3 Ways To Do Laundry While Camping

If you’re camping for more than a day or two, you’re likely to get dirty from outdoor activities and want to wash your clothes. But without a washing machine, doing your laundry isn’t as easy as it is at home. So how to do laundry while camping?

In this post, we’ll discuss different methods for doing laundry while camping, in a detailed step-by-step manner, so you can do your laundry with ease while outdoors.

1. Hand Washing

The first and simplest way to do laundry on a camping trip is to hand wash it. This requires very minimal equipment, but it does take longer than other methods and requires more physical effort.

To hand wash your clothes, you’ll need: a large bucket, some biodegradable laundry detergent, water, and a rope to hang your clothes to dry.

How to hand wash your clothes while camping, step-by-step:

Fill the bucket with water and biodegradable laundry detergent.

Soak the clothes in the water.
Scrub the clothes with your hands.
Dispose of soapy water.

Rinse the clothes thoroughly with clean water.
Squeeze the clothes to remove excess water.
Hang the clothes to dry over a rope.

This process is very simple and similar to how laundry was done for thousands of years.

To make things easier for you, if you have a lot of laundries to do, make sure to do it in smaller batches, so things are more manageable, and so the clothes get properly cleaned.

If you fear your clothes might fade because of the strong sun, you can hang them in a shaded area. The heat and sunlight will still dry your clothes, even in the shade, and your clothes will fade less.

Make sure to properly dispose of the soapy grey water you used for the laundry, to avoid causing damage to the environment. Use biodegradable soap to avoid causing damage to water sources.

2. Portable Washing Machines

These come in two types: hand-cranked machines and electric machines. Hand-cranked machines are generally lighter and smaller, but they require some physical effort. Electric machines are larger, and require a power source to run.

Especially if you’re camping for a long time and might need to do a lot of laundries, having a portable washing machine can make things much more comfortable.

Using a portable washing machine on a camping trip is simple, and here are the steps:

Fill the machine with water and biodegradable laundry detergent.
Add clothes to the machine.

Run the machine, either by cranking the handle or turning the machine on.
Drain and dispose of the dirty soapy water.
Refill the machine with clean water.

Run a rinsing cycle in the machine, either by cranking the handle or turning the machine on.
Squeeze out the excess water from the clothes.
Hang the clothes to dry on the rope.

The process is very easy and similar to how a standard washing machine runs.

A portable washing machine can save you a lot of time and is easier than hand washing your clothes. It also can wash large batches of clothes. The main issue with it is that you’ll need to carry additional equipment, like the washing machine itself, a large water supply, and a power source for an electric machine.

3. Laundromats

If you’re camping near an urban area, finding a local laundromat through Google Maps or Yelp can be an easy option. You can simply make a trip for laundry, and maybe even make some errands on the way like buying groceries, before going back to your campsite.

Here are a few tips on using laundromats while on a camping trip:

Choose a camping site with a laundromat nearby: if you’re planning to use a laundromat for camping, make sure there’s one nearby the camping site. This will minimize travel time for laundry.
Organize your laundry in advance: packing a large laundry back in advance will make your life easier when going to the laundromat. Don’t forget to bring laundry detergent and dryer sheets.

Avoid peak hours: if you decide to go to the laundromat in off-peak hours, you’ll enjoy shorter wait times, so you can get back to nature quicker.

Using laundromats is possibly an easy option if you’ve planned for it, but can be quite a hassle to make a trip for laundry. It can also be a bit more expensive than doing your own. Still, it can be a good option because you can do a large quantity of laundry very quickly, without any additional equipment.

Tips for laundry on a camping trip

No matter how you decide to wash your clothes, here are a few camping laundry tips you should follow to make things easier for yourself:

Pack light: try to limit the number of clothing items you bring with you. You’ll have less laundry, and your laundry batches will become smaller, making it less of a chore to do.
Bring quick-drying clothes: quick-drying clothes are ideal for camping because they’ll become useable much quicker after the wash. Dry-fit clothes are also ideal for hot weather, and are very breathable, so you can wear them longer and reduce your laundry frequency. Avoid slow-drying materials like wool.
Plan ahead: make sure that you know where and how you’re going to do laundry on the trip you’re going on. This way, you’ll know what supplies you’ll need beforehand, so you have everything you need when the time for laundry comes.

Bring the right supplies: depending on how you plan to do laundry, make sure you have everything you need. If you’re planning to do your laundry outside, don’t forget a rope to dry your clothes on, and biodegradable detergent to save the environment.
Properly dispose of soupy water: this will ensure you don’t damage the environment with your grey water polluting groundwater. Dispose of your water at least 200 feet (60 meters) away from any water source. Use biodegradable detergent that can break down without polluting the environment. The best way to dispose of water is to dig a small hole, away from vegetation, and pour the water into it. You can also pour it over a wide area to avoid creating a concentrated area of pollutants.

Conclusion

In this post, we covered different ways to do laundry while on a camping trip. Hand washing, portable washing machines, and laundromats are all viable ways to do laundry while on a camping trip.

These ways have different pros and cons, and which one is best for you depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you don’t need to wash a lot of clothes, hand washing is a good and simple option. If you’re washing a lot of clothes and don’t mind bringing additional gear, you can opt to use a portable machine. If you don’t mind traveling specifically for laundry, you can use a laundromat for your wash.

Either way, I hope this guide helped give you some ideas on your options with laundry on a camping trip. Enjoy your next adventure!