seems to me that some of the launderettes had a sign stating how long the washers and dryers took. If they don't, they should.....that way, one could easily set a timer on their phone. That's what we always do, so we know we will get back when it is finished.

 

[MissP22]

14 hours ago, BuckeyeMark said:

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?

My husband washes out his under ware every day & his socks every other day in the bathroom sink using their liquid soap. 

[arizonaperson]

14 hours ago, BuckeyeMark said:

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?

 I purchase the small laundry soaps from a company in California as long as you spend $20 you get free shipping. I think it’s called minimus. They sell all kinds of small items for a really good price.  And I take my own soap and dryer sheets. Honestly it takes up very little room in the suitcase to throw in a couple boxes of detergent and do your own laundry in the laundry room.There are signs in the laundry room  that tell how long the wash and dry take,just be mindful of that and set your phone alarm or look at your watch  and come back and retrieve your laundry. Sea  days ,sure might be a little bit more busy in the laundry but can always throw some in ,in the morning or in the evening on a non sea day and do one load at a time.  If the laundry room on your floor is busy just go up or down one floor and check out that laundry room ,they are usually located right above each other ,easy to take a set of stairs down or up or if mobility challenged the elevator. 

 I personally have never washed anything in the cabin sink but that’s just me. 

I also bring a pop-up laundry hamper ( stores in closet of cabin in pop up mode)that folds up really tiny in the suitcase and all the clothes that need to be washed in the laundry room go in that basket and it has handles and you can carry it down to the laundry room. We do get the elite laundry perk but I usually only send my husband stuff .I think I sent my underwear but I’m super picky about laundry at home so I probably would never send anything to the princess laundry as I’ve heard mostly not good stuff. My husband was fine with sending his stuff though 

Edited May 16, 2022 by arizonaperson