Doing Laundry in a Cruise Cabin: My Simple Travel Laundry Kit
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Time to read 8 min
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Doing laundry probably isn't high on anyone's list of exciting cruise activities.
Unfortunately, after enough days away, clean underwear starts becoming more important than cocktails by the pool. 😂
On longer cruises and holidays, I usually need to do some washing along the way. Even on a shorter cruise, there are often swimmers, gym clothes or a favourite top that I'd like to wash and wear again.
Some cruise ships have self-service laundries, while others only offer paid laundry services. And sometimes I simply don't have enough washing to justify putting on a whole load.
That's where my little travel laundry kit comes in.
With laundry sheets, an Exit stain remover stick, a portable clothesline and strong magnetic hooks, I can deal with most of those little laundry jobs without leaving the cabin.
Here's how I do it.
Table of contents
What's in My Travel Laundry Kit? Washing Clothes in the Cruise Cabin Basin The Towel Trick For the Smaller Laundry Emergencies Setting Up a Clothesline in the Cabin Why Not Just Use the Shower Clothesline? What About the Ship's Laundry? A Note for Carnival Cruisers What I Wouldn't Wash This Way Why I Pack a Travel Laundry Kit Planning a Carnival Splendor Cruise?
What's in My Travel Laundry Kit?
I've kept my travel laundry kit deliberately simple.
It contains:
- laundry detergent sheets
- an Exit stain remover stick
- a portable clothesline with attached pegs
- strong magnetic hooks
Each one has a job, and none of them takes up much luggage space.
The laundry sheets are perfect when I want to handwash a few things. There's no bottle of liquid detergent to pack or potentially leak through my suitcase.
The Exit stain remover stick is there for the smaller emergencies. If I spill something on a top, I can treat the affected area without necessarily needing to wash the entire item straight away.
Then the portable clothesline and magnetic hooks give me somewhere to hang everything once it's clean.
The Voyage Ready Cabin Laundry Kit puts all four together, so I can throw the kit into my luggage and know I've got the basics covered.
Washing Clothes in the Cruise Cabin Basin
or a few lightweight items, I don't bother heading to the ship's laundry.
I use the bathroom basin.
I fill the basin with water, add some of the laundry sheet and give the clothes a good wash by hand.
Laundry sheets are particularly handy for travelling because I can use only what I need. They dissolve in the water without having to measure out liquid detergent.
Once everything has had a good wash, I drain the basin and rinse the clothes thoroughly in clean water.
Obviously, this isn't how I'm going to tackle a week's worth of family washing. 😂
It's much better suited to things like underwear, lightweight tops, gym clothes, socks and other smaller items that are reasonably easy to wash and dry.
And then comes the part that makes a surprisingly big difference.
The Towel Trick
If you've ever handwashed clothes while travelling, you'll know that getting them clean isn't really the problem.
Getting them dry is.
Trying to wring every last bit of water out by hand can stretch clothing and still leave it dripping wet.
Instead, after gently squeezing out the excess water, I lay the clothes onto a dry towel.
I roll the towel up with the clothing inside and then press down firmly on it. The towel absorbs a surprising amount of the remaining water.
The clothes come out damp rather than soaking wet, which gives them a much better chance of drying properly once they're hung up.
Particularly in a cruise cabin where you don't exactly have a Hills Hoist and a sunny backyard at your disposal. 😂
For the Smaller Laundry Emergencies
Not everything requires a basin full of water.
That's why I've added the Exit stain remover stick to my travel laundry kit.
Food spills and little marks are almost inevitable when you're travelling, particularly with kids. Sometimes the rest of the item is perfectly clean and I just need to deal with one spot before it has a chance to set.
The stain remover stick gives me an easy way to treat those smaller marks without carrying another bottle of liquid in my luggage.
For me, that's the point of the kit. It's not supposed to replace every laundry option available onboard. It's there so I can deal with the everyday stuff myself when that's easier.
Setting Up a Clothesline in the Cabin
Once the washing is done, we need somewhere to put it.
This is where those magnetic hooks become particularly useful.
Cruise cabin walls and ceilings are generally metal, so strong magnets can give you temporary hanging points without damaging anything.
I attach the magnets to suitable points on the cabin ceiling and run my portable clothesline between them.
The clothesline has pegs already attached, so there's no need to pack a separate bag of pegs or worry about losing them along the way.
It also has adjustable toggles, which let me move the pegs along the line and space them out to suit whatever I'm hanging.
The setup in the video was plenty for the small amount of washing I'd done, and because everything was hanging overhead, I wasn't losing valuable cabin floor space.
Once everything is dry, the line and magnets come down again and pack away ready for next time.
Why Not Just Use the Shower Clothesline?
