One of my favorite cartoons of the 90s was the Tick, and one of my favorite lines was "I'm doing the laundry." Even super heroes have to wash their clothes.
On any trip of any long duration you need to plan for laundry. This is especially true with small children. When we traveled in Russia and Austria with Xander we needed to plan for a child that wasn't quite potty trained ... which means on a bad day you'll go through five pairs of pants, and on a good day you can get by with two.
Kids clothes add up. As an adult I can get away with one pair of PJs that walks to the laundromat after seven days ... but a small child needs new PJs every night.
It is important to pack based on when you'll be able to reliably do laundry ... Too bad guide books don't tell you where to go, or what the hours are at the local laundromat. For example, doing laundry in the Czech Republic is very easy ... but Austria and rural Russia takes a bit more planning and know how.
I planned on doing laundry every seven days. This meant that I was going to do laundry on Sunday in Vienna -- big mistake. Everything shuts down on Sundays in Vienna, and none of the laundromats were open. In desperation you can use the hotel to wash a small batch of clothes, but that can add up quickly.
As much as laundry can be a nuisance ... it is much better than packing and hauling three weeks of clothing. Plan your laundry days, and get to know local customs and so you know when the laundromats are closed.
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