A graphic of various items to pack for a holiday - passport, suitcase, pumps, money, sunglasses, camera, toiletries, shorts, t-shirt and tickets

Episode 197 – How to Pack a Suitcase Efficiently: Expert Tips

Episode 315 – 10 ways to declutter spontaneously

Episode 314 – How to declutter a storage unit with Margie

If you’re ready to embark on a trip, whether that is a weekend away or a 2 week vacation, one of the things we love to hate is packing. In this podcast we’ll give you some hints and tips to take the pain out of packing a suitcase.

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Transcript of this podcast episode

[00:00:00] Ingrid: If you are ready to embark on a trip, whether that is a weekend away or a two week vacation, one of the things we love to hate is packing. In today's podcast, we'll give you some hints and tips to take the pain out of packing a suitcase. I

[00:00:16] now in today's podcast, we're talking about suitcases and packing, and it makes me cheerful, Lesley, because I love going on holiday and I know you do too. So, yes. What kind of things will we want to share with our listeners today? I. 

[00:00:30] Lesley: Yeah. Before we get started, I don't think we can talk for half an hour about our travels like we did in one of the other podcasts.

[00:00:35] Maybe we need to give some solid decluttering advice that would be useful, wouldn't it? Apart from talking about all our little trips and things, although I'm sure we will sneak it in along the way. Yeah. We're going to talk about packing later on and how to make the most out of packing a suitcase and some of the things that you can do, and everybody packs in a very different way.

[00:00:53] But before we start talking about actual packing, We want to talk about the suitcases and where they are stored. They're often in hard to reach places or out, so kind of like out of sight, out of mind. They're in basements, they're in lofts, they're above cupboards, they're under beds, things like that.

[00:01:11] Sometimes some suitcases are inside of other suitcases, and so what we need to do before we even start to pack is think about. Have I got the right suitcase for what I need? Because what quite often happens is that we gather suitcases throughout probably the decades, and some of those suitcases are really not fit for purpose in the current traveling environment, let's call it.

[00:01:35] So Ingrid suitcases, what kinds of things are we talking about and why they're not suitable for travel today? 

[00:01:41] Ingrid: Well, I think there's so many different. Suitcases available. I mean, you've got smaller suitcases for like a two day trip or you've got the bigger ones with the four wheels and the handles that you can really kind of well stuff to the brimm as in my case, normally happens.

[00:01:57] I'm going to be honest here, I overpack and, um, and that, that are bigger and you, you need to think about it because nowadays, The kilograms or the weight of the suitcase. This is really important. So in the olden days, you had these really bulky, heavy suitcases that were like five kilos by themselves, but now you have to be smart and kind of go, oh, actually I only can bring 10 kilos or 15 kilos.

[00:02:23] I, I can't have that suitcase way too much. So I think it's time to have a little look at what kind of stuff you have. Have you got. Suitcases with still the two wheels instead of the four wheels. Do the handles work properly? Are they heavy? That's what we said before. There's, there's quite a lot of things to take into consideration.

[00:02:42] Lesley: Do you like a four wheel, like you said, two wheels instead of four wheels? I've got lots of two wheel suitcase. Yeah. Are they not, are they not good enough? No. I have two 

[00:02:48] Ingrid: wheels as well, but I can see people like whinging 

[00:02:51] Lesley: through the the spinny ones. Like the spinny ones that spin around. So you just like the spinning at the airport on the four wheels.

[00:02:56] Yeah. Those kind of 360 degree rotational suitcase. Is that quite cool? I think the most important thing for me in grid is I don't want to waste some of my kilos on the suitcase. I want it to be firmly in. Shoes rather than the suitcase. You know what I mean? And so I think that's it, you know? So that's why we have to be very mindful about how heavy these suitcases are.

[00:03:18] But we do find it very difficult because suitcases traditionally have been quite expensive. They still are quite expensive, really. But I think back in the day, and let's face it, some of us have got suitcases from the. Eighties, nineties naughties, they were expensive because they were good quality. They needed to be good quality because they were going on travels and traveling the world and getting thrown into coaches or ferries or airplanes, all of those kind of things.

[00:03:43] And now I think materials have changed the way people have got much more clever, haven't they, about things. You know, there's kind of metal frames in them, but the metal frames are not as big. We've got lighter white metals and so it really does make a difference, but. We are very loathed because we look at this huge suitcase that might fit 30 kilos of weight in it.

