2022 Guide To The Best Travel Laundry Detergent Ready To Pack

Find it a headache to do laundry when you go traveling?

Still frantically looking for a laundromat near you on Google Maps?

Is it convenient for you to carry a heavy, bulky, plastic container of liquid laundry detergents?

Have you ever been annoyed by leaking laundry detergents?

I go out and about for business trips and do a lot of traveling in the summer months with my family, and I've always been searching for the best laundry products for travel without carefully portioning out powdered/liquid detergent in small bottles and measuring how many loads I actually need enough over my trip.

Packing detergents used to be a great challenge for each of us, but right now I've found some of my favorite detergents great for travel.

So if you want to know how to travel with laundry detergent, where to buy travel size laundry detergent, or how to wash clothes easily when traveling, I have solutions!

 

What do you look for in a travel laundry detergent

A laundry detergent suitable for travel meets at least three criteria: portable size, not easy to leak, and a fresh scent.

 

1. Carry-On Friendly With A Small Size

No more heavy and bulky laundry detergent liquids

The compact size of travel laundry detergent is the most important since none of us is willing to pack a piece of big jug along with our entire travel. At this point, powdered or liquid detergent is not the ideal choice, so we need to look for better alternatives.

No more leaking

It sucks when regular liquid or powdered detergents ooze out and get all over our bag messy and gooey, which takes a lot of time to handle and ruins our travel fun as a result. Yeah, I'm sure that many people have had headaches with this nightmare! So choosing an amazing travel laundry detergent can leave no these concerns anymore.

 

2. Smell Fresh And Clean After Your Washing Efforts

No more unpleasant scent

If you ask me what's one of the most important to consider when choosing my laundry detergents, a fresh and pleasant scent left on my clothes after washing will be the runner-up. Why? When we go camping, a good camping trip will allow you to enjoy and get close to nature while also bonding with family members. With all that closeness, you might be worried about one thing: body odor! So, a qualified travel laundry detergent has to, and should, meet our needs to stay fresh after a long, busy, and/or exhausting day.

 

3. Suitable For Handwashing

No need to ask for laundry services or washers

Laundry detergents that work better for travel should allow us to hand wash our clothes because we don't always come across a hotel providing us with a washing machine, especially when we are on a camping trip sort of thing. Therefore, even though we are away from home, I can still get our clothes just as clean as though I was washing them in my own washing machine at home.

 

4. Effective Cleaning Power

No more stains left on our clothes

When you’re at home, doing a load of laundry and getting a basket full of clean, fresh-smelling clothes is pleasant. It’s lovely to sleep in freshly washed sheets or slip into a snuggly sweater that has just come out of the dryer. When you’re traveling or away from home, using laundry detergent travel packs that can help you get the same clean and fresh feeling as when you’re at home is equally important. Whether you’re going away for a week or for a month-long trip, taking a couple of laundry detergent travel packs with you can revive both your clothes and your spirits.

 

5. Work Both In Cold And Hot Water

No more looking for relatively warm water

When traveling you never know what kind of machine you will run into or whether or not there's a washing machine for you! That's why we need to find a laundry detergent travel pack that can especially work in all machines and also work well in both cold and hot water.

 

6. Environmental Responsible Brand

Eco-friendly packaging

As more and more people are paying attention to living a healthier and sustainable lifestyle, in the last couple of years, we've seen many "ecopreneurs" coming up with new solutions to producing more eco-friendly laundry detergents to battle our ever-growing plastic pollution problem. Eco-friendly packaging means biodegradable cardboard or box that does less harm to our environment. Plastic containers are believed to be a significant killer to our oceans, lands, our living environment. For recyclers/environmentalists, choosing travel laundry detergents in biodegradable packaging makes them eco-heroes, which is a good example we should follow.

Eco-friendly ingredients

Finding a good laundry detergent is important for more than just removing stains and keeping clothes clean. Eco-friendly ingredients are more favorable to our environment and more hypoallergenic to our sensitive skin at the same time. People who are exposed to the impact of laundry detergents should consider safe or plant-based ingredients in detergents when choosing laundry detergents.

 

5 Best Travel Laundry Detergent Solutions And Reviews

I've reviewed some of laundry detergents suitable for OUR travel. By knowing what to buy beforehand, you won’t waste time looking around in your location and trying to find where to purchase travel laundry detergent. Now find several brands of small packets, and see which one suits you here!

 

#1 Tide Travel Sink Packets

PROS

• Compact and portable
• Work in all machines and work well at any temperature
• Stain and odor remover

CONS

• Tiny size and over-priced
• A bit overpowering smelling for scent-sensitive people

ABOUT TIDE TRAVEL SINK PACKETS

• Travel size: Truly, these little laundry detergent travel packets are really handy to throw in my luggage. Before I switched to eco strips, Tide had been my top detergent option when I went to travel for just a few days.
• Scent: Tide has been one of the best-selling detergents in the United States for nearly 70 years. Its scent has become ingrained in the fabric of American life as a result of widespread use. I love what it has left on my clothes with a familiar, reassuring, and clean smell. Yet, some people think it's a bit overpowering. So skip these packets if you're highly sensitive to the smell.
• Handwashing in cold and warm water: These packets work well in any washing machine and are suitable for handwashing at any temperature, which makes them a perfect option for travel laundry detergent.
• Cleaning power: Great! 1 packet can do 4 small items of my clothes and leaves no residue as regular liquid Tide will. When you're on a camping trip, Tide helps remove tough stains and body odor.

TIPS OVERALL

These packets are great for washing things out in the sink, not for an entire load of laundry due to their size. So if you aren't intending to buy more packets, they are more suitable for your short trip (less than 7 days). Besides, if you haven't used Tide before and are highly allergic to laundry detergents, I suggest you look at the following recommendations.

