A Quick Guide to Post-Camp Laundry

When your camper returns home from summer camp, it is likely that they will come with a bag full of laundry. Cleaning camp items can take some time and energy, but it is important to make sure that all camp items are cleaned properly before they are stored for next year.

Below are a few tips to make post-camp laundry easier:

Wash and Sort Immediately

As soon as your child comes home from camp, you should sort and wash their camp laundry. Washing clothes immediately prevents stains from building up and also prevents mold or mildew from growing on any damp clothes. Additionally, sorting your child's clothing will allow you to notice if anything is missing so you can call the camp and have it returned to you.

Tips for Tie Dyed Clothing

Tie dying clothes is still a popular camp past time. While some camps set the dye before sending the clothing home with your child, not all camps do. To be safe, you should wash any tie dyed clothing alone in hot water with no soap to set the dye. This will prevent it from staining other clothes and getting ruined in the wash.

Treating Stains and Sap

Your child's clothing may come home with many grass stains or sap on it. You should pick up a high-powered stain remover to use on camp clothes. For sap, use a compound with rubbing alcohol in it, such as hand sanitizer, to break up the sap and prepare the clothing for washing. 

Consider Professional Services

In many areas, there are professional laundry services that concentrate on camp laundry. With these services, you can drop off or send in your child's entire duffel bag. The service will wash and fold all items, including your child's sleeping bag and the duffel bag or back pack. They will then return them directly to your home or contact you when the items can be picked up. This allows you to concentrate on your child instead of their belongings. 

Taking care of camp laundry immediately after summer camp will help keep your child's camp supplies in good condition for next year.