[00:04:00] But that's back in the time when nobody was weighing anything. Like you could just go on your plane and no one cared. You know what I mean? But now they do care. Mm-hmm. And you have to pay if that's what you want. And so it's really, really important. But we really struggle to get rid of suitcases that are no longer fit for purpose.

[00:04:15] And the bottom line is those suitcases are not fit for purpose. And we typically keep them for. Longer trip or they'll becoming really useful if I'm moving things from one house to another. Or they'll be really useful for keeping sentimental items in, or they'll be really useful for old clothes. I might not use 'em for traveling, but I'll use 'em for old clothes and things like that.

[00:04:35] Yeah, our advice is there is much better. There are much better storage items to store, older clothes, sentimental items, and then a suitcase, which is a whole nother podcast. But before we even start packing, look at the suitcases that you've got and decide whether or not. You will use them whether they're useful because they are big and bulky.

[00:04:55] Ingrid: Yeah, and I think also we tend to hang on to suitcases that are a little bit broken. So there's a wonky wheel, or the handle is kind of. It has snapped a little bit, but it's still fine. Or the zip still closes, but one of those little thingies that you can open and close a zip with, it's broken off and now you have to fiddle with your finger to try to get the zip open.

[00:05:18] That's really annoying. Yeah. Yeah. How annoying is 

[00:05:20] Lesley: that? We do it though, do we? Do we still do it though, don't we? We do it. Yeah, we do. It 

[00:05:24] Ingrid: makes, and, and what people do? They take a paper clip and they kind of that, that on the thingy. Thinking that you can do a really heavy suitcase with a paperclip, but it's going to actually really hurt.

[00:05:35] I've got very, a soft handle, Lesley. I have my finger. I've got, I'm quite strong everywhere, but my fingers are not very strong, so I could really struggle with a zip like that. Or the handle is a bit, it moves and it's difficult to collapse in and out of the suitcase, but because we just don't use them very often, we kind of think, oh, well, we'll just put it away.

[00:05:54] But we do get annoyed. And I think when you're traveling, traveling itself is stressful enough. You want the equipment that you use to be proper. You don't want to travel hours in an airplane and on an airport with a wonky wheeled suitcase. There's no. Like more terrible isn't there? 

[00:06:14] Lesley: I just imagine Ingrid with a wonky wheeled suitcase battling with a thing and then really wanted to spin it round at 360 degrees and then struggling with a weak fingers to open the suitcase.

[00:06:24] I've got this whole scene. I know of what traveling with you looks like. Thankfully, I've only ever been as far as Newcastle with you and so I don't think I could cope with all that nonsense going on as well. But anyway, so I think we really need to think before we even start to pack and decide on what suitcase I.

[00:06:40] Decide on whether the suitcases that we've actually got are needed. Yeah. Um, it's a tough one because quite often this is the kind of thing that we can't send to a charity shop because a charity shop doesn't want a kind of really super heavy suitcase either for the reason that it's not useful for you.

[00:06:55] It's not useful, but the people, so if you did want to get rid of a suitcase, the best place would probably be to try and offer it on something like free cycle, as long as it works, because people would have reasons for using those things. So, Put it out there and somebody will probably use it and be happy with it.

[00:07:10] So think about the suitcases that you have that are fit for purpose and what you're going to need for that trip. And so you really need to think about, okay, am I flying? Am I camping? Am I, is there going to be a car I. Where I've got to get all five of my family in. Can we do five full suitcases or are we better off putting some more flexible holders in there?

[00:07:30] You've really got a forward plan and think about the type of luggage that you're going to use, particularly if you're going as a bigger group and need to kind of squash it all in. 'cause we all know how difficult it is getting suitcases into confine spaces. 

[00:07:43] Ingrid: Yeah, definitely. And um, also think about, um, Where you're going.

[00:07:48] If you want to take, for example, a suitcase that has an, uh, an expendable bit on it. So maybe if you know you're going to a country and you think, oh, I, I might do a little bit of holiday, uh, shopping, pick up some souvenirs. You might think I'm going to go there with the expandable bit, not expend it yet. So I've got a little bit of extra room to squeeze.

[00:08:09] Maybe something nice in that I've bought into my suitcase on the way home. 

[00:08:14] Lesley: I mean, I'm a bit rubbish really. 'cause I pack, I pack quite well before I go. But then when I get back, I'm a bit more fed up then, you know, like it's, it's the anticipation. So I pack well, but then when I come back, I'll kind of fly off stuff.

