A graphic of an open suitcase containing things to take on holiday, flip flops, passport, sunglasses, camera, wallet and map
Episode 40 – Packing a suitcase

In this podcast, Lesley and Ingrid talk about the preparation needed for packing a suitcase for a plane trip. Packing a suitcase for plane travel can be tricky to get right. It needs preparation and planning to make sure you maximise the space in your suitcase and don't go over the luggage allowance.
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Transcript of this podcast episode
Intro  0:07  
Welcome to today's episode of The Declutter Hub Podcast, your channel for super easy, no nonsense advice on how to declutter and organise your home. Please welcome your host professional organisers, Ingrid Johnson, and Lesley Spellman.

Ingrid  0:26  
Hello, and welcome listeners to Episode 40 of the Declutter Hub Podcast. I'm Ingrid. And I'm Lesley. If you have clutter and want to sorted out this just a show for you. In today's episode, Lesley and I are talking about packing your suitcase for a trip. Now, are you going on holiday soon, Lesley, because it's like raining here all the time. And you darlin.

Lesley  0:51  
I am going on holiday very soon. And I cannot wait. Yeah, I'm going to Portugal for sort of 12 days in the middle of July. So I can't wait. What about you?

Ingrid  1:01  
I'm not going on holiday till August. But I've just had a girls weekend in Spain a couple of weeks ago. So I'm not complaining. But it's like, this time of year, we should have more sun. We've had lots of rain, and it makes me think so recording this podcast. I'm, I'm thinking about beaches in airports and planes and suitcases. And so very timely podcast.

Lesley  1:26  
Absolutely. Because we got an email this morning, which was lovely, actually, from a lady in California, saying how much she loved the podcast. And I'm like, I want to be in California. I don't want to be in Manchester anymore. It's rubbish. This read honestly, if you're not from from the UK, it has been torrential rain for like four weeks, and it's like six degrees or something ridiculous. So we definitely definitely need to get abroad and out of this country. And well, I

Ingrid  1:53  
think, because I had my lovely girls holiday weekend in Spain a couple of weeks ago, and I did a kind of a Facebook live in our lovely community about how to pack a suitcase. I think we kind of both thought let's do a podcast about this because this is really helpful for our listeners.

Lesley  2:10  
Yeah, definitely. There's a lot to be said really about packing a suitcase, you got to get it right, haven't you otherwise, you know, we got weight restrictions depending on where we go. There's all kinds of things to think about. We can talk for hours unpacking a suitcase.

Ingrid  2:24  
Well, let's not do hours, Lesley, because our listeners, we're gonna lose the will to live if we're doing hours about packing a suitcase. But yes, there are definitely things that we need to talk about. And so let's get cracking. Let's do it. So packing for a trip. And I think we have both agreed this is going to be a trip on a plane ride with it with a suitcase on a plane because there's loads of trips, but I think we're specifically talking about going on a plane and going abroad with a plane.

Lesley  2:54  
Yeah, I think so or not abroad. If you're in North America, then it might be in your own country. But more about Yeah, true. No, everybody's in a little tiny island like we are we have to go into play and everywhere. But yeah, I think we're talking because there were so many different connotations of trips aren't there. You know, you could go for a couple of days for a weekend locally. You could go backpacking, you could go, you take a hold, or you could put be putting stuff in your car, and that's going to be different. So what we're talking about now is a standard. Get your suitcase get on a plane go abroad, aren't we? Why not throw it if you're in America? Yeah. Yeah, in the same country, but go on a plane and go somewhere nice. Yes.

Ingrid  3:34  
Okay, perfect. So is there anything that you do before because there's stuff I do before I even start to pack? I kind of call it my prep my preparation time? So do you do stuff before you start packing your case?

