What happens to your usual cleaning and laundry routine when you go away?

Holiday accommodation often means using products you have not chosen yourself. A self-catering cottage or Airbnb may provide cleaning products, washing-up liquid and laundry detergent, while a hotel or B&B will usually take care of most of the cleaning for you.

This may be perfectly straightforward. But if you have allergies or sensitivities, are travelling with children, dislike heavily fragranced products or simply prefer to know what you are using, it can be useful to take a few products from home.

Laundry is often the main consideration. Clothes get stained, swimwear needs rinsing, children generate washing and longer holidays may require several machine loads. You may also want to rewash a pillowcase or some bedlinen if the detergent used by the accommodation does not suit you. 

Creating a low-tox holiday home is therefore quite simple: plan for the cleaning and laundry jobs you are genuinely likely to encounter and take a small number of products you know will do them well.

If you would like to take the same approach at home, our free Low-Tox Home guide looks at fragrance, indoor air, cleaning products, waste and independent certification. 

Before you pack: check what your accommodation provides

Start with the property information or ask your host.

It is useful to know:

· whether there is a washing machine

· whether laundry detergent is provided

· whether washing-up and dishwasher products are supplied

· what general cleaning products are available

· whether towels and bedlinen are provided

· whether the property has a septic tank or specific wastewater requirements

You can then fill any gaps or take your own alternative where that matters to you, without packing unnecessary duplicates.

What cleaning and laundry products are worth taking?

For many holidays, a useful kit can be very small:

· Castile Soap for several washing, cleaning and stain-removal jobs

· Laundry Liquid if you expect to use a washing machine

· Washing-Up Liquid if self-catering and you prefer your own

· one washable cloth

· unfragranced versions if you prefer to avoid added fragrance

The quantities will depend far more on the length and type of holiday than on the size of the bottles you normally use at home.

Planning laundry on holiday

Laundry is one of the easiest holiday needs to underestimate.

You may need to wash:

· swimwear

· underwear

· children's clothes

· walking or sports clothing

· stained garments

· towels

· everyday clothes during a longer stay

· pillowcases or bedlinen if unfamiliar detergent residues are a problem

If there is a washing machine, estimate how many loads you are likely to do and take enough of your usual laundry product for those washes.

Greenscents Organic Castile Soap can also be used for machine laundry. For a standard 5-6 kg load, use 30-50 ml, depending on the load and level of soiling.

For hand washing individual garments, use a small amount in water, rinse thoroughly and follow the garment-care instructions.

How much should you take?

Think in number of washes rather than bottle size.

If you expect to do two machine washes with Greenscents Castile Soap, for example, approximately 60-100 ml should cover those two standard loads.

The same principle works for Laundry Liquid and Washing-Up Liquid: estimate likely use, add a small margin and decant accordingly.

Treat stains while you are away

Food, oil, grass and other stains are usually easier to deal with before they have spent a week in a laundry bag.

For washable fabrics, apply a few drops of Greenscents Castile Soap directly to the stain, gently work it in and leave for around 5-30 minutes before washing.

Always follow the fabric-care instructions and test delicate or colour-sensitive materials first.

Why Castile Soap works particularly well for holidays

Castile Soap earns its space in holiday luggage because one product can cover a number of different needs.

Greenscents Organic Castile Soap can be used for:

· machine and hand laundry

· stain treatment

· sinks and washable surfaces

· occasional hand and body washing

· general cleaning

It is made with certified organic ingredients, is 100% biodegradable and is available in Lavender, Minty and completely unfragranced Nonscents versions.

For detailed advice on how to use it, including laundry, cleaning and what not to mix it with, read our full guide:

Learn More About Greenscents Organic Castile Soap

Make your Greenscents products easier to travel with

Greenscents' 500 ml amber glass bottles are designed for use at home, but glass adds unnecessary weight and is less practical in luggage.

For holidays, you can transfer the amount you need into a lightweight reusable amber PET bottle.

Greenscents Accessories include PET bottles and replacement labels, so a travel bottle can be clearly identified, washed after use and kept for your next trip.

Shop Travel Bottles & Labels

This is particularly useful for Castile Soap, Laundry Liquid and Washing-Up Liquid.

At home, Greenscents glass bottles can be refilled from our 5L and 20L containers, and the larger containers can be returned FREE to Greenscents for cleaning and reuse.