[00:08:24] All it's got, all get washed at the other, other side anyway. So even though I've not bought anything else, which typically I don't, on holiday, there's something about something being worn that makes it not quite as flat. And so I always, I, I always end up using the expandable bit of my suitcase when I'm on my way back.

[00:08:39] Very. And I don't even, I don't even know why, you know what I mean? I just think. Bit of laziness, bit of being fed up because I'm on my way home. And a bit of general kind of 'cause your clothes get bigger when you wear them. I think. Not bigger, but 

[00:08:51] Ingrid: I think it's compact. Yeah. But I mean, of course be before we go on holiday, I normally do my laundry and I iron and I have everything and I can, you can then neatly fold it, right?

[00:09:01] Because everything is kind of like, Nicely, but while you're away on holiday, it kind of all gets a bit muddled and a bit un, you know, you wear stuff and it never fits as nicely back into the suitcase on your way home. I mean, like you, I don't buy a lot of stuff on holiday, but yeah, you want to have that little buffer, right?

[00:09:21] Lesley: Yeah, definitely. Definitely. So, Ingrid, let's go to a break and when we come back, let's talk about packing said suitcase. That's important. Let's give some packing tips. 

[00:09:32] Ingrid: Brilliant. See you after the break.

[00:09:34] Hi everyone. Welcome back. Before the break, we talked about suitcases and whether they're suitable or not. And now we're going to talk about packing a little bit more because Lesley, we tra, we kind of travel in diff.

[00:09:48] I mean, you fly a lot. I go with the car a lot, don't I? 

[00:09:53] Lesley: Yeah, you fly as well. Yeah, you fly as well. Don't be like, oh, she's flying and I'm going, I'm going to just step on me. I'm just going in the car all the time. You fly plenty. Thank you very much. But yes. I get your gist. You do a camp, you do do a camping trip, which I don't really do very often.

[00:10:08] Yeah, 

[00:10:08] Ingrid: yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll give you that. Let's talk about packing, because in all honesty, listeners, I'm going to, I'm going to be honest with you and say I do not travel light wherever I go, whether I'm go on a plane or in a car. Traveling light is not my forte, which is really actually quite strange because.

[00:10:30] It's not that I love shopping, I got loads of stuff, but packing is, is a whole different ball game in, in my head and I just can't travel light. I don't think I've ever been able to do it. 

[00:10:40] Lesley: No, I'm going to tell you why in a minute, but before we, I do tell you exactly why you are, um, can't travel light. I'll talk about the times that you and I have been places where I'm like, Why have you caught that suitcase?

[00:10:52] You're literally coming for one night. Like so we would go to a conference in London and all she's doing is going from welling to my flat in London, which is. Five miles, six miles or whatever, and she's staying overnight in my flat. She'll bring a suitcase that I would bring if I was going for two weeks on holiday, and I'm like, what have you got in there?

[00:11:12] You know, I've got like a little kind of carry-on bag that I bought from Manchester for four days. Miles away. You're literally five miles up the road and you've got a huge suitcase. And I'm like, what is that? Same when we go to conferences for a couple of days, I've never been away with you for more than two nights, and literally I've never seen you with a, a small roll on carry on suitcase.

[00:11:31] It's always full blown. Two week holiday suitcase size. Am I right? Yes. 

[00:11:38] Ingrid: Thank you. 

[00:11:39] Lesley: And I, do you know what I think it is, right? You tell me what, you, tell me why you think it and I'll, I'll add my thoughts in. I 

[00:11:46] Ingrid: just don't know what to wear. Well, I do know what to wear, but I'm thinking then, oh, I'm going to wear that, but maybe I want to change and I want to.

[00:11:56] Then wear something different, or maybe I want to have that other top. But if I have that other top, I need to wear different kind of shoes and those shoes have heels. So I don't know if I can still wear heels like all day. So let me bring some flats just in case. So if I do change my mind in the morning, I can still wear, but if I take that jacket, that bag is better with the other one and that jewelry is better.

[00:12:16] But what if it's a really hot day and I suddenly decide that I want to take something with a tiny sleeve and not a full length? Do you see how it goes? 

[00:12:25] Lesley: So it's basically indecision. Yes, it's indecision and, and, and it's like not having a kind of capsule wardrobe and not, so you really, if you want to do it, and I'm with you, you know, if I go on, hold it for a couple of weeks and I, I always, I always also take more than I need because why not If I can fit it in my suitcase.