Some cruise cabins already have a small retractable clothesline inside the shower.
If I'm only hanging one or two things, that may be all I need.
But there's obviously limited room in a cruise shower, and hanging washing in there can become inconvenient when everyone subsequently needs to use it.
A portable line gives me another option and lets me make use of some of that otherwise wasted space higher up in the cabin.
I can also position it according to the layout of the particular cabin rather than being stuck with one permanent location.
What About the Ship's Laundry?
Whether you'll have access to a self-service laundry depends on your cruise line and ship.
Carnival, for example, currently has self-service laundrettes on most of its ships, with washers, dryers and an iron and ironing board. Some ships, including Carnival Luminosa, don't have self-service washers and dryers and instead offer valet laundry.
So it's worth checking what's available on your particular ship before you leave home.
Even when I do have access to a self-service laundry, I still find the cabin setup useful.
I'm not putting on an entire washing-machine load because I want to wash two tops and some underwear.
A Note for Carnival Cruisers
This is particularly timely with Carnival Rewards launching on 1 September 2026 and changes being made to loyalty benefits, including laundry allowances.
If you've previously relied on complimentary laundry as a Platinum or Diamond cruiser, it's worth checking your current Carnival Rewards benefits before your next sailing rather than assuming they'll be the same as they were under VIFP. Carnival Rewards officially replaced VIFP from 1 September 2026.
Check the latest Carnival Rewards information
Which makes having a Plan B for washing a few things in the cabin rather conveniently timed. 😂
What I Wouldn't Wash This Way
A bit of common sense comes into play here.
Lightweight clothing? Absolutely.
Underwear and socks? Easy.
Swimmers? Perfect.
A pair of heavy jeans?
No thank you. 😂
Anything thick or heavy that holds a lot of water is going to take considerably longer to dry in a cabin. For those items, I'd use the ship's self-service machines where available or consider its paid laundry service.
I also wouldn't string wet washing anywhere it could obstruct a walkway, doorway or anything else people need to use.
The aim is to make life easier, not create a small obstacle course between the bed and bathroom.
Why I Pack a Travel Laundry Kit
For me, the biggest advantage is simply having options.
On a long trip, being able to wash clothes as I go means I don't have to pack an outfit for every single day.
On shorter cruises, I can quickly wash swimmers, gym clothes or a couple of smaller items without spending time in the laundry.
If something gets stained, I've got the Exit stick to deal with it. If I need to wash a few things properly, I've got the laundry sheets. And once they're clean, the magnetic hooks and clothesline give me somewhere to dry them.
The whole lot takes up very little room in my luggage.
For something that exists purely because washing clothes occasionally needs to happen, it gets a surprising amount of use on my trips.
Still not exciting.
But very useful. 😂
Planning a Carnival Splendor Cruise?
If you're researching cabins because you're considering a Carnival Splendor cruise yourself, you can also compare upcoming cruises, dates and current pricing through Expedia.
Prices and itineraries change regularly, so it's worth comparing different sailing dates and cabin categories before booking.
Hi, I'm Kate!
I'm the creator of Voyage Ready and a BAS Agent and bookkeeper from regional NSW who loves cruising and travelling with my family (and occasionally working from a cruise ship somewhere in the middle of the ocean). I particularly love longer cruises with plenty of sea days, exploring new places at our own pace and finding practical ways to make family travel more affordable and less complicated.
What should I pack in a travel laundry kit?
My travel laundry kit contains laundry detergent sheets, an Exit stain remover stick, a portable clothesline with pegs attached and strong magnetic hooks. It gives me what I need to treat small stains, handwash lightweight clothing and hang things to dry.
Can you wash clothes in your cruise cabin?
For small amounts of handwashing, I use the bathroom basin. I find it particularly useful for lightweight clothing, underwear, socks, swimmers and gym gear. For larger loads or heavier clothing, check whether your ship has self-service or paid laundry facilities.
How do you get handwashed clothes to dry faster?
After rinsing, I gently squeeze out the excess water and then roll the clothing inside a dry towel and press firmly. The towel absorbs much of the remaining water before I hang the clothing on my portable line.
Are cruise cabin walls magnetic?
Cruise cabin walls and ceilings are generally metal, making strong magnetic hooks useful for creating temporary hanging space. Don't overload them, particularly when hanging wet clothing.
Do cruise cabins have clotheslines?
Some cruise cabins have a retractable drying line inside the shower, but this varies between ships. I still take a portable clothesline because it gives me additional drying space and more choice over where I hang things.
Do all cruise ships have self-service laundry?
No. Facilities vary between cruise lines and individual ships. Some have self-service washers and dryers, while others only offer paid laundry services. It's worth checking your specific ship before sailing.