Travel can wreak havoc on your clothes — there you are, on the go with a huge salad oil stain down the front of a blouse you planned to wear again. Fortunately, there are products that can be easily added to your packing list that will take care of just about any disaster that befalls your clothing. Short of losing your luggage, that is!
Shout Wipes
Shout Wipes, which come in individually wrapped packets, contain a moist wipe that will remove stains like coffee and blood from clothing and are so easy to pop into a travel bag. They come 12 to a box, so you’ll be covered no matter how spill-prone you are.
Tide To Go
Tide stain removing pens are great on food and drink spills, though they’re less effective on protein stains like grass or blood. Still though, they are super convenient to stash in your purse or Dopp kit for treating smaller stains on the fly.
Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets, like Bounce, can be tossed in a suitcase to help keep it smelling fresh. They can also be repurposed to remove static from clothing that’s gotten a little too clingy — just rub the sheet along the inside of the static-y garment and it will lay flat in no time at all.
Downy Wrinkle Releaser
Travel-sized bottles of Downy’s wrinkle eliminating product are super handy for making sure that dress you’re wearing to your cousin’s wedding or high school reunion looks like it was perfectly pressed. The product now comes in two scents, Light Fresh and Crisp Linen, so you can choose your favorite!
Plastic Spray Bottle
If you hate the smell of Downy Wrinkle Releaser, here’s an alternative for you: Toss an empty plastic spray bottle in your suitcase and fill it with water when you get to your destination to use to quickly de-wrinkle clothing. To use, hang the garment or lay it flat on a wide surface, and spritz it lightly with water. Using your hands, smooth the fabric or pull it taut and then allow the item to dry. You’ll be amazed at how quickly wrinkles go away.
READ MORE: Everything You Need to Know About Keeping Your Clarisonic in Tip-Top Shape
Tissue Paper
Acid-free tissue paper will help to protect delicate clothing from damage that can be caused by heavier items in a suitcase, and will also help to prevent wrinkles.
Hand Sanitizer
Many people choose to travel with hand sanitizer to, well, sanitize their hands — but HanSan is also great for removing stains from clothing in a pinch! The reason for that is that most hand sanitizers have alcohol in them, which is an excellent stain remover, particularly for ink and dye stains.
Alcohol Wipes
Alcohol swabs that come as individually wrapped wipes are great to toss into a handbag, carry-on tote or laptop case. They can be used for everything from wiping your hands clean if you can’t get to a sink to wash them, to removing streaks, splatters or germs from computer, tablet and smartphone screens, to getting stains like ink or hot sauce off of your clothing.
Ziploc Bags
Ziploc bags can be used for everything from toiletries to jewelry. They’re especially great for beach vacations that will involve a lot of swimwear — damp suits can be packed, or just transported from the beach to wherever your next activity is taking place without soaking all the rest of your belongings.
Go Clean Travel Bags
If you want something a little less disposable than Ziploc bags, check out the Go Clean line of travel bags for laundry, wet swimsuits and shoes. They’re made of nylon and have sturdy zippers to keep wet or grimy items safely away from all your other belongings, and they come in a variety of cute colors and styles.