[00:12:46] Why not give myself a little bit of choice? There's no rules out there that say you have to pack lights. Do you know what I mean? Apart from the 23 kilo limit, that's the only thing that's kind of restricting you. Yeah. So if you've got split apart from when you go one night to London, it's a little bit crazy is what I'm saying.

[00:13:01] Like, you know, But in general, there's no rule that says that you can't do that. And it should. You should be able to give yourself choice. But if you're struggling to do it, then you have to ultimately, so if you go over your 23 kilos or 25 kilos or 30 kilos or whatever it is, then you do have to think, right, what am I going to let go?

[00:13:19] And so you need to make more conscious decisions about what that week is going to look like, because if you haven't got anything else, if you haven't got choices, Then you can't make them can you? You just got to put the heels on or the flats or the cap sleeve rather than the short sleeve. So ultimately the reason why some of us struggle with packing so much is 'cause we don't commit to something.

[00:13:39] Yeah. So whether that's right or wrong, I don't know, but that's definitely you. Yeah, definitely. Because you've said it. 

[00:13:43] Ingrid: And I, I think also it's because I'm finding it always very tricky to, to mix and match clothes. So I've got like that top goes with that trouser or that short, but I wouldn't wear it for something else.

[00:13:54] So then I think, oh, that's a nice outfit, and then I want to bring the other outfit. You see what, that's how it goes. So I can, except for three days or two weeks, it doesn't really matter. I kind think I probably packed the same size suitcase 

[00:14:07] Lesley: and I, and another thing that I think is very different between the way that you and I do things, I wear a lot of dresses.

[00:14:12] So there's no choice. You just like put a dress in and that's what it's going to be. And you don't have to mix and match with that. It's just a dress. And so that makes a big difference as well. Yeah. But anyway, so I just wanted to raise that in decision with your England and give you a little bit of food for thought where you need to be.

[00:14:26] You know, I 

[00:14:27] Ingrid: know to think about it, Lesley. I know it. I know it. I, I. I think because I start off with, I kind of, I, I make sure all my laundry and my ironing is up to date. I get everything out and then I already kind of go, okay, um, that's too much and that's too much, and that's too much. And then I'm like still left with a whole heap of clothes and I'm like, okay.

[00:14:44] And now I've, I've taken out so much that I don't want to do. I take out anything else, so this is what I'm going to pack. 

[00:14:51] Lesley: I think it's really interesting. I think it's interesting for us in this country, 'cause certain countries, it's very clear what that's going to be when you get there. So it depends on the type of trip that you're going to.

[00:15:00] But in the UK typically we don't have clothes that are fit for really hot climates. And so if we go abroad, which a lot of British people do, because it's. Freezing and raining a lot of the time. Here we go. We go to the sun a lot. And so we might have dresses and things like that. Not everything, but there will be stuff that we wouldn't necessarily wear walking around the uk, but we will wear when we go abroad.

[00:15:24] Yeah, I'm right. Kind of like, you know, things for the pool, things for whatever, whatever that might be. And so I think with one of my things really when I go on holiday is, If I have those kind of clothes, I want to bring them on that one opportunity per year that I've got to wear them. And so I will bring them all out of my wardrobe.

[00:15:41] So the way that I pack is I go through my wardrobe and I, that'll be nice. That'd be nice. That'd be nice. I take out everything that I think is a contender and then I edit it back down again when I see, well, I really don't need nine. Maxi dresses or whatever with short sleeves because that's just ridiculous.

[00:15:57] So I've got to then take my favorites. So I typically will get things out and then put things back after I've seen how many things there are. So then I'll edit it down. So I think that's one way of doing it. Would you do it like that as well, Ingrid? 

[00:16:09] Ingrid: Yeah, I would say so. But I mean, I think because especially during the summer when we go camping, we go cycling and we go, you know, we go walking and hiking, and so I need to have kind of clothes that.

[00:16:21] Can kind of match the activities. I normally don't do like a warm beach holiday. Only that I can just bring a couple of little things. So it's, it's, you need to pack and think about the weather because even in, in France, for example, in the summer, it can suddenly be really cold if we've got a bad summer.

[00:16:36] Even in France it can be cold. It's not like when you go to the Mediterranean where you kind of know normally that you've got warmer weather and you can pack it a different way. You have to pack for kind of different types of climates as well. 

[00:16:50] Lesley: So I'm going to put you onto the test now. So you are going to Las Vegas for a long overdue trip that you've wanted to go to for ages.

