Do Laundry in camp? Yeah, right! Most of us prefer to just bag it and take it home. And that's all right for weekend outings. But for longer trips you will have to make other arrangements. Some high end RVs have washers and dryers, but using them while boondocking depletes your fresh water fast and fills your holding tanks quickly. I had a large Class A with a washer and dryer for several years but never really had a chance to use it. The one time I tried to use the dryer to dry some wet riding gear I found it had been sitting idle for so long that the rollers had gotten flat spots on them and it sounded like it was full of big tennis shoes even when it was empty! Dis-use can be really bad on lots of pieces of equipment. Some RV parks have coin op washers and dryers or you may be able to find a nearby laundromat when traveling.
When you do have to do laundry in camp, your camping style and location will determine your options. Recent surveys indicate a majority of RVers, perhaps as much as 3/4 or more, prefer camping in a full service RV park. Some high end campgrounds have an on site coin op laundry. In which case doing laundry means just packing it and hauling to the laundromat. But in more primitive situations you will have to make do with the resources you bring with you. Regardless of what facilities may or may not be available and whether you'll try to do laundry in camp or take it home with you, you'll need to have a procedure for collecting and storing dirty clothes and linens. We like to use individual net laundry bags for each person. If you're camping near a town you may be able to go to a laundromat if you run out of clean clothes or linens before your trip is over. Otherwise, you are going to have to figure out a way to wash your clothes in camp.
Most RVs don't come with clothes hampers and tents never do so you'll need to bring along some laundry bags to collect and corral your dirty clothes. I picked up some inexpensive mesh laundry bags in several colors at my local dollar store so everyone in our family has their own personal bag for dirty clothes. More recently I found some small collapsible hampers that only take up about as much room as a saucer when they're empty. Another option is to stuff your dirty clothes in a plastic garbage bag. Using the mesh bags allows moisture to evaporate and discourages proliferation of odor-causing bacteria, but, depending on how dirty the clothes are and what kinds of soil are on them, they may allow odors to contaminate the space in which they sit. Hanging bags of dirty clothes alongside the clean clothes in your closet isn't a good idea. Plastic bags will contain the odors but may promote development of additional odors, mold, and mildew inside the bag if kept tightly closed for too long, sometimes creating odors or stains that are difficult or impossible to remove. One idea is to hang mesh bags in sunlight and fresh air to dry a few days to let nature control odors before you tuck them away in your RV or tow vehicle. The UV in sunlight and the ozone in the air are pretty effective antibacterial and deodorizing agents. Then find someplace to put them where they won't foul clean clothes or stink up your living space. However, sunlight may cause fading or other damage to some fabrics.
There are portable, table-top, human-powered clothes washers that can be used in RVs, boats, or even when tent camping. They are relatively light weight and inexpensive, but they also have a limited capacity, take a lot of muscle power, and are not the best options for heavy duty tasks like washing dirty jeans. But they might be worth checking out, especially if you find yourself frequently running out of things like T-shirts or dish towels. In a pinch you can use a 5 gallon bucket and an ordinary sink plunger. It isn't an elegant solution, but it beats banging your clothes on a rock and it works! That being said, if you are camping by water you might be able to at lease rinse out your clothes there Be thoughtful of other users and avoid contaminating the water with soap or detergent..
You can always resort to washing out your clothes a sink, tub, or dishpan. It is tedious and time-consuming but will work in a pinch. Then hang them out on a clothesline, trees, or bushes to dry. There are several clothesline options for RVs, ranging from a simple coil of rope or cable to elaborate racks that attach to the trailer hitch. If you're only rinsing out a couple of items you can probably hang them in the shower on rainy days, but hanging them outside will usually dry them faster and gives them a fresher scent from being in the sun and fresh air. Of course, if you're camped next to a cattle feeding lot or other source of foul odors (like if you're stuck next to a latrine!) you might not want to hang them outside.
