How To Hand Wash Clothes In Hotel? 4 Steps Guide

The best method of handwashing can be applied even when travelling. Washing clothes without detergent is possible during a business trip or holiday.


Washing clothes in hotel room

The best method of handwashing can be applied even when travelling. Washing clothes without detergent is possible during a business trip or holiday.

See below proven method to wash clothes in hotel, which can be very useful when travelling for a long time.

In short, using hotel soap bar - or any soap, as a matter of, hand wash in the sink using the simple soak wash rinse method :

How to wash clothes by hand
  1. soak the clothes in lukewarm water,
  2. scrub them one by one with soap and a bit of water,
  3. scrub them together adding more soap and water if necessary,
  4. let it soak in warm water,
  5. rinse until no more soap is coming out,
  6. essorer l'eau des vêtements,
  7. let it dry or help with AC / sun / hair dryer.

As it is not always possible to have access to a laundromat, and hotel laundry services can be quite expensive, mostly for non essential clothes, meaning that can easily be bought for cheap, washing underwear in sink and washing socks in sink can save a few bucks on the trip.

First of all, get yourself a good laundry bag to keep your dirty clothes separated from the clean ones in your luggage.

See below what is the best method of handwashing to get all the benefits of handwashing during your next trip - or when staying at home without access to a washing machine :

1 - Read the label

That is the first very important thing to do, check the hand wash care label. If your garment is very delicate, then we recommend going to a professional.

Otherwise, if you are a business traveller like me, meaning having custom shirts, underwear and socks to wash, with eventually a few t-shirts, then continue with this how to hand wash a shirt guide.

We do not understand anything about these labels, honestly, and won't read them.

What matters in short : if it is delicate, like a suit, silk or cashemere, please take extra caution, and if possible give it to a professional.

If it is not delicate, like your daily stuff, already washed hundreds of times and not that important, then go forward.

Wash care symbols
What do washing symbols on your tags mean ?

2 - How to separate clothes for washing

Very important, especially if clothes are new, is to separate the white from the color.

Otherwise, the white clothes might get the coloration of the colored clothes, and lose their white.

If clothes have already been washed many many times, however, it is not that important, as the color will most likely not leave the tissue.

After having separated white clothes from colored ones, the next steps have to be repeated as many times as necessary.

3 - Fill the sink or tub with water

Start by closing the sink, and fill it in with warm water, some hot water in which you can comfortable put your hands.

When the sink is filled, put the clothes you can. They must be completely underwater for a better effect.

This first step should get all clothes for the current round of washing to be fully wet, before getting to the next step, the difficult one - the real washing.

4 - Soak wash rinse

Now that the clothes are soaked, it is time to get some soap.

Start by emptying the sink before the first wash.

Hand wash in hotel in the sink using hotel provided soap

Hotel soap is perfectly fine, as well as any kitchen dish soap, or just about any soap.

The only difference from a soap and a detergent, is that the detergent might be dangerous for your hands, and it contains products that will make your clothes keep the color, or the white, which soap doesn't have.

5 - Best method of handwashing

One piece of cloth by one, scrub them and rub them with soap the way you can !

What matters here, is to make sure that the dirty areas are properly scrubbed with soap, and that the piece of cloth in general has some soap about everywhere. Don't put too much effort yet, this is just the beggining - but the more, the merrier.

After everything has been properly scrubbed, scrub them all together a bit.

It is now time to let them rest at the bottom of the sink.

Turn on warm water - not boiling, but a bit above what is comfortable for your hands, and make sure the clothes get covered with water.

Our tip : put the soap bar, if that is what you are using, under the sink's water while it is filling the tub. This will make the water more soapy and clean the clothes better.

Let is soak for about half an hour.

6 - Wring water out of clothes

After that, empty the sink. Turn the water back to an acceptable level, and let it cool while you scrub the clothes under the jet.

Scrub them until the water comes out clean of the clothes.

If necessary, start again the operation using soap, and give a shorter soaking time.

At some point, the water should come out clean.

It is now time to take each piece of cloth, and rinse it until the water coming out of it shows no trace of soap.

It is very important to rinse properly, as otherwise it might be irritating for the skin.

7 - How to dry hand washed clothes

The clothes are now clean ! Next step, and not the easier one, is to somehow dry the clothes.