[00:16:57] It's very clear what you're getting when you get there. Very clear. Yeah. You're going to get boiling hot weather, no rain. Yeah. And you're going to go out. In an evening and trot around during the day. So do you feel that you're going to be able to have a bit more of a capsule wardrobe Las Vegas? 

[00:17:15] Ingrid: Well, I think we've got like one suitcase per couple, so I'm already having to share my suitcase with my husband, which does not make me happy.

[00:17:24] Lesley: Yeah, that, that's a bad, I would never do that. Never not. I'd rather pay an extra 50 quid. There's no way I'm sharing. Never. 

[00:17:31] Ingrid: I, I, my husband booked the flights and all the thingies and I was like, and we're only going for five days, which includes two days of traveling, so we don't need that many clothes.

[00:17:39] And I'm going, Oh my gosh, this is not good. Same, when we went to Rome a couple of years ago, I had, I had like 10 kilos. It was like the most stressful thing ever. Packing the suitcase. I was like, why? Why did we not just get a suitcase but, or we had like one suitcase with the four of us and just some hand luggage.

[00:17:56] It was like, this is not enough. I just Hard work. Hard work. 

[00:18:00] Lesley: Exactly. Life's too short for that. Well Steve's the reason why I wouldn't share with him, 'cause he is a really, really, really meticulous packer and I'm not. As much. Basically he's, his suitcase is perfect and it, well, he wouldn't let me in. Like even if I wanted to show, he'd be like, no, definitely not doing that.

[00:18:20] Definitely, absolutely not doing that. Do you know what I mean? So I would maybe have the big suitcase with all the toiletries. And he'd have a carry on with his nice meticulous folding in there. It's not that I don't fold meticulous, but he's much more meticulous than I am. Mm-hmm. And so, right. Let's talk about some of the things that you can do when you've decided what you're taking, when you've worked out, that they probably are going to fit in your suitcase that you've got allocated for that trick.

[00:18:43] Yeah. What can you do to give yourself a little bit of extra 

[00:18:45] Ingrid: space? Well, what I always do, Lesley, is I make sure that I match up my shoes and I put them back to front so they kind of nice fit nicely together, put them in a bag, and then put them on the bottom of my suitcase. So the heaviest item is at the bottom, closest to the wheels.

[00:19:02] So that's I what I always do. So that's, I think, where it starts for me. And I do indeed make sure that I fold my clothes quite neatly and put them in as nicely as possible. So, It's safe space. 

[00:19:18] Lesley: Okay. So I do things differently. Of course I do. Um, so I would pack my stuff and then I put my shoes in around the sides.

[00:19:27] Maybe one. You know, if, if it was like a pair of flip flops or something, then I put two together. Yeah. But if it was a, you know, I, I kind of wear quite a lot of high shoes and stuff 'cause I'm so short and so I would put those around the edge of the suitcase and not on the bottom. 'cause I would think that putting 'em on the bottom was going to take up valuable clothes space.

[00:19:44] Mm. Where I was stuffing them in the side, you know, there's a bit of flexibility. So that's what I would do. Now I know that you put your shoes into bags as well, don't you? Yeah. Yeah, 

[00:19:53] Ingrid: definitely because I, in my head, shoes are like, they've got dirt on the sole, so I always want to put them in a bag, and I always bring an empty laundry bag as well, so I've got something to put my laundry in while I'm on holiday.

[00:20:06] So that gets separated out immediately. I. So 

[00:20:10] Lesley: are we folding or rolling or placing? How, how are you, how are you doing stuff? 

[00:20:17] Ingrid: What I normally do is I make sure that I, I fold like t-shirts and things like that, and then on the top of the suitcase is where I kind of put my nicer tops and my nicer trousers as as wide as possible.

[00:20:30] So over the length of the suitcase, basically, while underwear and t-shirts and shorts can kind of be all folded up. In little kind of. Almost like little envelopes or something, how you would say that, 

[00:20:42] Lesley: but yeah, kind of like vertical folding. Yeah, vertical folding. I would do that. So that means where you fold it into Exactly.

[00:20:49] Ingrid says like a sort of envelope and then you can sort of stack them side by side so you can easily see them. So you take the top layer off and then you can easily see what's underneath and then you could just pick them out. So I would definitely do that. So a combination of kind of folding and rolling, whatever suits you.

[00:21:03] Um, both are absolutely fine. Rolling typically is going to take more space horizontally, if that makes sense. And, um, folding is going to take, is going to make them a little bit higher. And so, but it is a really useful way of doing it rather than stacking things on top of each other. 'cause if you stack things on top of each other, that's fine, but that is going to probably need you to unpack when you get there.

