I Tried This Basically Free “Dryer Sheet” Travel Hack on a 2-Week Trip — Here’s How It Went

It took me a long time to find the perfect suitcase for my travels. One that’s not too heavy, not too big (or too small!), and has more than one compartment. I prefer to only use a carry-on, so the appropriate size and space is incredibly important to me. I ended up with a Samsonite suitcase that has four spinner wheels and a fabric separator that’s half mesh and half solid.

There’s one problem, though. I wanted the divider so I could stash the smellier things on the enclosed side after a week or more of laundry and used shoes. But the mesh part allows those scents to seep through into my cleaner items and souvenirs. So, when I learned about the dryer sheet hack for travel, I knew I had to try it on my upcoming trip.

It’s really simple: You take a few dryer sheets and throw them into your luggage. The dryer sheet scent permeates all the stinky things in your suitcase and keeps everything smelling fresh — even if it’s dirty. You can also stuff them in shoes to keep the sweaty feet smell at bay.

I packed my suitcase for a cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver, threw in two dryer sheets, and called it a day. I expected to open my luggage in Anchorage to a freshly done laundry scent. Instead, all I smelled was the scent of still-clean clothes — but no hit of that fresh-out-of-the-laundry fragrance.

So what did I do wrong? First of all, since I was loading up my bag for two weeks, I packed everything pretty tightly in my carry-on with little room for airflow. I roll all my clothes and line them up neatly, keep my shoes in canvas shoe bags, and put all my socks, underwear, and bathing suits in one area. Second, I only used two dryer sheets for the whole suitcase, and I also stored them behind the divider. Looking back, I realize that I blocked the fresh laundry smell from blossoming in my luggage.

When I opened the divider, I could smell the dryer sheets. As I pulled out more clothes and left the dirty ones outside my suitcase, the dryer sheet scent intensified. Then when I had mostly everything out of my luggage, I got that blast of dryer sheet freshness I had expected.

Next time I use this travel hack, I’d do things a little differently. Instead of tossing a couple dryer sheets in my carry-on, I would use them to line one entire side (or both!) of my suitcase, or mix them in throughout my packed items. I’d also probably roll everything a little more loosely to let the scent work its way through the clothes, which may mean packing a little more lightly. 

As I was telling some of my fellow cruise-goers about this travel hack, one of them mentioned a twist on it that I hadn’t thought of. She keeps dryer sheets in her empty luggage between uses. That way, it doesn’t get musty between trips and is fresh-smelling the next time she unzips it. That’ll be the next dryer sheet hack I try.