Lesley  3:49  
Absolutely, I do. So I think I think the preparation is absolutely key because I, I want to have my full wardrobe or my family's full wardrobe available, or them to have their full water available because they pack their own suitcases when I'm packing, so kind of a week before or three or four days before, I'll make sure that everything is washed and put away so that everything is ready to go in the suitcase if it's chosen to go with you. And so I think that's really critical because what you don't want to do and when you pack in is moving from thinking, oh, where's that white t shirt that guy think put it in the wash last week. And you know, you don't want to be doing that you want to be a little bit more orderly. So the packing process can take the least amount of time. And so I think that preparing the clothing and the laundry, and getting that to that point is really critical in terms of success for packing a suitcase. Yeah,

Ingrid  4:39  
that's so funny because I do that as well. So I wash everything, I fold everything, I run everything I put everything away, and then I start packing my suitcase. And interestingly enough, I also in the last two or three days before I go on holiday, I don't wear the stuff I want to bring on holiday so I actually say to myself and to the Good. Don't wear any stuff that you want to bring on all of them because I don't wash and iron it anymore. So wear stuff you don't want to bring on holiday.

Lesley  5:09  
Do you feel with your life if you wear something that I've got to them wash the day before? And there's always stuff, isn't it? But we don't want that to be two loads of washing. You know, but I want to wear my T shirt today because I'm going out as well. Right? Okay, fine. But my daughter, she loves to pack and literally she will pack 10 days, seven days before we go. She's got everything in the suitcase. She has a chip off the old block, but I am not quite. I'm doing it the night before because I'm not that organised.

Ingrid  5:36  
Ready for that holiday. Lesley?

Lesley  5:40  
Exactly. But she loves to pack. So you know, she's she's leaving her house in a uni house this week. And she's also she's packed up and ready to come like 10 days before she's leaving the house is so funny. Anyway, so yeah, preparation is absolutely key. So for me, that's going to be two weeks before with Leah's stuff because she's already packing. We go. So yeah, so just prepare. That's really important. So you're not running around the house trying to find things that you you want to pack?

Ingrid  6:08  
Yeah. Excellent. So what else? What kind of prep are you doing? as well? Lesley?

Lesley  6:16  
Well, we chatted about this before, and you were quite astonished when you Ingrid. But I always incorporate a decluttering session into my packing, particularly for the kids, not so much now, because they're all fully grown. I'm just not going to grow anymore. But when they were growing up and change in size, then basically, if there's stuff in their wardrobe that they're choosing not to take on a two week holiday, that's kind of summary off, it's a purpose. Why are they not choosing it? Is it too small? Do they not like it anymore? You know, that kind of thing. And so if it gets rejected in terms of a holiday thing, and obviously you're not going to put on a woolly jumper, when you're going on a trip to Spain, but you know, if it's appropriate for that holiday, and it gets rejected, why is it getting rejected. So I will very readily and often get at least a bag or two of clothes that get decluttered while I'm packing, and I love to do that, because I don't want decluttering to be a big chore. I want it to be part of my routines and going on holidays a routine when I do decluttering

Ingrid  7:19  
I think I think that's astonishing. I've never even considered doing that. So there you go, listeners. There's not one way that works for everybody. I mean, let's you know, do very different things. When she told me she actually decluttered when she packs, I was like, really? Just like, funny, the most funny thing I've ever heard in my life multitasking.

Lesley  7:42  
I never miss an opportunity for a declutter, that is true, that is

Ingrid  7:46  
oh, you make me last year.

Lesley  7:49  
So that's what I do, just to throw in there and good does not agree. But that's what I do. And I think I, I think it's a no brainer, honestly, because you're going through things in your wardrobe to choose what you want to take and holiday. And you're making active decisions at that point what goes in your suitcase. So therefore you can make an active decision what you no longer want and what no longer serves you for that purpose for the holiday purpose. And it can go and particularly when your kids are small, they grow out of things, particularly shorts, you know, for example, shorts, you know, you buy them, they don't wear them for a year because it's freezing in this country have already established and raining the whole time for quite more wear a pair of shorts. So we're feeling very bitter about the rain at the moment. But you know, so we might not have worn them for like six or nine or 12 months and then you might have grown out of them but you're not sure because I'm not trying on yet. So anyway, I will go on no longer about the decluttering talking about

Ingrid  8:37  
suitcase actually, I think it's also very helpful to a couple of days before instead of kind of five minutes before you start to pack your case to actually get your suitcases out and decide which ones you're going to actually take and you know are the wheels still okay and can you is to sit not broken and that you got to put it away after the last holiday thinking oh yeah, I need to replace that or I need to have a look at that but never got around to it. So I always try and get kind of get my bags a day before or two days before out and check which ones I'm going to bring because especially when you're travelling now, you don't want to lose any kilos or pounds on your credibly heavy suitcases because you want everything to be as lightweight as possible. So maybe this is also a good time to have a look at those suitcases and declutter any ones that you think oh my gosh, that's like the suitcase itself is like six kilos and I can only bring down maybe I should declutter this and get a very lightweight one and not lose the weight on on the suitcase itself.

