Laundry strips for travel: light, compact and hassle-free
Laundry strips for travel: light, compact and hassle-free
Laundry strips are the ideal detergent for travelling. They aren't a liquid, so they can simply go in your hand luggage. They weigh almost nothing, take up very little space and can't leak in your suitcase. You just tear off a strip and wash by hand or in the machine.
Why laundry strips are ideal for travel
A bottle of detergent is heavy, can leak and takes up precious space in your suitcase. You run into exactly those three problems on every trip, from airport security to the last centimetre in your case. Laundry strips solve them straight away. They were developed for everyday use at home, but work at least as well on the road.
More and more travellers are swapping their liquid detergent for a strip in their toiletry bag. Practical, light and hassle-free at the security check.
No liquid: simply pack it in your hand luggage
Liquid detergents fall under the liquids rule for hand luggage: the well-known 100 ml limit. A laundry strip is dry and therefore not a liquid, so you can simply put it in your hand luggage. No fuss with tiny travel bottles, no detergent to check in and no risk of your bottle being taken away at security.
Super light and compact
A few laundry strips weigh almost nothing and lie flat in your suitcase or backpack. For a hand-luggage-only trip or a week of backpacking, that makes a big difference. A whole pack of laundry strips takes up less space than a single tube of detergent, which leaves literally more room for souvenirs.
Doesn't leak and easy to dose
A laundry strip can't spill over your clothes, as a bottle or tube sometimes does after being packed and unpacked a few times. You tear off exactly what you need: half a strip for a hand wash, a whole one for the machine. Handy, right?
How to wash your clothes on the road with a laundry strip
You don't need to be an expert to keep your clothes fresh while travelling. A washbasin, a sink or a sealable bag will get you a long way.
- Fill the washbasin or a sealable bag with water. Dissolve half a laundry strip in it until it has dissolved completely.
- Let your clothes soak. 10 to 15 minutes is enough for most stains and smells.
- Rinse well. Squeeze out gently without wringing, so your clothes keep their shape better.
- Hang your clothes to dry. Preferably somewhere with some air circulation, such as by an open window.
Want the full step-by-step guide with extra tips for stubborn stains? Take a look at our guide to washing by hand.
Quick drying in a hotel or hostel
Roll wet clothes in a towel and wring it out well, so your clothes dry a lot faster than if you hang them up straight away. A light travel washing line is ideal for hanging clothes in a hotel room or hostel, even if there's no balcony or drying rack. Also pack quick-drying fabrics in your suitcase, so you can manage with fewer items of clothing and wash less often.
Laundry strips or liquid travel detergent?
Travel tubes of liquid detergent have dominated the travel aisles for years and are the familiar choice for many people. Still, laundry strips win on a few important points for travelling. Below you can compare the two options side by side.
Laundry strips versus liquid travel detergent
| Laundry strip | Liquid travel detergent | |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Dry detergent in strip form | Concentrated detergent in a small bottle or tube |
| Advantage | Not a liquid, so allowed in hand luggage, super light and leak-free | Familiar and quick to dissolve, handy as an instant stain remover |
| Environmental impact | Cardboard packaging, no microplastics | Plastic bottle, often in disposable sizes |
| Rule of thumb | Choose laundry strips for the whole trip | Optionally take a small tube as a back-up for stains |
Both have their place. For the full travel wash, laundry strips are the practical choice thanks to their weight and how easy they are in hand luggage. You can take a mini tube along as an extra stain remover if you like, but for the daily wash on your trip a strip is enough.
Who will find this especially useful?
Laundry strips make life easier for almost every traveller, but for a few groups the difference is even bigger.
- Backpackers and hand-luggage-only travellers. Every gram and every centimetre counts in a backpack, and a laundry strip weighs next to nothing.
- Business travellers on short, busy trips. Quickly wash a shirt or blouse between two meetings, without the hassle of liquids at the security check.
- Families on holiday. Packing less clothing and washing along the way saves you a full suitcase, and a pack of laundry strips is quickly topped up.
POWR laundry strips: your travel buddy
Don't want to compromise on a fresh scent or clean clothes while travelling? POWR laundry strips are made for exactly that convenience, at home and on the road.
What makes a good travel detergent?
- No liquid: always allowed in your hand luggage
- Compact and light: weighs almost nothing in your suitcase
- Easy to dose: tear off what you need
The POWR laundry strips tick all these boxes: they're developed with enzyme technology that works from as low as 15°C, come in 100% recyclable, FSC-certified cardboard and contain no microplastics. Each pack is good for 40 washes, more than enough for a longer trip. They come in three variants, for colour, dark and white, so your suitcase is ready for every wash.
Discover the POWR laundry strips →
