Why You Should Always Pack Dry Cleaning Bags When Traveling

No matter when you travel, where you're going, or how long you plan to be gone, keeping your possessions and apparel protected along the way is often a priority. While business travelers frequently worry about keeping wrinkle-prone suits looking their best after a long flight, those traveling for events find themselves fretting about how to get dresses or gowns to final destinations in one pristine piece. Then there are those heading out on adventures in the great outdoors who need to consider protecting their possessions and apparel both in transit and while out exploring.

If you find yourself worrying about what's going to happen to the items you've packed in checked luggage with an airline, you're in good company. The aviation data company SITA released an annual insight report showing mishandled baggage was up nearly 75% globally in 2022 as compared to 2021. While this doesn't put the odds in anyone's favor, there are some simple hacks available that can help improve your chances of having everything you packed still be at its best and damage-free upon arrival.

One unique item that lends itself well to keeping your possessions in pristine condition while traveling is the dry cleaning bag. This simple and unassuming product can work wonders when utilized as a staple travel accessory. To the surprise of many, it's just as useful for organizing luggage as it is for keeping your apparel wrinkle-free during extended getaways.

Adding dry cleaning bags to your packing list can make travel more efficient in many ways. Those worried about the condition of their apparel will find the bags can be used to help keep clothing wrinkle-free. Folding dresses and button-down shirts in dry cleaning bags before stashing them in your suitcase can ensure that when you go to retrieve them at your destination, you won't see a collection of difficult-to-remove wrinkles have appeared.

Be sure to place every clothing item in its own dry cleaning bag. Doing so ensures that the bags easily slip around one another in your suitcase instead of fabrics folding and creasing. This easy process works just as well for gowns as it does for business suits.

Beyond keeping clothing free of wrinkles, easy-to-pack dry cleaning bags can be used to separate clean and used clothing while traveling. This is extremely useful if you're staying in a hotel that doesn't have laundry services included. It could be just as helpful if you simply don't have time to do laundry along the way.

Travelers who are taking trips focused on outdoor adventure will find the durability and waterproof qualities of dry cleaning bags extra useful. Both make them great for keeping items and apparel dry while exploring. Whether you wrap up items in your backpack in a bag while hiking or use a bag to cover possessions when camping, it's a simple way to protect your essential items.

If you're someone that already gets their clothing dry cleaned regularly, then acquiring dry cleaning bags to use for travel is really simple. Reusing the bags you get your clothing returned to you in at the dry cleaners is an easy way to enhance your packing process and protect your possessions. You also won't have to worry about spending anything extra to acquire the bags you need. If you don't get your clothes dry cleaned often, it's just as possible to purchase dry cleaning bags in bulk at local retailers.

The primary plastic product that makes dry cleaning bags so slippery and thin, yet still durable and protective is low-density polyethylene. This is different from the high-density polyethylene that's used to make common items like trash bags or grocery shopping bags. When you've used your dry cleaning bags for several trips and you're ready to swap them out, the good news is they can be recycled directly at recycling centers. Here, they're broken down and the plastic particles are used to create new consumer products like tile and even lumber.

The next time you travel, be sure to have those dry cleaning bags handy. They're easy to acquire, can be reused often, and protect your possessions and apparel efficiently. This frees up time for you to let go of worry and make more of your journey instead.