Lesley  9:39  
I think it's really I think it's a you make a very important point and I did a sort of suitcase Declutter. Not very long but when we were doing our for today's 40 items challenge think suitcases was one of mine. Because I think the trends in suitcases have changed because the limitations on flights have changed. You know, if you're lucky, you'll get 23 kilos, maybe 20. Maybe for stinky loads depending on where you go in, as you rightly say, a lot of the older suitcases had really heavy framework in them, or we'll just more there were more about being substantial. And now you know, the fashion and suitcases that they're very lightweight, they've got wheels on them. Even the handles are lightweight. And so but we still keep hold of those old suitcases don't work. But are we ever going to use them and suitcases take up a lot of space? Yeah, I mean, I always try if I can to put suitcase suitcases inside each other, when I'm storing them in the loft, and so, or in wherever you store your suitcase, at the top of a cupboard, in a basement, whatever, you have to find somewhere to put those suitcases. And if you can put a travel suitcase inside of a larger suitcase, you know, do that if you can put holes inside of your suitcases to keep them to a minimum, that's a really great thing to do, really, but don't cling on to old suitcases for a rainy day. They're not fit for purpose, the the airlines are not suddenly going to add an add another 10 kilos on to the weight that you're allowed. You know, so get rid of those old suitcases and the charity shops will absolutely take them. I was I wasn't sure actually, when I took my heavy suitcases to the charity shop, they were really, really good ones. And I was like, well, they might not take these because the the heavenly absolutely took them. Because some people, as you rightly say, are not flying all the time. So there's different different purposes. But if you are talking predominantly about flying, and really keep a check on those suitcases and don't cling on to them forever.

Ingrid  11:25  
Yeah. So we've now established what we need to do before we start to pack a case. So how do we choose what we're going to bring? Because, you know, you have to be a smart backer these days, to get everything these tiny suitcases can only wear things 10 kilos.

Lesley  11:44  
Exactly, no, you do have to be you do have to be smart with your packet, I always have a bit of a dilemma. And I think it very much depends on how long I'm going and what the purpose is. So if I go on a girls trip, you know, we regularly go once a year, we go three or four of us for a few days, three or four days. If I'm doing that I'm taking my lovely lovely clothes, with my with different pairs of shoes for different outfits because I want to and because I can because I've paid for the weight allowance. And so I make very different choices for those kinds of holidays where I know that I really really want to dress up than I do when I'm going my family. That doesn't mean to say that I don't dress up with my family. But if I go away with a family, it tends to be for two weeks. And so I need to pack smarter, you know, I'm not just taking three or four dresses, I've got to take 10 or 15 outfits for different things. And so, in particular, I keep my shoes to an absolute minimum, you know, just one pair of walking shoes that you can walk around in every day that are going to be comfy, and maybe one pair of multipurpose going out shoes for the evening, or whatever. You know, sometimes if you're doing hiking, and if you're doing outdoor activities, you've got to take different things. But you really can't afford on a two week holiday to take five or six pairs of shoes with you unless the flip flops really can you. So you have to be very smart because they really do start to weigh heavy and take up an awful lot of space in your suitcase. But I do find I do have a bit of a dilemma really when it comes to packing for a holiday because I feel particularly is is for those combos lucky countries that have got beautiful weather in the summer and don't need to go away to find that so on and we do have sunshine sometimes we had a very nice summer last year. And but we're still waiting now for those countries, then you can wear that kind of holiday those kind of holiday clothes at home. We tend not we tend to have a holiday wardrobe in this country don't we we tend to have things that we only wear abroad, you know, kind of maxi dresses and things like that unless it's a really hot day. And so they don't really cross over that much. Some things do, obviously, but not everything. And so sometimes I want the opportunity when I'm going away to take all those holiday clothes with me. And so I probably want to take more than a shirt because I'm like, well I've not used that for a year. I really like it, I want to take it I want to use it. So I have that dilemma sort of pitched up against the kind of capsule wardrobe idea and packing light. So I'm not quite sure where I sit but what I would say over the past few years I've taken less and less and less with me.

