This Clever Luggage Hack For Fresher Scents Throughout Your Trip Requires One Item You Might Already Own

It's fair to say that fresh-smelling laundry and traveling are not a match made in heaven. No matter whether you're folding all your favorite summer threads into a single suitcase for a jaunt to the blue-flag beaches of Spain or stuffing 30 days worth of hiking gear into a backpack to conquer America's oldest long-distance hiking trail, there's always the risk that bad odors will creep their way into your luggage. It can come from sweaty clothes, wet clothes, or even dead skin cells decomposing naturally in the fibers of your shirts, socks, and trousers — yikes.

The good news, however, is that there are ways to help the happier scents reign supreme and keep your ski vacation, trekking trip, or hard-earned R&R getaway on more sweet-smelling tracks, so to speak. One such way is a neat travel hack that only requires a simple product that you almost certainly already have at your disposal: a single bar of soap. Just pop that perfumed block in your luggage and voila! There's a good chance you'll notice things take a turn for the more aromatic.

Yes, that really is all. Divert that soap from your home shower for the duration of your vacation, place it neatly between your Aloha tops and bikinis, and then enjoy the whiffs of spring flowers, pine, or whatever flavor your bar comes in. The better news is that this trick hardly requires stacks of planning or elaborate pre-travel purchases. In fact, recent studies show that, despite a slight drop in the number of households using bar soap, a whopping 64% of Americans should still have it at hand.

Just as when it comes to space saving packing hacks, correct organization is key to ensuring you can pull off this soap-based travel trick effectively. The aim here is to get all the nice odors from said soap without damaging the bar, or, indeed, damaging your own clothes, in the process.

To do that, breathable fabrics are key. With that in mind, you'll want to wrap up your bar in something like muslin to benefit from good airflow. Not only will this help the good scents flow out, but it will also prevent the bar itself from going mushy. Similarly, you might also want to consider placing the soap tactically. Is it those mud-caked hiking boots that smell the worst? Or is it that ever-so-slightly damp fleece? Get the soap in close proximity for top results.

There are other bonuses for frequent globetrotters here, too. Bar soaps are not treated the same as liquid soaps, because, well ... they are not considered liquid. So, don't worry: you won't have to treat them like contraband at airport security. In fact, you can choose to either pack them away in your bigger suitcases, as well as stow them in your carry on — making them a perfect choice for any short-haul trips that don't require check-in bags. That way, you'll breeze through to the departure lounge and whiz out of the airport, all while smelling fantastic. Nice, eh?