Avoid hanging lots of wet laundry inside your RV. It will greatly increase the interior humidity and may contribute to mold and mildew in hidden places. It a worst case scenario, it might even put enough moisture on the walls to loosen wall coverings. High humidity might attract and convert dust to mud in curtains, carpet, upholstery, and bedding. High humidity usually translates to uncomfortable. If you must hand wet laundry inside, hang it in the shower or over the tub, open the vent, and keep the bathroom door or curtain closed to minimize high humidity in the rest of the living space,
You will probably want to use the same detergent you usually use at home. Switching detergents often leads to skin irritations and you sure don't need that when camping. My personal preference for camping is a liquid detergent because it takes up less room than a big box of powder and its easy to measure using its own cap. Just make sure to keep the lid on tight! Camping is not a good time to experiment with a different detergent, so be sure to try it out a home a few times if you normally use a powered detergent. Having some spot treatment can help you deal with unusually difficult stains you might get while camping. A good mechanics hand cleaner like Goop or Go-Jo does double duty -- cleaning greasy hands and pre-treating nasty stains. WD-40 will also work to pre-treat heavy grease stains that often result from working on vehicles.
Tent campers might be able to wash out their clothes in the dish washing sink sometimes available near the shower house. Lacking that you will need to wash them out in a basin or bucket at your campsite. Washing clothes in warm water is usually better than washing them in cold water, but even a cold water wash might be enough to get you through until you can get home.
Doing laundry in a survival situation is probably going to be fairly low on your priority list, but it isn't something you should ignore entirely. Keeping your clothing as clean as possible can help you avoid disease, make you more comfortable, and more pleasant to be around if you have any companions with you. It will also help you feel better too. In a survival situation you aren't likely to have detergent and water will probably be scarce. If you do have access to clean water, rinse your clothing out and hang it out to dry when it gets dirty. Or just jump in the water with your clothes on and wash both you and your clothes at the same time. You can also use the old-fashioned method of pounding your clothing on a rock to loosen stubborn dirt, but take care that you don't damage your clothing or wear holes in them. Worn out clothes will be more of a problem than dirty clothes. Take advantage of "wash day" to give yourself a good cleaning too. Lacking enough water to wash your clothes, at least hang them out in the sunshine to dry and air out occasionally and give yourself an "air shower" or smoke shower at the same time. Sunlight and fresh air will help to kill bacteria and freshen both your body and your clothing. Sagebrush smoke is particularly good at killing bacteria on your body and in your clothes and leaves a pleasant scent of its own.
Avoid hanging wet clothing inside your tent to dry. If you're stuck in rainy weather and have no other options, make sure the wet clothes don't drip onto your sleeping bag, pillow, back pack, or dry clothes and blankets. Place a tarp or large plastic trash bag beneath them to catch drips. Keep the windows open if you can to allow as much air circulation as possible. Trapping a lot of damp air inside your tent may encourage the grow of mold and mildew, which can be unhealthy as well as unpleasant as well as slowing the drying of your clothes. The moisture from you breath is already enough that on cool days drops will condense on the inside of your tent. The last thing you need is to add to the humidity by hanging a batch of wet laundry inside. It might be a good way to create your own private rain shower inside your tent!
Doing laundry on your boat is much like doing laundry in an RV. However, you may be able to rinse out lightly soiled clothes in the water your boat is sitting in and hang them on the lifeline to dry. Probably don't want to do that in salt water and might be prohibited or at least unwise if your fresh water is also a source of drinking water. If you use detergent make sure to either contain the contaminated water in your holding tank for proper disposal or use safe, biodegradable soap. Avoid hanging wet laundry inside the cabin as it will increase humidity and possibly cause increased moisture problems. Best to hang laundry outside to dry if you can. Hanging it in the cabin will increase humidity and condensation inside. Sunlight is also a natural antibiotic that kills germs and reduces odors.
Clean up!
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