Ingrid  14:06  
Yeah, yeah, it's interesting what I always try to do is to try and find if I'm very limited on my space then I'm trying to find clothes that can go on either short or long trouser and then have the same colour or have a trouser and an shortly the same colour but then have different soaps that I can wear during the day in the evening. So you can kind of more than create more of a capsule wardrobe. Because you have to be clever and you can't bring I was really in trouble when I went to bend the door because the to bring so much more stuff than I could so I hung everything out that I wanted to bring and then I went okay, that will never fit. I have to put that put back and put that back with that back. And in the end I created a capsule wardrobe that I could mix and match with each other.

Lesley  14:52  
I think it you know and again, depending on where you go it's very different isn't it? You know the country that you go to some countries they don't really dress up at night to go whereas if you go to a lot of places in Europe, they do dress up at night. And so it's, you know, it depends on where you go in. And when we went to look it, I had a fabulous trip last year went to Japan because I was fifth day. And now they don't really dress up, you know what I mean? So it's kind of like what you were in the day, you could wear in the evening. And that makes a big difference. And it's worthwhile kind of working that out before you go as well. You don't want to go inappropriately dressed for the culture that you're going into really, as well. So think about those kinds of things. If you are going over to the east, you know, maybe think about things that you can wear that you can cover up and things like that. So you've got to think about cultural sensitivities as well when you're packing.

Ingrid  15:37  
Yeah. So big question here. packing cubes, yes or no?

Lesley  15:44  
Do you know I wish that I knew because I have never used packing cubes. But one of our best friends is using them all the time now. And she's loving them. And I saw a post from another professional organiser yesterday who is using them. So I feel as if I might get some before I go on my trip to Portugal, so at least I can have an opinion on them. But if I don't like them, they'll get decluttered straightaway. But I feel like I should know whether packing cubes are good. I'd be really interested if any of our listeners use them. You give us your feedback and tell us whether or not you like them. Because I know and I know you're also going to say now Ingrid that you've never used them either. So we do it in a different way pack in a different way, which we're going to talk about in a minute. But the new trend really is these packing cubes where you kind of section things off, isn't it? So I cannot have an opinion on those because I don't know, I feel that it's gonna be clutter. That's gonna go if I'm honest. But I need to try it first before I come to that conclusion.

Ingrid  16:40  
Yeah, yeah, I I've seen some really good kind of people go out fantastic. And she try it. And I'm just like, I don't know what, what it will bring me.

Lesley  16:51  
Yeah, what benefit I know. I don't know what benefit

Ingrid  16:54  
No, I'm confused yet. Because when I'm going somewhere I open my suitcase and I unpack everything and put it in a in a in a hang it up and I get my underwear out and I get my bathing suit out and I get everything out. And then at the end of the four days, I pack everything else suitcase again, so I don't understand why you would use packing cubes.

Lesley  17:14  
I mean, somebody put yesterday, you know, so I presume that you can you can pack your underwear, for example, into a packing cube. And then if somebody opens it at customs, then your knickers are not gonna fall out. But as we are putting our Niko draw on the community for our challenges. I don't think we were worried about a customs officer looking at our knickers. But anyway. So I think there's things like that. But you know, I've got a lot of suitcases have compartments. So I put I put all my knickers on underwear and things that are a little bit wayward, you know, that would kind of fall around. And I put all those in the in the kind of mesh pocket at the sides. You don't?

Ingrid  17:52  
Yeah, I kind of squeezed the underwear in the nooks and crannies when there's nothing left. So

Lesley  17:59  
yeah, exactly. I

Ingrid  18:00  
don't know. Personally, I'm not a travel life person.

Lesley  18:03  
To have a live person. I don't think I am really because I think you know how it is a real treat, isn't it? So why should you compromise on what you want to take. But it's finding that balance, isn't it between not not being ridiculous and not becoming overwhelming and everything not be increased in your case has been realistic. And as I say over the years, I am taking less and less with me. But I still want to take my nice things. So I'm not I'm definitely not doing capsule wardrobe that much is true. I'm taking what I want to what I want to take, but thinking about it thinking about outfits and thinking about how many outfits I want to take and so on. Yeah.

