'Lesson learned': Couple ruin hundreds of dollars worth of clothing with hostel request gone wrong

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Apr 24, 2024 3:00 PM EDT

This couple managed to ruin a bunch of their clothing while traveling.

There's some good travel advice about how to ensure you'll always have a clean outfit with you. If you're flying, you should pack your clothes in your checked luggage, but make sure to leave at least one pair of clothing in your carry-on luggage, too. That way if your luggage gets lost or you're not able to get that suitcase right away, you'll still have a fresh set of clothes for the next day. 

This couple had a similar issue involving their clothing. They entrusted a bunch of "expensive high-tech hiking clothes" to strangers at the hostel they were staying at. I hope they left at least a few sets of clothing out of that wash cycle, because otherwise, they'll have to add a big shopping trip into their vacation. 

Although it seems like a miscommunication with hostel staffers, this traveler left this information in the hostel's review. At least they gave their trip a 7/10… not that any of it was really the hostel's fault in the first place. 

After you check out this interesting hostel review/laundry disaster, read about the freelance artists who revealed their worst clients, like one poor soul who "had a guy try to pay me with pottery." 

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    Cheezburger Image 9913524992
    via Dan LeFebvre on Unsplash
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    r/mildlyinfuriating PM_ME_UR_BANTER This American complaining on a Portuguese hostel review that their clothes were shrunk in the laundry when they specified 40 degrees and assumed the staff would know they meant Fahrenheit. In Europe.
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    Reviewed: 14 April 2024 Nice place, clean, quiet, free parking. There was free street parking around the square right outside the door of Hostellicious. In spite of the 'hostel' name, one has their own private room and private bathroom. Only the kitchen and rooftop decks were community space. . The room was small but my husband thought the bathroom used the small space well. 7.0 We appreciated that there was a washing machine onsite where we could finally wash clothes after 2 weeks on the road.
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  • 04
    Me: It's important that the water be cold. Her: That's fine we can program the temperature to whatever you would like. Me: Great! As long as it's cold. Her: Would you like 60 degrees? 40 degrees? or 30 degrees? Me: Well, 30 is a bit too cold, it's pretty much freezing, so 40 would be fine. Her: ok 40 degrees
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  • 05
    Me (in hotel room the next morning getting dressed) Why are all my clothes so tight this morning? That chocolate ice cream was good but Jeez--Did I put on that much weight overnight?! Me: OMG She was using Celsius I presumed she was using Fahrenheit when I said 30 degrees is almost freezing. OMG. Almost $200 of expensive high tech hiking clothing, destroyed. Contrary to the myth of wealthy Americans we scrimped and saved for this trip and I can't just go out and guy these things again. So lesson
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    TonyAscot 40 degrees Fahrenheit is 4,4 Celsius, there's no way anyone would think that is a setting for washing clothes. in Portugal. They'd have to refrigerate the water before cleaning the clothes.
    via u/PM_ME_UR_BANTER
  • 07
    Different-Class1... Hostel reviews in general can be pretty funny to read, people complaining about absolutely everything like they expected it to be a 5 start hotel for 20 bucks a night.
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  • 08
    UMEBA Outside of America nobody would have a single thought of Fahrenheit or "which temperature are they talking. about?"
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    Miserable-md if someone would tell me to wash in °F I'd be like "we do °C here, figure it out"
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  • 10
    gc1 In fairness, reviewer said "lesson learned," referring to themselves. It's kind of dumb thinking but not exactly the most entitled/aggrieved take I've ever heard.
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  • 11
    ActuallyTBH Maybe try travel insurance? Otherwise not the fault of the "hostel" at all. I don't think there's a myth of wealthy Americans but really that ties in with the actual myth of all Americans being arrogant and obnoxious.
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  • 12
    Warcraft_Fan Instruction unclear, need to specify Kelvin as well
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    No-Wonder1139 Sorry, I don't know my Fahrenheits well but isn't that like 4°? Did they think the water came out of a glacier? No one would expect that they meant slightly above the temperature where water turns to ice.
    via u/PM_ME_UR_BANTER
  • 14
    CyberAsura America think the rest of the world use their metric when they are the only one or so in the world actually use it.
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  • 15
    kensingerp You were in their country so it's your responsibility to understand electrical plugs, temperatures of things, etc. it's not their responsibility. And to put it on a review in my opinion is just tacky. It just helps strengthen that good old American stereotype.
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  • 16
    Jujumofu 30 Fahrenheit isnt nearly freezing. Its frozen.
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    brianmmf It's unlikely the water temperature is what shrunk the clothing. Likely, it was the condenser dryer. I speak as a North American living in Europe who shrunk a lot of clothing without realising the difference compared to a vented dryer. I try to let everything dry naturally, especially new clothing. Also, my washer has a 60 degree setting and even a 90 degree setting. I've never dared use the 90 degree setting.
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laundry portugal hotel americans clothing Travel mildly infuriating clothes temperature traveling laundromat
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