Different holidays need different things

Self-catering cottages and Airbnbs

If you are cooking, washing up and perhaps doing laundry, you are likely to need more than you would in a hotel.

Once you know what the property supplies, consider whether you want to bring your own product for:

· laundry

· washing up

· stains

· kitchen or dining surfaces

There is no need to clean the accommodation from top to bottom or replace perfectly suitable products that are already there. Taking your own simply gives you an alternative where you want one.

If the property has a septic tank, check any instructions from the owner. Greenscents products are suitable for septic tanks, making them a practical option for rural holiday properties.

Hotels and B&Bs

Most household cleaning is already taken care of, so your needs are likely to centre on laundry and personal use.

A small amount of Castile Soap or your normal laundry product can be useful for:

· rinsing swimwear

· hand washing clothes

· treating stains

· children's laundry

· washing a pillowcase or other bedding if necessary

For a short stay, you may need very little.

Camping, caravans and motorhomes

Space and weight matter more here, which makes concentrated and multi-purpose products particularly useful.

Greenscents products are suitable for septic tanks and caravan wastewater tanks, so they work well where conventional household drainage is not available.

Follow the campsite or site instructions for emptying wastewater tanks and disposal.

If allergies, sensitivities or fragrance matter

Going away can expose you to laundry detergents, toiletries, room fragrances and cleaning products that are different from those you use at home.

You cannot control everything in unfamiliar accommodation, but you can decide which products matter most to you.

You might choose to take:

· your normal Laundry Liquid

· Nonscents Castile Soap

· familiar toiletries

· enough product to rewash a pillowcase or bedding if necessary

Greenscents Nonscents is completely unfragranced, so it is particularly useful where you want to avoid added fragrance.

If a room itself is strongly fragranced, ventilation is often the simplest first step.

Travelling with children

Children can create more washing than expected: food spills, muddy clothes, wet swimwear and bedding accidents are all easier to deal with when you have suitable products to hand.

A washable cloth, laundry product and small bottle of Castile Soap for stains will cover many of these situations without adding much to the luggage.

One washable cloth goes a long way

A washable cloth takes almost no room and can handle kitchen surfaces, spills, highchairs, sinks and general wiping.

It can then be washed with the rest of your laundry and used again, removing the need for disposable cleaning wipes for most ordinary jobs.

Holiday cleaning and laundry checklist

Before you leave

☐ Check whether there is a washing machine

☐ Find out which cleaning and laundry products are supplied

☐ Check for septic-tank or wastewater instructions

☐ Estimate how many washes you are likely to do

☐ Decide which products you particularly want to take from home

☐ Decant them into clearly labelled lightweight bottles

Useful products

☐ Castile Soap

☐ Laundry Liquid

☐ Washing-Up Liquid if required

☐ Washable cleaning cloth

☐ Reusable laundry bag

If allergies, fragrance or children are a consideration

☐ Unfragranced products where preferred

☐ Enough laundry product to rewash bedding if necessary

☐ Castile Soap for prompt stain treatment

When you come home

Before automatically washing everything in the suitcase, separate clothes that were worn from those that came home clean.

Wash reusable cloths and laundry bags, rinse your travel bottles and store them ready for your next trip. Any remaining product can simply return to normal use at home.

Creating a simpler low-tox holiday home

Creating a low-tox holiday home is not about trying to control every product you encounter while you are away.

It is about being prepared for the situations where your own products are useful - particularly laundry, stains, unfamiliar fragrance, children and everyday cleaning.

Check what is provided, take sensible quantities and choose products that can perform more than one job where appropriate

Greenscents Organic Castile Soap is particularly useful for holidays because it can cover laundry, stains, cleaning and washing from one lightweight travel bottle.

Explore Greenscents Organic Castile Soap

If you would like to take the same low-tox approach at home, read our free Low-Tox Home guide.

Read the Low-Tox Home Guide

About Greenscents

Greenscents has formulated certified organic household cleaning and laundry products in the UK since 2012. Our ingredients are fully disclosed and our products are independently certified to support our organic, environmental and ethical standards.

Sources & further reading

· Greenscents - What Is Castile Soap? Uses for Cleaning, Laundry & More

· Greenscents - How to Create a Healthier, Low-Tox Home

· Greenscents Organic Castile Soap

· Greenscents Accessories - Amber PET Bottles & Replacement Labels