Ingrid  18:37  
So we've talked about clothes. But can we just and we talked briefly about shoes, but how do you transport your shoes in your suitcase, if you've got like a system for them or

Lesley  18:50  
I think my shoes I definitely took around the outside of my suitcase. So I put them around the outside of my suitcase and I'll put my clothes in the middle. And then that allows you space because because on the tops the top bit of the suitcase, if you put shoes in there, I think they might get damaged when they're kind of chucked around on the conveyor belt at the you know the luggage conveyor belt, what do the colours luggage,

Ingrid  19:12  
we know luggage belts on the airport.

Lesley  19:15  
Yeah, at the airport, because they throw them around a little bit. And so if your shoes are at the top and exposed, they might get broken. So you do have to be careful and same with toiletries and things. So that's why I tend to use my top layer to the top of the case tends to be underwear, socks, things like that, and things that are not going to get broken. So be very careful to put your shoes and your toiletries almost in the middle of your case. Don't get damaged in transit.

Ingrid  19:39  
It's interesting because if I take a small suitcase, I put my shoes always where the wheels are. So they're actually in the law if you walk around with the suitcase, there in the lower part of the suitcase, so the weight is closest to the floor. Oh,

Lesley  19:53  
I never even thought about that.

Ingrid  19:55  
So maybe that's helpful listeners. Maybe that's my top tip for today. and also whether

Lesley  20:00  
that's gonna work on. I'm gonna be honest with you. Is that does that make a difference? Yeah, I

Ingrid  20:05  
think so because the shoes are the heaviest in your whole suitcase. Yeah, so I'll put them at the bottom so that when you stand up your your case doesn't topple over too easily, because you've got the heavy weight of your shoes in the, in the top of your shoot gauge where you're at.

Lesley  20:19  
You're taking and grid. Well, if you're worried about your wet, your suitcase, toppling over onto the weight of your shoes, I feel like you might be taking too many

Ingrid  20:31  
big umbrellas, you're squeezing three pairs last time we did like a tiny suitcase. That's why it was so stressed about not being able to take enough clothes, but I wanted to get different pairs of shoes in there as well. So it was a bit of a juggling act. Do you put your shoes in shoe bags? Actually, because I always put them in a plastic bag. I mean, I could use shoe bags, obviously. But I just don't have them. So I just take like a carrier bag and I put my shoes in the pasture. So if there is any dirt from the ground, wherever it doesn't go all my clothes.

Lesley  21:00  
See I don't, because I tend to think most of my holiday shoes tend to be reasonably clean, because it's not the middle of winter with loads of modern so I don't use those shoe bags at all. But I know a lot of people do. So

Ingrid  21:14  
interesting. And how so? Yeah, we mentioned toiletries. Of course travel sized. I mean, like complete nightmare because they have to go in this tiny see through bag that you have to take out of your suitcase. Any tips on that Lesley?

Lesley  21:31  
Well, it's a bit of a nightmare, isn't it? It's just a little bit of a nightmare I had I had brand new toiletries taken off me when we went hand luggage only. Obviously you can put them in your suitcase. If it's going through. If it's going through, it's fine, isn't it as you can put as many toiletries as you want in there. It's just a weight that you've got to think about. But if you want to take if you take an handbag generally where you get your 15 kilos, I don't know whether it's the same Yeah, it's pretty much the same in every country, I think, isn't it, you've got to take you can only have one sort of see through plastic bag, and nothing more than 100 mil things, something like that in each one. So I had two bags, and they said that was too much and and they took it all off mat and it was all brand new and it broke on a slip. I know you can't do that. And you can't get them back. You know what I mean? So it's really hard to do that. So you've got to really think about that as well. So these Do you ever decamped toiletries into things do you use those kind of, you know, things where you can put bits of shampoo in and stuff

Ingrid  22:29  
Well interestingly enough, I never really done that before I only bought Abidal little travel size packages in the supermarket. Yeah, the travel size toothpaste and deodorant and, and shampoo and conditioner. But I actually wanted to take some face cream this time, so actually bought these to kind of see two little plastic pots and put some of my face cream in them.

