Travel size washing machine

[LGW59]

5 hours ago, DrSea said:

Agreed with all the comments here. 

 

My recommendation is to get cloths that is very easily washed and dries quickly. 

 

I wear athletic wear like shirts below and board shorts. They wash very easily and dry really quickly. They also double up for when I want to go to the hot tub or the gym. 

 

I must buy the gray one, I want a shirt that gives me those abs and when it needs to be washed perhaps Tvntrvl will let me use thier washing machine.

Edited August 6, 2022 by LGW59

[LGW59]

4 hours ago, coastcat said:

1. This question might get more responses if you posted it to the general questions forum here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/69-ask-a-cruise-question/
2. Before you spend any more time researching, call NCL and ask if this type of electrical device would even be allowed onboard!
3. Do you really want to take up that much suitcase space?

 

Of the options I found online, you've got a choice of non-collapsible ones which are big & heavy (the one linked above is 2' x 2' x 1' and weighs 10 pounds) and collapsible ones which are smaller but only capable of washing things like underwear and maybe t-shirts (1' x 1' x 4", but still about 7 pounds). 

 

You might be allowed to bring one that's purely a cold water washer. But without a dryer option, you might as well just wash clothes in the sink.

 

I pack a little spray bottle of Febreze to freshen up things like sweaters and jeans, and wash undergarments/t-shirts in the sink. 

I strongly agree, this question should be posted on every possible thread on CC, we'd be selfish if limited the laughs to just this small audience.

[GeezerCouple]

5 hours ago, Cruising Lynne said:

The Scrubba bag looks great for camping. The ship cabin has a sink which I use to rinse out my swimsuits and occasionally underwear, so I do not find it necessary. I finally started packing more undies so I do not have to do laundry on my trips. This thread made me think a salad spinner might work to get excess water out of my swimsuit or undies. LOL I may try this at home to see if it works. I usually roll them in a towel, but then that towel gets really wet and unusable until your room is done up. Anyways, we get a free bag of laundry on board with our Sapphire Lattitudes perks.

 

 

I'm having difficulty understanding what is so tricky about using a sink.

For camping out, when there are limited non-bending/packable items to use as a "container" of sorts, I get it about something like the Scrubba bag.  I think.  (When I did serious camping with limited supplies, whatever water we carried with us was for drinking, not using washbasins of water for clothing, but I digress...)

 

One of the first things we do when arriving at any hotel-type of location - and a cruise ship certainly qualifies - is to ask for a bunch of extra towels (large size, not the hand towels) and washcloths, and for housekeeping/etc., to replenish the supply each time.

 

Anyway, for drying, we just place some of the wet clothing flat on a towel and then roll it up.  Place a second towel on top first, before rolling, if necessary, depending upon amount of moisture.  (Most items can be wrung out, but some, we just let sit in the sink and let gravity take out *some* of the extra water at least.). Then press on the towel roll.  Replace with another towel if needed.

For non-delicates, it also works to stomp on the roll a bit, and then flatten it the 'other way' (so the top/bottom becomes the sides) and repeat.  Then hang and dry.

 

For anything rugged/bulky/really dirty, put them on the floor of the shower.  Then play "Lucy Stomping On The Grapes" :

 

 

while you shower, with the soap/shampoo doing their job, too.

(To rinse, first rinse out your own hair, etc. 😉 )

 

GC

[DrSea]

7 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

 

I'm having difficulty understanding what is so tricky about using a sink.

For camping out, when there are limited non-bending/packable items to use as a "container" of sorts, I get it about something like the Scrubba bag.  I think.  (When I did serious camping with limited supplies, whatever water we carried with us was for drinking, not using washbasins of water for clothing, but I digress...)

 

One of the first things we do when arriving at any hotel-type of location - and a cruise ship certainly qualifies - is to ask for a bunch of extra towels (large size, not the hand towels) and washcloths, and for housekeeping/etc., to replenish the supply each time.

 

Anyway, for drying, we just place some of the wet clothing flat on a towel and then roll it up.  Place a second towel on top first, before rolling, if necessary, depending upon amount of moisture.  (Most items can be wrung out, but some, we just let sit in the sink and let gravity take out *some* of the extra water at least.). Then press on the towel roll.  Replace with another towel if needed.