[00:21:25] So there is a difference in terms of the way that you do a suitcase in terms of what, how you're going to work with your suitcase once you get to your destination. So, Typically when we go on holiday, even if we go away for two weeks, we move around a lot. And so we probably be on the move every two or three days.

[00:21:39] So I don't unpack, um, every time I might unpack if I had a long dress that was getting crumpled or whatever, I might take that outta my suitcase. But other than that, I pretty much leave stuff in my suitcase. Mm-hmm. Because I don't want to be packing and unpacking every two or three days. But if I went somewhere for a week, Then I would unpack everything.

[00:21:57] Yeah. You know, so I think, I think you've got to think that through as well, haven't you? 

[00:22:00] Ingrid: Yeah. I mean, in the summer when we go camping, I don't unpack my suitcase because even if I've could bring nice stops, I've got nowhere to hang them because there's no cupboard in, in a sense. So that's why, you know, I try to be smart about, so if I know I've got a really lovely top, but which looks horrible after being in a suitcase for more than.

[00:22:21] 15 minutes. I probably wouldn't take it on holiday because I know it's not going to look great. You know what I mean? So you have to think about these things. What kind of fabrics do I bring? What kind of materials do I like? What still looks good after living in a suitcase? 

[00:22:34] Lesley: And um, yeah. I didn't tell you about my, uh, my problem when I was on holiday a few weeks ago.

[00:22:40] Um, so I brought a brand new dress that I'd never worn before and it was kind of like a satiny silk thing. Um, and so it got really crumpled in the thing, so I thought, that's fine, I'll eye in it. And as soon as I put the iron on it, it just went straight through the fabric and brand new dress just gone.

[00:22:55] Oh, no, because of course you're not used to the ions. Are you in it? Oh, my worst coat smell? Yep. Just like a massive big hole iron. Might just, just throw it away. Oh my words. I know. Nightmare. 

[00:23:08] Ingrid: But anyway, you didn't, you conveniently did not tell me about the Lesley Song. I'm glad you're fessing 

[00:23:13] Lesley: up here on the podcast.

[00:23:15] I know, because it's disappointing, isn't it? It's disappointing. You know, it's just one of those things where, You're just not used to it. And you're used to your own iron. Yeah. And all of a sudden it comes and it's like a hundred degrees or whatever and it just goes straight through the fabric. Yeah. So anyway, that wasn't good.

[00:23:28] So yeah, do think carefully actually about whether you want to or would iron when you get there as well. Also very relevant. So Ingrid's talking about. Choosing clothing that is appropriate for packing is very important. But sometimes we want to take things that will get crumpled if we're doing something nice or, you know, want to wear something that's a bit more elaborate or whatever.

[00:23:46] And so, but do think about, um, the iron and do be careful and make sure that you don't do what I did and, um, put the iron through it and then just ruin a brand new never worn dress. 

[00:23:55] Ingrid: What a shame. What a shame. What a shame. So, Lesley, have you ever had that? You put your toiletries in and that. Um, one of the, um, little containers has leaks, like, and you've got like shampoo.

[00:24:07] I mean, I always put my toiletries in a plastic bag, so in a, like in, in a, in a toiletries bag, and then I put a plastic bag around it because in case something leaks, I mean, that will be your worst nightmare that half of your clothes have like makeup remover on them. 

[00:24:23] Lesley: Yeah. No, but I, I don't, so I don't put it into a plastic bag, but I do have.

[00:24:28] A toiletries bag that is kind of plastic mm-hmm. That I use all the time for anything that's likely to leak. So I have one bag that I wouldn't use it if I was just going away for a night or something and carrying stuff. Yeah. But if I'm going on the plane, then absolutely. I've got this one bag that I use for like bug spray and sun tam creep.

[00:24:44] The thing that, it's all those things that might get squashed down and suddenly squared out, isn't it? It, those are the kind of things that you want to, to avoid. But then makeup and stuff like that I would just put into a normal toiletries bag. So you do need to be careful. And I think another thing that we're quite.

[00:24:57] Used to doing is putting, is packing everything. And then because. We use our makeup and toiletries just before we go. We then put our toiletries on the top of the suitcase, which is a bit of a problem sometimes because that when they land on airport conveyor belts and things like that, that's when those, when they get thrown around, that's when they pop open.

