It’s now the summer break which, for many people across the UK, means a holiday! Whether it’s a European weekend city-break, a messy family camping trip or an all-out vacay to somewhere exotic, you’re going to need to think about what you’re taking with you. Especially if you’re flying, packing can be a bit of a nightmare to make sure you’ve got all the essentials plus some spares in case of stains and spills. With the help of our followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the team at ACE has pulled together some top tips for making holiday packing and laundry a breeze.
Go through each day of the holiday in your head (as much as possible) and write down anything that you need. It’s too easy to forget the little things that we do subconsciously, like brushing our teeth and reaching for the plasters, so by thinking through every little activity you’ll make sure that everything is covered. Going hiking one day? You’re going to need good footwear. Planning a nice meal or an evening out? You’ll need a smarter outfit.
If you’re responsible for the whole family’s packing, make a list for each person and then tick each item off once it’s packed so that nothing is missed. It seems obvious, but taking time in advance to get organised will make it a lot less stressful and a lot less likely to go wrong! Likewise, if you pick up bits in your weekly shop (sun cream, travel bottles etc.) in the months leading up to the holiday, it’ll spread the cost and everything will be ready to pop in the case.
If everything is just thrown into your case, or if you’ve just stacked the car to the roof, you won’t know what’s what. You won’t know what’s been packed and where everything is when you need it at the other end. Pack smart clothes separately from casual clothes, and line the case with big items like towels so they take up less room and provide an extra layer of protection. Lots of people also recommend rolling clothes so that they don’t crease and you can fit more in, and a few people suggest sharing people’s clothes around just in case a bit of luggage goes missing – that way everyone will still have something to wear until it turns up again.
Some mixed reviews here – some people take stain remover with them, others rinse the item until they can get home and others don’t worry at all. Ultimately, you shouldn’t let a dropped ice-cream or an oily sun cream splash get in the way of having fun, but it doesn’t hurt to give items a good soak (never scrub) to stop the stain from setting. If the worst comes to it, there’s probably a washing machine at the hotel you can use. Otherwise, don’t let it affect the holiday, enjoy yourself and sort it out when you’re home.
Some useful tips and tricks from our social community!
Iristilley51 (via Instagram): Buy cheap clothes for the kids so they can just have fun with no worries – if they’re still okay by the end then great, but if they’re ruined then they can be recycled without too much money lost.
Kerry Jones (via Facebook): Take mix and match clothes to create different outfits, meaning you can take less with you – if you trust that spills won’t be a daily occurrence!
Brummiemummie (via Instagram): Pack outfits for each day into little bags, marked as Day 1, Day 2 etc. so that you can just grab and go in the mornings.
Philippa Howe (via Facebook): Always have a good supply of food, nibbles and plenty of water. It beats queuing at overpriced, crowded motorway stops!
Jen Keller (via Facebook): I always pack my lighter clothes inside out to stop them from getting stained by the darker clothes like jeans or bright bikinis. Also, I put cling film under the lid of all my toiletries to stop them leaking and then pop them into a sandwich bag in case they explode.
Claire Knott (via Facebook): I try to take patterned clothes so stains don’t show and then soak them in ACE when I get home.
Gayatri Gogoi (via Facebook): I pack using roll vacuum bags – they don’t need a vacuum cleaner but still save space!
Jackie Pritchard (via Facebook): Keep all your travel documents in a separate section of your hand luggage so you can access them easily.
Tracy K Nixon (via Facebook): Always take a sarong! They’re light and multifunctional: something to lie on at the beach, a cover for when you’re cold, a towel, a curtain, a skirt, a dress, even an emergency bandage!
Tracey Roberts (via Facebook): Take baby wipes everywhere, and sun cream no matter what time of year it is!
Sheree Chanie (via Facebook): I make sure my son has his own little bag for his entertainment like colouring books and crayons.
I know we’ll be taking note of some of these for our holidays this year – what about you? Don’t forget to share your photos with us too at @ACECLEANUK on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