For non-delicates, it also works to stomp on the roll a bit, and then flatten it the 'other way' (so the top/bottom becomes the sides) and repeat.  Then hang and dry.

 

For anything rugged/bulky/really dirty, put them on the floor of the shower.  Then play "Lucy Stomping On The Grapes" :

 

 

while you shower, with the soap/shampoo doing their job, too.

(To rinse, first rinse out your own hair, etc. 😉 )

 

GC

Lol^^^

 

tbh, I don't get it either. But who am I to question what others want to bring on their vacation and how they wanna wash their underwear?

[Travelling2Some]

51 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

 

I'm having difficulty understanding what is so tricky about using a sink.

For camping out, when there are limited non-bending/packable items to use as a "container" of sorts, I get it about something like the Scrubba bag.  I think.  (When I did serious camping with limited supplies, whatever water we carried with us was for drinking, not using washbasins of water for clothing, but I digress...)

 

One of the first things we do when arriving at any hotel-type of location - and a cruise ship certainly qualifies - is to ask for a bunch of extra towels (large size, not the hand towels) and washcloths, and for housekeeping/etc., to replenish the supply each time.

 

Anyway, for drying, we just place some of the wet clothing flat on a towel and then roll it up.  Place a second towel on top first, before rolling, if necessary, depending upon amount of moisture.  (Most items can be wrung out, but some, we just let sit in the sink and let gravity take out *some* of the extra water at least.). Then press on the towel roll.  Replace with another towel if needed.

For non-delicates, it also works to stomp on the roll a bit, and then flatten it the 'other way' (so the top/bottom becomes the sides) and repeat.  Then hang and dry.

 

For anything rugged/bulky/really dirty, put them on the floor of the shower.  Then play "Lucy Stomping On The Grapes" :

 

 

while you shower, with the soap/shampoo doing their job, too.

(To rinse, first rinse out your own hair, etc. 😉 )

 

GC

Exactly.  I'm with you . . . and Lucy.

[Independent]

Ok, I’ll bite.  I will say up front that I’ve never felt that I needed a Scrubba on a cruise ship.  If there’s a laundry service,  sign me up.  I do, however, travel to moderately remote places - moderately meaning running water but no laundromats or fluff and folds.  So how to get dirt out of our clothes when when we’ve been getting filthy on a geology field trip or archaeological dig? Scrubba.  

 

Pre-Scrubba, I used pretty much the same technique described.  I think the Scrubba’s useful, not everyone would find it worth the space.  Oh, and It is first rate for getting chlorine out of swimsuits.

 

 

[The Shrike]

7 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

Is this the same person that wanted to bring the barbecue for their balcony? 

CC locked that thread FAAAAR too soon.  It was getting hilarious.

[LGW59]

2 hours ago, DrSea said:

Lol^^^

 

tbh, I don't get it either. But who am I to question what others want to bring on their vacation and how they wanna wash their underwear?

I send my laundry out and I always wash my underwear every 3 days, whether they need it or not.  My mother always told us, your undies must be clean, what if you get hit by a car and have to go to the hospital, please don't embarrass me that way

[Dave994]

It’s too bad cruise lines don’t put washers and dryers on their ships so these sorts of things didn’t happen. Really would be a game changer in my mind. 

[LGW59]

3 minutes ago, Dave994 said:

It’s too bad cruise lines don’t put washers and dryers on their ships so these sorts of things didn’t happen. Really would be a game changer in my mind. 

Carnival does

[Dave994]

7 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Carnival does

Well this is awkward. I was trying to be funny but just read they really don’t have them. Lol. I thought all cruise ships did. I have mostly sailed carnival. My bad. 
 

OP - use the tub 👍

[GeezerCouple]

12 minutes ago, Dave994 said:

It’s too bad cruise lines don’t put washers and dryers on their ships so these sorts of things didn’t happen. Really would be a game changer in my mind. 

 

Some do, but we don't want to bother doing regular laundry while on vacation.

 

However, the ship we were on with Hurtigruten (Trollfjord) had no laundry service; it was only self-operated.  So... we did have to do a load or two, as the cruise was 12 days, and we were away from home close to three weeks.

