Laundry planner
Travel laundry planner
Enter how long you are away and when you can wash. See how many of each item you really need, and how much smaller the pile gets.
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wash day · 3 washes; the longest stretch between them is 4 days.
| Item | Pack | No laundry | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underwear | 4 | 14 | −10 |
| Socks (pairs) | 4 | 14 | −10 |
| T-shirts and tops | 4 | 14 | −10 |
| Trousers, shorts or skirts | 2 | 5 | −3 |
| Sleepwear | 1 | 4 | −3 |
| Jumper or fleece | 1 | 3 | −2 |
| Total | 16 | 54 | −38 |
Laundry saves you packing 38 items, about 70% of the pile.
How the numbers are worked out
Each wash resets the clock: everything worn up to that evening is clean again. So the trip splits into stretches between washes, and you only need enough of each item for the longest stretch. If clothes need a day to dry, the planner adds a day to that stretch, because you need something to wear while the washing hangs. It never suggests more than you would pack with no laundry at all.
For each item it divides the days to cover by how many days one piece lasts, and rounds up: days × per day ÷ wears. Set Wears to suit you: socks and underwear are usually one day, trousers often three, a fleece a week.
Worked example
A 14-day trip with a wash every 4 days means washing on days 4, 8 and 12. The longest stretch is 4 days, so you pack 4 tops instead of 14, and 2 pairs of trousers (4 ÷ 3, rounded up) instead of 5. Washing in a sink with things drying overnight on a line? Choose "needs a day to dry" and it becomes 5 tops.
Plan washes for evenings when you stay put for two nights, so things have time to dry, and pick quick-drying fabrics.
Questions
What counts as one wear?
One day of use. Underwear and socks are usually one wear each; many people get two or three days out of trousers and several nights out of sleepwear. Use whatever you are comfortable with.
Why does drying time add a day?
Clothes washed by hand at night may still be damp the next morning, so you need one more set to wear while they dry. A machine with a dryer usually avoids that.
Is there any point washing on the last day?
Not for packing: nothing washed on the last day is worn again before you get home, so the planner leaves it out.