What Fits in a 13-Gallon Laundry Bag? A Packing Guide With Real Counts

Why the kitchen bag

We price by the standard 13-gallon kitchen trash bag for one reason: you already know what it looks like. There is nothing to buy, nothing to measure, and no argument about what "one load" means. A tied 13-gallon bag is one load in our machines, washed and dried on its own, and it costs $34.99 whatever is inside. This guide is about getting the most into that bag without turning it into two.

What one bag holds

These are counts we measured by packing a standard bag ourselves, packed normally, not vacuum-sealed and not overflowing. Mix and match; the bag holds roughly 12 to 15 pounds of dry laundry.

• Everyday clothes for one adult, one week: 7 T-shirts, 3 pairs of jeans or work pants, 7 pairs of underwear, 7 pairs of socks, 2 hoodies or sweaters, 1 set of pajamas. That fills a bag with a little room left.
• Kids' clothes: about two weeks for one child under ten, or one week for two. Small items pack dense, so a "full" kids' bag is often heavier than it looks.
• Towels: 6 to 8 bath towels, or 4 bath towels plus hand towels and washcloths. Towels are the heaviest thing most people wash, so do not add jeans to a towel bag.
• Bed sheets: two full sets of queen sheets (fitted, flat, four pillowcases each), or one king set plus a couple of towels.
• Scrubs and uniforms: 5 to 6 sets. Tie them in their own bag if you want them washed apart from home laundry.
• Gym clothes: a week of workouts, 10 to 14 pieces, dries fast and packs light.

Packing so it counts as one bag

The rule is simple: the bag has to tie closed at the top without stretching. If you have to knot the very last inch of plastic, or the bag is taller than a full kitchen bin, it counts as two. Here is how to pack to the line:

1. Fold nothing. Folding takes space. Loose clothes settle into the corners.
2. Heavy items first. Jeans, towels and sweatshirts at the bottom, light things on top.
3. Empty every pocket. Pens, tissues, earbuds, receipts and lip balm are the usual suspects. A tissue in a pocket ruins a whole load, and pocket contents are not covered by our Protection policy.
4. Unroll socks and turn things right side out. They wash better and take up less room.
5. Tie a plain knot at the top. No drawstring pulled to the last inch, no double-bagging needed. We bring your clean laundry back in fresh bags.

What to leave out

Some things do not belong in a wash and fold bag, and we send them back unwashed:

• Comforters, duvets, pillows and mattress pads. They need a machine to themselves and are not part of everyday service.
• Dry-clean-only pieces, silk, leather, wool suits and anything with a care label that says "hand wash only".
• Rugs, curtains, pet beds and shoes.
• Anything with grease, paint, oil or hazardous soil.
• Items you would be upset to see shrink by a little. Everything is machine washed and dried on medium heat. If a garment cannot take that, keep it home.

Counting bags before you book

The booking form asks how many bags, and the honest answer is that you will not know exactly until you pack. Two habits make it easy. First, keep a kitchen bag hanging on the inside of the closet door and drop clothes straight in as you take them off; when it will not tie, start the next one. Second, book for the number you can see, not the number you might have by pickup. If you end up with one more bag than you booked, leave it out and tell us; we send a link for the difference before we wash. If you have one fewer, we refund it. Nobody is penalised for guessing wrong.

Two bags is the minimum per order because one bag does not cover the drive. If you only have one bag some weeks, wait a week or add sheets and towels; a full linen change fills the second bag on its own.

Sorting, and whether you need to

Each bag is one load. We do not open bags and sort by colour, because sorting across households is how laundry gets mixed up. If you want colours washed apart, put lights in one bag and darks in another. Most families do not bother and are fine: modern detergent on medium heat does not bleed the way it did twenty years ago. If you have a brand-new red hoodie, give it its own bag once.

When your bags are ready, leave them outside your door on your pickup day. We text when we are on the way and send a photo once they are with us. Book a pickup any day of the week, and if you are still unsure how many bags you have, book two; you can leave out a third and pay the difference before we wash.