There are two kinds of packers in this world. The beautifully organised kind who somehow arrive on holiday with everything neatly folded into little compartments, and the rest of us, who remember the toothpaste approximately three minutes before leaving the house.
Whichever camp you fall into, a well-packed wash bag can make travelling so much easier.
Whether you’re heading off for a weekend away, a family holiday or one precious night somewhere without anybody asking you where their shoes are, here’s our guide to packing a wash bag that actually works.
Start with the things you really use
It’s very easy to start packing for your imaginary holiday self.
Apparently she has a twelve-step skincare routine, uses hair masks every evening and absolutely will find time for that body scrub she hasn’t touched since Christmas.
Instead, think about your normal morning and evening routines and pack what you genuinely reach for.
Your everyday skincare, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant and the hair products you actually use are a much better starting point than filling your bag with all the things you might use.
Divide and conquer
This is where having more than one wash bag suddenly makes a lot of sense.
Rather than putting everything into one enormous bag and rummaging around the bottom for your lip balm, split your essentials into categories.
Use your largest bag for bottles, shower products and bigger toiletries. A medium bag works beautifully for skincare and makeup, while a smaller one is perfect for those tiny essentials that have an extraordinary ability to disappear exactly when you need them.
Our Cleo Wash Bag Trio was designed around exactly this idea, with three different sizes that can be used together or separately.
Keep the everyday things accessible
If you’re travelling for a while, think about what you’ll want during the journey rather than only what you’ll need when you arrive.
Hand cream, lip balm, medication, wipes and other little essentials are worth keeping somewhere easy to reach.
Nobody wants to unpack half a suitcase at a service station because their hand cream is buried underneath seven pairs of shorts.
Don’t forget the glamorous practical bits
There are certain things that aren’t particularly exciting until you desperately need them.
Hair ties. Cotton pads. Plasters. Painkillers. A spare contact lens case. Period products. A tiny packet of tissues.
You don’t need to prepare for every possible eventuality, but a few practical extras take up almost no room and can save the day.
Think about your journey home, too
A small reusable bag for damp flannels, used reusable makeup pads or anything that might leak is always worth packing.
And if you’re taking full-size bottles, check the lids before they go back into your luggage.
We speak from experience when we say shampoo does not improve the contents of a suitcase.
Make the practical things pretty
We’re big believers that useful things don’t have to be boring.
A colourful wash bag isn’t going to magically make packing effortless, but it does make digging around for your toothbrush at 11pm considerably more cheerful.
That’s really the thinking behind so many of our pieces at Kit & Hop. Everyday things can be practical, useful and still bring a little bit of colour into your day.
So pack the SPF. Remember your toothbrush. Leave the enormous bottle of shampoo at home.
And maybe, just maybe, you’ll be one of those beautifully organised travellers after all.
Happy travels,
Kit & Hop x