When we travel, we are often exposed to more bacteria and dirt than we do in our daily lives. Airplanes and hotels are often not as clean as you would expect, and the planes are tidy between each flight, but one flight attendant recommends taking extra precautions and quickly wipe the seats and windows before taking off.
From the airplane sections to what is considered a germ-based breeding ground to those where the blanket is actually washed in your hotel room, it's a good idea to clean all your items before you come back from the holidays. You may be used to wiping your phone, but it is also encouraged to give it to your passport with a sanitizer wipe, especially if you place it in your plane seat pocket or lie in a hotel room. However, there is one more item you need to clean after your trip, but most people probably don't.
In an article in Better Homes & Gardens, cleaning expert Jolie Kerr revealed items that many of us rarely use “without thinking too much about how clean they are actually.”
Packing cubes are used by many to better fit suitcases and organize everything while traveling, but they can be constantly used and quickly become dirty, especially if you remove them from the case and place them on the floor of your hostel or hotel room.
You may not be exposed to direct bacteria during transportation, but as with the frequently used ones, it can quickly become dirty, especially if you use them to store unwashed laundry.
For frequent travelers, Jolie recommends washing the stuffed cubes every 3-5 uses to prevent stains and dirt that accumulate in the fabric and cause stains and unpleasant odors.
If you have dirty laundry in a stuffed cubes, or if one of them is experiencing spills, it should be washed immediately after use.
Fortunately, most packing cubes are designed to be machine-cleaned. This means you can chuck them with the rest of the laundry. I
It is best to wash them on a cold cycle with similar items on a gentle cycle.
Pretreat the dirt as usual and once washed, place it on a clean, dry towel and air dry.
Especially if something spills inside, if you need to clean it right away, go ahead and wash it by hand in the sink or bathtub with soap.
If you don't have hand laundry detergent, simply use hand washing or bar soap.
Body and face washes and shampoos work, but it's best to avoid anything that is not clear or contains conditioning agents, as it can leave behind a soap residue that is difficult to remove.