There is no general solution - but it must start by twisting the piece of cloth to remove as much water as possible while still working above the sink.

However, if you are in a hotel room, and there is a drying net, then make the most use of it.

8 - Quick dry clothing for travel

Make sure the room is dry, but opening the window for air if possible, or turning on the air conditionned.

The issue in an hotel room is always the available space for drying. Make the most use of the wardrobe hangers, hanger bars, and doors around the room.

Hand washing clothes tips

Washing clothes by hand hasn't been that hard, and a proper hand washing sums up to that : soak, wash, rinse.

How to wash laundry at the hotel? Soak, scrub, rinse

Washing clothes in bathtub works the exact same way, but might be harder on your back, as you'll have to bend down to reach the clothes, as opposed to washing clothes in sink, which most likely doesn't require to stoop.

How to hand wash underwear in the sink is the same as how to hand wash a shirt, how to hand wash lingerie, how to hand wash a white shirt, or how to hand wash something at home. Once again, simply remember to soak, wash, and rinse, each operation with specific care depending on the clothes specificities.

For extra fast drying, there are two more options :

Towel drying clothes

This solution will not fully dry the clothes, but it will give it a good kick start.

Lay down open a towel, if possible dry of course, put a piece of cloth on it, roll the towel on the shirt, and push, to make sure the towel absorbs as much water as possible.

Hair drying clothes

When in urgent need of some clothes, or to speed up the drying process at packing time, take the hair dryer, and point it at the clothes !

For best effect, put it inside, so a surface as large as possible is getting dried, and the warm air circulates inside the shirt or underwear, instead of along one side only.

And that is how to wash clothes !

Follow these instructions to have your clothes clean and dry wherever you are.

What can i use to wash clothes besides laundry detergent

Any soap can be used. A soap bar will be perfect, and can usually be bought anywhere. Close to the beach, you can even usually find very good street sellers with great soaps bar.

Washing clothes with dish soap or kitchen soap will also works fine, and leave your clothes with a nice smell.

How long to soak clothes when hand washing

A good half an hour is recommended during a hand wash laundry, to make sure the water has time to extract dirt from the clothes, which should have been properly scrubbed with soap for a maximal effect.

Travel laundry detergent

Another solution is to have with you specific travel laundry detergent, to either use any washing maching, or to hand wash more easily. There are plenty offers on the market, and it will most likely wash better - however, hand washing with hotel soap bar is good enough for washing clothes in sink while traveling.

Thanks for reading our guide on washing clothes while traveling in Europe !

Read more :

How to hand wash clothes when traveling
How to wash clothes manually

How to wash laundry at the hotel?

There are three main ways of washing laundry at the hotel, and not of all of them are available in each hotel, depending on the hotel size and inside facilities. However, you will always be able to hand wash in hotel in bathroom sink!

How to wash laundry at the hotel?
  • Use the hotel laundry / dry cleaning service,
  • Use the hotel washing machine,
  • Hand wash in hotel sink by hand.

How to wash clothes in hotel room?

The best method to wash clothes in hotel room… is to simply use your hands, and the hotel provided soap bar, directly in the room sink.

To wash clothes in hotel room, turn on warm water in the bathroom sink, soak the clothes, scrub them one by one with soap and water, let it soak, rinse… and finally let it dry wherever you can.

How to wash clothes in sink? Simply soak with water, scrub with soap, let soak, rinse and dry

Washing clothes in hotel room by hand is as simple as using the bar of soap and sink provided!

How to hand wash clothes in hotel?
How to hand wash clothes in hotel?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an effective method for hand washing clothes in a hotel room, and what tips can ensure the best results?
An effective method involves soaking clothes in warm water with mild detergent, gently washing and rinsing them, and then drying them effectively. Tips for best results include using a sink plug or basin, avoiding over-soaping, and ensuring proper ventilation for drying.

How to wash clothes by hand in hotel?


Michel Pinson
About the author - Michel Pinson
Michel Pinson is a Travel enthusiast and Content Creator. Merging passion for education and exploration, he iscommitted to sharing knowledge and inspiring others through captivating educational content. Bringing the world closer together by empowering individuals with global expertise and a sense of wanderlust.



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