Unpack it

Social media kindly provides us with thousands of outbound suitcase tips, packing cubes, hanging racks and folding hacks, but what about when you arrive home from holiday with suitcases stuffed with grubby clothes, where are all the tips and advice when you need them?  Is there any easy ways of sorting, washing, drying and putting everything away, if there is I am yet to find it, does a service where they collect the suitcases as a whole, sort through them and return everything laundered and hung exist? If so, can they come to my house and put it all away too please?

I have been known to make use of the self catering washing machine and guaranteed warm weather and washing and drying all of our clothes before we leave, in lieu of this I definitely take the worst off any stains in the sink with soap or a squirt of travel wash, the longer a stain gets to sit and bake in your suitcase, the worse it gets, especially food and suncream. 

When you get home, before washing, soak any white clothes that look a bit yellow with a generous scoop of baking soda. Once your linens are washed, iron them when they are 80% dry before putting away, you will thank me next time you take them out, creases in linen have some serious staying power and ironing them damp makes it a lot less arduous. 

Swimwear, the constant suncream and being immersed in chlorinated or salt water takes its toll on our trusty bikinis, some brands recommend they are dried away from direct sunlight which seems impossible on holiday but to preserve the fabric and to get as much wear out of them in future, pop them in a net laundry bag and wash them on a low temperature with liquid washing detergent (as opposed to powder) for very delicate / expensive swimwear or anything crochet or with metal details, I would hand wash and dry flat. 

I find the hems of my trousers need extra attention post holiday, sunny climes equal dustier roads so long trousers get a little bit grubbier, give the hems a rub with a strain remover before throwing them straight in the washing machine, I wipe over my sandals with a damp cloth then fill a bowl with hot soapy water and throw in all the flip flops, they come out good as new and ready to be filed away under “See you next Summer”