Lesley  22:52  
Right. Okay. That's heavy, you know, if you want to take a full pot of face cream that's quite a lot of weight in it, isn't it? Yeah,

Ingrid  23:00  
definitely. And it's too large and it doesn't fit and you've only got that one plastic bag and I've become really smart now. So I've got like one close toiletry bag where I put like my, my combs and my brushes, and all the stuff that isn't liquids in that so I don't have to put that in that little see through bag and then the sheets to bag I only have two small items, but of course I can wear contacts. So I also have to bring contact lens fluid which is also another kind of big so I've got to kind of manage travel size. Unfortunately it's a bit too big I should find something that's a bit smaller for just three or four days because I don't need to have 100 mil bottle because that took up a lot of space as well. And also I want to give another top tip to our listeners. I haven't been through this one of my contact lens bottle ones leaks. And although it was in a plastic bag, it leaked to all the seams so now I always wrap up my toiletry bag in the sheet threw back in a plastic bag. So if the something leaks it's still a still has least has the plastic bag around it ended up not my clothes gets stains in it wet.

Lesley  24:08  
It is important to conceal it. I've seen clients of mine that have sealed things off with sellotape at the top and things like that as well. Yeah, that's really careful with that. I got talking about plastic bags. I also do take a couple of plastic bags with me for laundry. So I mean, I know some people have got those beautiful laundry bags. I haven't got one of those because I would just think that it was cluttered basically. And so I just take some carrier bags with me so I can put my dirty laundry in there when I'm on holiday and bring it home with me. So yeah, so that's important as well. Yeah. So we think about within the suitcase.

Ingrid  24:45  
Yeah. The last thing I think we could talk about is maybe a jewellery pouch. If you want to bring some jewellery. When you go abroad, it might be handy to put it in a kind of a shepherd's bag bag and you've got the special pouches that you can roll. Yeah. And I think that's really helpful and to keep it keep it separate from that it doesn't get damaged when you're travelling.

Lesley  25:12  
Yeah, I got I've got a really nice one actually, that was a gift from a friend. It's got a separate compartment for earrings, a separate one for necklaces and a separate one for kind of bracelets and things. And I just choose a few key things that that, you know, jewellery, I definitely choose things that are going to be multipurpose, because again, they can weigh quite heavy, and they can just get sort of pushed into the side of the suitcase currently.

Ingrid  25:33  
Yeah. Oh, Lesley, we forgot the million dollar question in this podcast was rolling or folding.

Lesley  25:42  
I know. I'm sorry. I thought we were coming onto that. Now. We didn't I didn't I didn't forget. I'm ready to talk about that now. You forgot. Anyway. Right. Okay. rolling off folding. And yes, it's something that I have always done. I had a brief encounter with a Marie Kondo folded suitcase when I went on holiday last year, which I liked, actually, but I don't necessarily see it as any different to rolling. If I'm honest. I guess it probably is. Is it a little bit more space saving? I'm not sure. I think it probably looks neater and rolling, you're gonna probably have more layers, aren't you? So rolling, you probably have two layers of things. Whereas the Marie Kondo style folding, it might be one layer have more items on one side? Does that make sense? So it's hard to explain. I think our listeners are familiar with the Marie Kondo style folding.

Ingrid  26:41  
Oh, I'm not sure but so maybe that's a good thing to explain. Because you fold it in three, you kind of make packages that stand up. But with folding, I kind of mean I just folded like I got to put it in my in my wardrobe on alright. So I don't even do Marie Kondo folding, I just fold it up, and I then don't roll it. I just put it in my suitcase.

Lesley  27:01  
Okay. I mean, I did that for many for many, many years. But sometimes, sometimes rolling does work as it takes and under Marie Kondo folder, yeah. Sometimes it's better for non creasing, and better for visibility. So I think there is that. So I think, you know, again, is what works for you. There's no point in micro organising and doing something that's really, really difficult to maintain. If you know that when you get to the other end of you're going to unpack everything and put everything away in hanger in a wardrobe, then that's different to if you're going to keep things in your suitcase for two weeks and try and pull them out like that. So it's very different. There's no right or wrong way. But the options are, you can just fold it as normal and just pile it on top of one another. And you can roll particularly T shirts and jeans, that kind of thing really lend themselves to roll in. And by that I literally just mean roll them up into like a sausage shape. Or you can do the Marie Kondo folding, which is a little bit more specific in terms of the way that you fold things. But you try and get them in as in good size, you're trying to get them into a little package. And so that ultimately they stand up on end and you can see them all almost in a sort of constitute and not concertina style, but you can sort of see them all next to each other, can't you? There's loads and loads of videos online. If you want to look at Marie Kondo folding, it's a little bit fiddly. I use it with certain clients in their homes. And certain clients love it certain clients don't but it's a little bit more fluffy, isn't it? Really?