[00:25:17] So do make sure that you, um, Put your toiletries in the middle of a suitcase. Now I always use the zip compartment. You know, quite often there's like a zipper compartment on the top of the suitcase, so I make sure that's full with not hard things. So not shoes, but full with softer things, you know, knickers and socks and bras and pajamas and swimming costumes, those kind of things.

[00:25:40] So that cushions the toiletries in the middle of the suitcase. So they are effectively on the top, but they are cushioned by the kind of zipper compartment. 

[00:25:47] Ingrid: Yeah, that's, that's smart. That's really smart. And so fess up then, Lesley, do you have to sit on your suitcase to zip it closed? 

[00:25:57] Lesley: No, I don't because of what I mentioned to you before Really, which is.

[00:26:01] Things seem to expand while you're away, when you don't pack quite a meticulously. Mm-hmm. And so I think I need that sort of flexible space, um, when I am at the end of a holiday, if that makes sense. Yeah. And so, yeah, there's just something about dirty washing, you know, even dirty washing, you know, you've got to fold dirty washing.

[00:26:18] Are you, you're just going to put it into a bag. I wouldn't, would you fold dirty washing? I wouldn't, no. I would just put it into a bag and put, I would then put that into my zipper compartment on the way back and that would be where my, um, where my dirty laundry goes, but something bigger. So no, I typically don't have to sit on my suitcase.

[00:26:33] If I did, then that would be a bit of a problem, I think. 'cause I need that kind of extra space when I come back. Yeah, I agree. 

[00:26:39] Ingrid: I agree. And I think if you really have to sit on your suitcase and almost force that sipper shot, I think you have more chance of things breaking and going wrong and breaking off.

[00:26:48] And. If you have to sit in your suitcase, there's probably a few too many items in your suitcase listeners, so you might want to take a few bits out and just take out a few bits more before you go traveling and go, okay, let me re-look at this 

[00:27:02] Lesley: before I, or you could do, or you could do what Ingrid does, which is take a 30 kilogram suitcase for one night, a one night overnight trip.

[00:27:10] Ingrid: Exactly. That's the perfect advice, Lesley. Thank you.

[00:27:17] Lesley: Anyway, so packing. Packing, tips, hints and tips in a suitcase. Folding is really, really super useful. We've not talked about packing cubes that much. A lot of people swear by a packing cube. Do I love them? Not really bit too much involved for me. I'm a little bit more, I wouldn't say haphazard, but. There's a lot involved in trying to fit things into specific size containers, I think.

[00:27:43] And so I don't think it gives me the flexibility that I would need. So some people love them. If you love a packing cube, go for it. Probably the bigger packing cubes are better than the smaller ones, I would say, um, because that gives you a little bit more flexibility. Um, but they do look quite nice and neat in your suitcase, and they are great when you're doing ruck sacks.

[00:28:02] Trekking around. They're brilliant for things like that. So you can take the whole packing cube out of a, a whole, all or a rook sack, but suitcases, I don't really think they're necessary. 

[00:28:11] Ingrid: Yeah. Interesting. No, I'm, I'm not a packing cube person either. I mean, I see them and I think, oh yeah, that looks neat.

[00:28:17] But I've never actually bought packing cubes and or think it's necessary that I'm missing something. But maybe it's because I put kind of things quite tidily in my suitcase anyway. And I have kind of grouped items together, so I kind of put everything in the same place so I know where everything is. So I don't need a packing cube to have that, but it, it does look cool.

[00:28:38] So if you are a packing cube person and you are like, what, Ingrid and Lesley, what are you talking about? Packing cubes is like the best thing ever. How we would love to know this, leave us a comment on your podcast player or on, uh, declutter hub.com, uh, four slash the podcast where you're listening. So we would love to know, don't we Lesley?

[00:28:57] We would 

[00:28:57] Lesley: absolutely. Alright, so how long is it till we go away? Few weeks for me. Yes. Less for 

[00:29:03] Ingrid: you. Less for you. Yes, I am. I'm well not on the countdown yet, but yeah, it's getting close now. It's nice. It's nice. I'm hoping for nice weather, Lesley. 

[00:29:13] Lesley: I know. I hope sometimes that would be nice. How many suitcases do you bring?

[00:29:18] Ingrid: Well, there's suitcase from me, and then there's a bag with shoes and there's a bag with beach towels and there's a,

[00:29:27] anyway, camping is a, is a whole different ballgame. Lots of things have to be brought on a camping trip. I keep saying to my husband, can we just please go to an apartment on a beach somewhere? He's like, but everybody loves camping. Everybody except you. You secretly love it too. Even. I'm like, yeah, yeah, I know.

