Packing tips abound, but we’ve noticed a lack of helpful info regarding unpacking. Yet doing so in the way that best suits your travel style can get a vacation off to a great start. And, while you probably don’t want to think about it now, what about the chore of emptying your bags, washing your clothes, and stowing your stuff once you get home? There’s got to be a better way, right?

So we asked travel enthusiasts just like you, plus a few pros, to share what works when it comes to the unpacking process—luckily, they were more than happy to unload! Here, clever unpacking tips for easier trips.

You’ve Arrived! Now What?

Not surprisingly, how you pack may influence how you choose to unpack upon arrival. “I’m usually a little crazed before a trip, so I’ll throw a bunch of stuff in a bag—which means I’ll need to unpack ASAP,” says admittedly frantic flyer Michelle Greene. “I want to check out the accommodations anyway, so it’s no biggie to put my things away while I’m at it.”

Some travelers, however, would rather not spend a moment of vacation time unpacking. “If it’s a short trip—three or four days—I have no problem living out of my suitcase,” says  NextTribe Founder and CEO Jeannie Ralston. “Then again, since starting NextTribe, I’ve become a very organized packer. I only take what I need, and I’ve got smartly designed luggage with interior compartments that lets me arrange my gear so that hardly any digging is necessary.” 

If a trip is only three or four days, I don’t even bother to unpack at the hotel, says NextTribe Founder Jeannie Ralston.

Still other women opt to prioritize what they unpack. “I usually want to do something—in whatever I happen to be wearing—once I reach my destination, so I’m fine with leaving my clothes in my suitcase for a while,” says Sheryl Williams. “But I know I’ll be tired when I get back to the hotel, so I take a few minutes to set up the bathroom with my toothbrush, cleanser, etc. This way I won’t have to root around in my toiletries bag.” (Bonus toiletries tip: Take travel sizes and try to finish them up, so you’ll have less to put away when you get home.)

Unpacking Tip: Your Accommodations Count

Where, exactly, you stay—as well as whom you’re staying with—may impact how you unpack. For instance, if visiting friends or relatives in their home, stow your stuff straightaway so loved ones won’t think you’re a slob. Conversely, a perk of staying at a hotel can be the freedom to strew—unless you’re sharing the room. “Maybe this comes from having three sisters, but if I’m pairing up, I do my best to be tidy,” says Celia Nunez. “I’ll ask, ‘Okay if I take this drawer?’ and then I put everything away. I keep clutter off the surfaces, too, hoping to set a good example for my roomie!”

However you opt to unpack, bring things that can make the process, and your stay in general, easier. Packing cubes, for instance, can make it a snap to slide your nice and neat bundles of undies, tops, and bottoms into a drawer or closet shelf and feel ready to take on your upcoming adventure.

Rosemary Rapp, who often vacations at sea, relies on expandable hangers. “Storage is limited in a small cabin, yet the cruise lines like you to dress up,” she says. “A couple of space-saving hangers, which don’t take up much space in my suitcase, let me fit more in the closet.” 

Storage can be limited, especially on ships, so I take along a few expandable hangers, says one frequent traveler.

Squeamish about putting personal items in drawers and cabinets that strangers have just used? Do a bit of disinfecting. “It’s a post-pandemic quirk: I travel with wipes to give surfaces a quick swipe before I unpack,” Nunez says. “I’m especially fussy about kitchen cabinets and the fridge in a rental house.” And speaking of clean, take along a few laundry detergent sheets in a ziplock bag (more on why later). 

Whenever you ultimately unpack, put your suitcase in a closet. “It’s one less thing to trip over and, psychologically, if you don’t look at it, you won’t think about going home,” says Williams.. Out of sight, out of mind!

Unpacking Idea: Pack Properly for Home

Travel blogger She Packs Lite says: “At the end of a trip, it’s tempting to throw everything in your suitcase and force it to shut so you don’t have to do any folding. However, this puts unnecessary strain on suitcase zippers and can make them wear out faster. It also makes the unpacking process a nightmare.” 

Hassle-free homecoming tends to be a matter of laundry, so to sensibly prep for your return trip, start with your dirties: If laundry facilities are easily available where you’re staying and you have a bit of down time, do a quick load, using those detergent sheets you thoughtfully took with you  so you needn’t buy laundry soap. 

No washer-dryer available? “I separate my hot and cold loads before packing up, then fold my soiled clothes neatly—they take up less space than balled-up laundry,” says Nunez. “Slide them into a laundry bag so they won’t make clean things icky.” 

If you’re what we might call a robust packer, consider dedicating one suitcase to dirty duds and linen. Plus, if you’ve bought delicate souvenirs while away, slip them in among soiled clothes for protection in transit. Or if  you only have a small amount of soiled items, chuck them into your carryon. This way you can quickly toss them into the laundry when you get home and go about the rest of your unpacking more leisurely.

Suit(case) Yourself for Easier Unpacking

Your personality and the way you typically attack pesky tasks may dictate how you unpack at home. For Type-A types who just wanna get stuff done, “Don’t sit down!” says travel blogger Leslie Harvey. “We often arrive home from our trips late in the evening, but as long as I don’t sit down on the couch or go to bed right away, I can get a lot accomplished in the unpacking department with a short but intense burst of effort before crashing.” This can help you feel vacation-y carefree when you wake up the next morning, knowing you don’t have that chore ahead.

However, there’s something to be said for the procrastinator’s approach to unpacking. Simply build in some downtime as a travel reentry period. “I used to feel pressure to unpack pronto. Then came the time the airline lost my luggage once and didn’t get it to my house for two days,” recalls Williams. “Since I couldn’t unpack, I was able to relax and manage my jet lag better. So now I tend to be more chill and unpack piecemeal.”

What keeps you sane? Some people can only unwind if they unpack the moment they get home. Others are fine with taking a few days.

Either way, She Packs Lite suggests leaving  your full suitcase where you can’t avoid it. Put it in a corner or another room with a closed door, it’s easy to ignore. Leaving it in plain sight will motivate you to take care of it.

But keep some necessities—like OTC medications and  grooming tools—in a designated bag, in your luggage. “If you’re a veteran traveler, just leave [that bag] in your suitcase for your next upcoming trip,” certified professional organizer Mindy Godding of Abundance Organizing has said. “You’ll have less to unpack when you get home and, if you get a phone call from your friend asking you on a road trip last minute, you’ll be able to pack your bag quickly.”