Ingrid  28:25  
Yeah. Yeah, you know what, for me, I think I'm going to unpack. So I'm not going to spend meticulously folding everything and put it in my suitcase neatly. But I'm not going to like you say I'm not going to micro organise that I tried to stuffed a lot of stuff in, but I know that I am going to unpack on the other side. So I'm going to hang everything on hangers that I can. And this way, it just works for me.

Lesley  28:50  
I don't think there's anything that ultimately what we're talking about here is we're talking about visibility, accessibility, and the volume of stuff in your suitcase and whether or not we're compromising on space. Yeah, my suitcase is packed to the brim. You know, I mean, I don't think you know, like you say, you know, if you've got little bits of space where your shoes are, you can stuff pair in because in there are a pair of socks, you know, so you're not losing valuable space. So you can put socks into shoes to keep them in shape, that kind of thing. So it's all those kinds of things. So I don't feel as if I'm compromising on space by not rolling over or folding. And I will do different things depending on how I'm feeling on the dead. I think there's any right or wrong way.

Ingrid  29:25  
Yeah, yeah, I think the most important thing, because paying for overweight luggage is so expensive. Really keep an eye on the weight of your case and check your boarding passes and your booking. How much weight you are allowed because I know some of the airlines if you've only got a handle on it, I think it's like 10 kilos now. So even if you can fit more stuff in sometimes weight wise it won't even work. So you have to really double check that and put your suitcase on a weighing scale and just make sure that you know are kind of in a complete state of panic when you arrive at the airport and find out your suitcase is five colours too heavy, and they're going to charge you 130 quid? Because it's not cool.

Lesley  30:11  
Yeah, I definitely think it's worth investing in a luggage weighing, implement, I don't know, the conical luggage scales, I think, where you just kind of hang your suitcase off. So we've definitely got one of those. What I want to say is anybody that can go away for three or four days with a tanky, low hand baggage, is doing really well. I have never achieved that. But you know, when we go on a girls trip in particular, it's always like, how much looking at how much weight have we got? How much weight have we got, you know, because somebody will have booked it. There's always like a whatsapp chat about how much luggage weight, how much allowance we've gotten. So how many pairs of shoes that we can say. So when but no, but some people are really, really good at that and really can't do that capsule wardrobe thing. And that's absolutely fantastic. I'm not one of those people. But I like to enjoy my clothes when I'm on holiday.

Ingrid  31:02  
Yeah. Well, I think I think we've covered everything. Lesley, is there anything else that we need to chat about? Or it should? Is that it for our listeners?

Lesley  31:11  
Well, the only thing I want to say is I'm going on holiday in a few weeks. So did I say that already?

Ingrid  31:17  
Yes, you did.

Lesley  31:19  
And if anybody if anybody else has got a trip planned in the summer, have a fabulous time. Great, great time. It's always I love my holidays. There's nothing better than holidays. So I'm on Countdown already.

Ingrid  31:31  
Ah, well, for me, it seems with me that there's so much happening between now and even the by the time you go on holiday that I'm like, I can't even think about my holiday just yet. There's too much other stuff going on. But I hear you I hear you know going on holiday. It's just lovely. And packing a suitcase is always so exciting. So I hope all this information was helpful to you listeners and that you're going to think about your suitcases and your clothes and your shoes and all of the things we talked about in this episode. So thanks so much for taking the time to listen today. If you'd like to get more tips and advice, please follow us on social media. We are on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook as at declutter hub, and we have a lively supportive Facebook group community where we check all things clutter, you can search for the declutter hub community and we'd love to see you there. If you don't want to miss the next weekly episode, subscribe to the declutter hub podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher and it will pop into your notifications each Friday. See you next time.

Outro  32:33  
Thanks for listening to this week's episode of the declutter hub podcast. Check out declutterhub.com For more inspiration, and don't forget to tune in next week.
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