[00:29:43] I know. So, yeah, we'll see. We'll have a good time, that's for sure. Wherever we go, doesn't matter. We'll have a good time. I. Absolutely. Alright, well Lesley, next week you are talking to Marianne on the podcast, one of our lovely declutter hub members who has transformed her workshop with her, with decluttering 

[00:30:03] Lesley: with us.

[00:30:04] Yes. I'm talking to Marianne. I can't wait to talk to her about how she has transformed her floral workshop. 

[00:30:11] Ingrid: I know. So exciting. And we'll have pictures to share, so we can't wait to show you them in the show notes. So thanks so much for listening. Good luck and we'll see.

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7 THINGS TO TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF HOLIDAY PREP

Going on a trip or even a weekend away can be stressful, working out what to pack and take with you. A packing list is a good way to start so you don’t forget your passport, sunglasses or sun cream. You can make your own list on the computer and save it according to season, or short/long trip. Besides ticking of your packing list there are several other jobs to do before you go away. Here is our top 7 things that need doing so you leave your home in a relaxed state.

Bins

Empty all the bins in the house. You don’t want to have nasty smells in the home when you come back from a trip

Food and Drink

Don’t leave any food or drinks in your fridge that go off or expire while you are away. Don’t over-buy groceries the week before your travels and finish those left-overs. Throw anything that’s left in the bin

Electronics

Turn off any electrical equipment and turn down the heating. There no point in wasting energy when you’re not there and you’ll be saving money as well.

Security

Double check that you have locked all windows and doors and leave a light on a timer, so it looks like someone is home while you are away

Arrangements

Have you made arrangements for someone to water your plants or remove your post at the front door? This is especially important if you go away for longer than a couple of days.

Tidy Up

Tidy up before you leave. Run a hoover through the house, turn on the dishwasher so you don’t have dirty dishes in your kitchen sink and leave an empty laundry basket. It’s wonderful to go away knowing your house is tidy and clean.

Valuables

Put away any valuables and if you have a safe put your expensive jewellery in it. Make sure your curtains are closed and don’t leave things like a ladder outside the shed or garage to make it easy for burglars to get in the house.

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Marion Skinner says:

9 July 2022 at 12:59 PM

Leslie and Ingrid,
I listened to the Packing your Suitcase podcast yesterday.

I am a huge fan of packing cubes!! I am now retired but while I worked for last 25 years or so, I traveled every month – typically 50-60% of my work time and all by airplane. The reason I like packing cubes is much more than to keep everything looking good in the suitcase. The reality is that even in nice hotels the drawers in the dressers are not always that clean. So, I would not take the clothes out of the cubes but rather put the cubes into the drawers. This accomplishes two things – lets me unpack and pack quickly and keeps my clothes clean not touching the drawer surface.

Also, I felt so sad for Leslie's new dress being ruined. Yes, irons are so different both in temperature settings and the cleanliness of the press plate. In general, if a dress or suit was wrinkled, I would put the shower on and steam up the bathroom and then hang garment in the bathroom – this almost always worked. Also, if I must use an iron, I use one of the pillowcases as a "press cloth" – I too learned this the hard way!

I use sandwich bags to put bottles in and then put those into my toiletries bag (learned the hard way on this as well).

Finally, if one either wants a bag to last or travels a great deal, a strong bag is essential. I use Eagle Creek bags and though a tad expensive given the amount of use they wear very well – moreover they provide a warranty that fixes zippers, replaces wheels, etc.

Great podcast,

Reply
1. Ingrid Jansen says:
  
  14 July 2022 at 3:49 PM
  
  Hi Marion,
  
  Love your tips! Sounds indeed you have travelled a lot and have learned a lot along the way. Might have to rethink the packing cubes now I have read your comments.
  Great idea about the pillowcase as well. A great hack!
  Ingrid
  
  Reply

Episode 197 – How to Pack a Suitcase Efficiently: Expert Tips

7 THINGS TO TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF HOLIDAY PREP

Bins

Food and Drink

Electronics

Security

Arrangements

Tidy Up

Valuables

Episode 315 – 10 ways to declutter spontaneously

Episode 312 – 10 clutter hotspots and how to fix them

Episode 311 – How to declutter when everything in your home feels sentimental

Episode 310 – How to choose what to wear with Jennifer Mackey-Mary

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