 

#2 Grab Green Travel Pods

PROS

• Compact and portable
• 3 in 1 laundry stains remover
• Hypoallergenic formulas with no toxic chemicals
• Nice fragrance

CONS

• Don't dissolve well in the washing machine

ABOUT GRAB GREEN TRAVEL PODS

• Travel size: Small size is very convenient for frequent travelers.
• Scent: Nice and pleasant scent left on your clothes without an overpowering smell.
• Handwashing in cold and warm water: Good for handwashing in the sink when traveling and these pods work well both in cold and warm water.
• Cleaning power: Satisfactory! These pods are stain and odor removers. I use 1 pod for a full load and that's enough.
• Hypoallergenic ingredients: No phosphates, phthalates, chlorine, toxins, dyes or masking agents.

TIPS OVERALL

Pods are not that recommended or travel compared with sheets but Grab Green Travel Pods leave no leakage concern as long as you pack these pods tight in your luggage. They work better in HE machines but not that well in regular washers. Plus, they have more scent varieties. Unscented version and this version are well-recieved at Amazon.

 

#3 Clearalif Travel Detergent Sheets

PROS

• Lightweight sheets packed in a small portable cardboard
• Dissolvable at any temperature and work well in all machines
• Biodegradable packaging
• Plant-derived ingredients suitable for sensitive skin
• Light and fresh scent
• No leakage
• Budget-friendly

CONS

• A bit messy if the bag gets wet

ABOUT CLEARALIF TRAVEL LAUNDRY DETERGENT SHEETS

If you want to save space in your suitcase, detergent sheets are a great way to go and a great sink laundry detergent option.

Laundry detergent sheets are paper-like, concentrated, and dissolvable sheets of detergents that have all the necessary cleaning ingredients suspended in a biodegradable resin. They can replace the traditional liquid or powdered detergent with no leakage concerns.

• Travel size: Paper-like and lightweight sheets make Clearalif a perfect go-to for travel.
• Scent: I love this fresh linen scent left on my clothes with a lovely light, pleasant smell. From Amazon reviews, most people are satisfied with Clearalif sheets' fragrance. A good point for our clean and fresh shirts.
• Handwashing in cold and warm water: Perform well! These sheets dissolve just a few seconds in cold water and that's pretty satisfactory for concentrated sheets.
• Cleaning Power: Amazing! Simply drop 1 sheet for a full load of laundry and you'll get a basket full of clean, fresh clothes that greatly boost your spirits.
• Plant-derived ingredients: I'm satisfied with this eco-brand that the ingredients involved in a sheet are plant-derived and hypoallergenic with no toxic chemicals. Good for sensitive skin.
• Eco-friendly packaging: Biodegradable and recyclable packaging makes our trip greener and does less harm to our environment. Win-win!

TIPS OVERALL

I've been using detergent sheets both at home and on my trip for two years and among many options, Clearalif is definitely great for anyone on a budget. If you're looking for a green option and it performs well just as regular detergent, this one is a good choice. But, check to assure your luggage will not get wet because sheets are easily dissolved.

 

#4 Tru Earth Eco Sheets

PROS

• Lightweight and portable
• Biodegradable packaging
• Plant-derived ingredients and hypoallergenic
• No leakage

CONS

• Not dissolve fast enough
• Don't work well in HE machine

ABOUT TRU EARTH ECO SHEETS

• Travel size: Like any other sheets, Tru Earth is also compact and portable without worrying about liquid leakage and it's suitable for travel.
• Scent: I choose the same fresh linen scent as Clearalif and the sheets smell pleasant but they leave little smell on my clothes after washing. I also check Amazon reviews saying this scented version is way too strong for some people. At this point, if you're sensitive to the fragrance, choose their unscented version; if you wish detergent leaves no special scent on your washed clothes, this one can be an option.
• Handwashing in cold and warm water: These sheets do work in cold, hot, and warm water, but the point is that they don't dissolve as quickly as I expect.
• Cleaning power: 1 sheet for 5 to 6 items of clothes will be enough for me, but it depends on how dirty your laundry is. These sheets can handle light stains and light odor, suitable for business trips.
• Plant-derived ingredients: Free of paraben and phosphate, these sheets are gentle enough for sensitive skin. 

TIPS OVERALL

Compared with Clearalif, Tur Earth is more suitable for frequent travelers for work with no specific need for stain and odor removal just like outdoor trips need as usual.

 

#5 FOMIN Antibacterial Paper Soap Sheets

PROS

• Portable and tiny size
• No leakage
• Useful for handwashing
• Nice lather
• Nice scent
• Biodegradable packaging

CONS

• Too thin and can be melted if touched by wet fingers

ABOUT FOMIN ANTIBACTERIAL PAPER SOAP SHEETS

• Travel size: They are similar to the laundry sheets I mentioned, saving more space.
• Available in fragrance varieties: Orange and Tea Tree versions leave a mild, fresh smelling on my shirts. Unscented version is not recommended because neither it leaves light fragrance nor fresh scent on my clothes after washing.
• Handwashing in cold and warm water: These soap sheets are not useful in washing machines but designed for handwashing both in cold and warm water when traveling. The only downfall is that they are more suitable in running water in case of gummy residue left on your hands and fingers, or you can add more water in the sink to hand wash.
• Cleaning Power: Great. They lather well in hard water and get clothes really clean, no stains, and no body odors.
• Biodegradable Packaging: Similarly, eco-friendly packaging allows for worry-free disposal while outdoors.

TIPS OVERALL

Tiny pack is good for saving more space in your luggage. But the sheets are too thin to directly pull out one sheet, which means you need to be careful to get one/several of those out of the box with dry hands, otherwise the rest of them will be ruined.