 

At least we didn't need to do the stomping grapes routine. 😉 

GC

[shof515]

46 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Carnival does

Now these days with the newer ships, Carnival used to do provide laundry services. On the newer ships like the Mardi Gras, Celebration they do not have the self service laundry services. the older  carnival ships still do have self service laundry

 

 

[DrSea]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

I send my laundry out and I always wash my underwear every 3 days, whether they need it or not.  My mother always told us, your undies must be clean, what if you get hit by a car and have to go to the hospital, please don't embarrass me that way

She's not wrong. How soiled your undies are the first thing I check. 

[MoCruiseFan]

12 hours ago, Lvntrvl said:

We will be on an long cruise and have been researching collapsible washing machines. I was wondering if anyone has used these and could offer feedback. Some come with a small dryer function as well. 

 

Ever hear of a sink?

[LGW59]

5 minutes ago, DrSea said:

She's not wrong. How soiled your undies are the first thing I check. 

OH, was that you in the ER when I fell off my bike and needed stitches?

[The Shrike]

15 minutes ago, DrSea said:

She's not wrong. How soiled your undies are the first thing I check. 

Patient:  "Excuse me, Doc, what are you doing?  The car ran over my foot!"
Dr. Sea:  "Ummm...your insurance company makes us do this.  Yeah, that's the ticket."

😲😄

[Travelling2Some]

2 hours ago, shof515 said:

On the newer ships like the Mardi Gras, Celebration they do not have the self service laundry services. the older  carnival ships still do have self service laundry

 

 

Just booked the Mardi Gras and was disappointed to see it doesn't have self-service laundries like the older ships.  That was a great feature for us since we usually "sandwich" a cruise into land trips at either end.  I think Princess ships have self-service laundries too.

[CruizinSusan70]

16 hours ago, Lvntrvl said:

We will be on an long cruise and have been researching collapsible washing machines. I was wondering if anyone has used these and could offer feedback. Some come with a small dryer function as well. 

Are you going to try to smuggle one of your children in a suitcase with a hair dryer in hand?

[DrSea]

 

3 hours ago, The Shrike said:

Patient:  "Excuse me, Doc, what are you doing?  The car ran over my foot!"
Dr. Sea:  "Ummm...your insurance company makes us do this.  Yeah, that's the ticket."

😲😄

Your insurance company does require a complete physical exam to be documented. Besides, deferring the GI/GU exam is just bad medicine. 

 

3 hours ago, LGW59 said:

OH, was that you in the ER when I fell off my bike and needed stitches?

That wasn't me. Actually, I don't think he even works for the hospital....

[Shellbelle28]

It doesn't seem worth the space and effort.

-Use the luggage space and weight to bring more clothing

-Bring detergent sheets and use the cabin sink to hand wash items. 

-Use the ship's laundry special to have clothes washed. 

[Lvntrvl]

I appreciate ALL of the comments…funny and serious. I was thinking of undies and workout clothes as I would prefer not to stink up the gym😇😇😇. I also try to swim every day and the amount of chlorine used on these ships can destroy a swimsuit. I had not considered a ban by the cruise lines, so I guess I will continue to wash in the sink…but keep the ideas flowing as I still have a few months before we set sail. 

[Daytonasailor]

21 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

Is this the same person that wanted to bring the barbecue for their balcony? 

You beat me to it. I was going to ask the same question.

[CptBoatface]

14 hours ago, LGW59 said:

I send my laundry out and I always wash my underwear every 3 days, whether they need it or not.  My mother always told us, your undies must be clean, what if you get hit by a car and have to go to the hospital, please don't embarrass me that way

I have always wondered about that situation.  Might be a good chance they will not be clean if you receive significant trauma in an accident. 

[kylenyc]

I pack a few tide pods in a zip loc freezer bag and handwash in the sink. It's compact and a little detergent goes a long way for washing a few items and for spot treatments. In all my land and sea travels I've only had occasion to use one pod.

For more laundry as others have commented, wait for the discounts laundry bag special.

A cc poster a whiles back said to stuff all your clothes into a pillow case before putting inside the thin fragile paper laundry bag. You can pack a heck of a lot more into the laundry bag that way.

Edited August 7, 2022 by kylenyc