It’s common to be busy when travelling – especially if it’s work related. With so much to do, details like the state of our clothes can get overlooked.
There’s nothing worse than forcing yourself to re-wear tired and dirty outfits when you’re away. If you’re often feeling less than fresh when you’re living out of a suitcase, help is at hand. There’s a few ways to emulate the clean feeling of home – even if you’re thousands of kilometres away.
Here are the essential tips to taking care of your clothes when travelling.
#1 – Unpacking
We’re all guilty of taking WAY more clothes than we really need anytime we pack a suitcase. You may have even learned the art of how to fold our clothes into smaller items so they can all fit into our suitcases. And while that might seem like a travel guru’s masterstroke, doing this can also damage our clothes.
That is, if they’re left in our suitcase like that for days. You see, many fabrics are permanently impressionable, which means they can develop unwanted creases that won’t go away. So, the best tip is to unpack your clothes as soon as you enter the room to preserve and protect their quality.
#2 – Laundry
We’re always out touring around the country when we travel. We’re eating foreign food, shopping, or laying on the sand as we watch an amazing sunset. And as exciting as all these activities are, they’re somewhat hazardous to our clothes, given how easy it is to get stains on things during these occasions.
But, you can always wash these stain-affected items, right? Maybe not. The cleaners at masterdrycleaners.com.au suggest that you pile up your clothes and only wash them when you’ve really worn them out.
Over-washing your clothes (especially with harsh detergents when you’re away) will quickly ruin them. So, try to only wash your travel wardrobe when you’ve completely exhausted it. And when you do decide to wash, use better quality detergents (or give them to laundry professionals).
#3 – Drying
Drying clothes when you’re away can be really tricky as there’s usually a lack of space if you want to air dry. But, the drying phase is just as important as any other phase when it comes to looking after your clothes. If possible, avoid using a dryer on any clothes of value, even if there’s one available. Dryers can gradually damage the quality of garments, both eroding the fabric composition as well as the shape.
The best solution is to get rid of any excessive water manually, then hang them out to dry. Remember to hang your clothes carefully to avoid stubborn wrinkles and stretching on your outfits.
#4 – Stains
If regularly washing your clothes is not the best idea, how can you get rid of stains? The first thing to do is identify the stain. Identifying the stain will help you choose the right type of cleanser to use, so you can get rid of it as easily as possible.
For example, if it’s a red wine stain, you can use white wine to remove it (!!). If it’s an oil stain, then you’ll want to use salt or talcum powder. But if it’s grease, then you need to use baking soda. Baking soda is also great to get rid of tea and coffee stains.
Moreover, white vinegar is great to remove grass and ink stains, while peroxide will dissolve blood on your shirt. If you have sweat stains or deodorant stains, turn to lemon to get it off. And, finally, if you’ve sat on chewing gum then gently apply an ice cube to the area (or put the garment in the freezer) so you can easily peel the gum off.
#5 – Storage
Welcome to the final phase of this journey. While storing your clothes in the wardrobe might seem a bit of a hassle when you’re hotel-hopping, it’s a necessary step in the process. Again, folding and storing your clothes properly will preserve the fabric’s quality and cleanliness.
Tips include: Try to avoid hanging your pants on top of other pants, and if you don’t have a lot of space, you can hang your pants with a shirt or jacket on the same hanger.
#6 – Summary
For sure, paying close attention to your clothes can seem trivial and time-wasting when you’re away. But – if you want to protect your garments from damage, and stay looking polished and well put together, then there’s a few steps to take heed of.
No matter whether you have one of the best luggage sets available, unpack them as soon as you arrive. Hang your outfits properly in the wardrobe as soon as you can. Make sure you don’t overlap the hanger with too many pieces, and also remember that you don’t need to wash your clothes daily! For stains, look for simple solutions that can treat the area without washing the whole garment.
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