Washing Machine Options

[Jajtner01]

Hey everyone, I'm new to the site. I don't have a second washer/dryer to wash my hunting cloths in, so before I wash any hunting cloths I run a set of towles through first to try to get out the laundry detergent smell that is left from washing other cloths.

Does anyone have a method for getting the washer and dryer scent free before washing hunting cloths?

 

[redsquirrel]

Hey everyone, I'm new to the site. I don't have a second washer/dryer to wash my hunting cloths in, so before I wash any hunting cloths I run a set of towles through first to try to get out the laundry detergent smell that is left from washing other cloths.

Does anyone have a method for getting the washer and dryer scent free before washing hunting cloths?

Welcome to the site!

I do something similar to you. I will just run them both empty for a little bit before I put my stuff in. Sometimes if I start to get lax later in the season and the washer/dryer don't smell too bad I just run the clothes through without doing that, and I haven't noticed any smells that I can detect or had any problems being scented.

My most important rule that I never break is the clothes go directly from the dryer into the storage container every single time.

 

[Saddle Assassin]

You are better off the hand wash them in a plastic tote. You never get all the smell out of the washer.

 

[jlh42581]

I hand wash some stuff, depends on how much I am doing, if its just base layers yeah, but when Im doing the whole shebang, id be there for hours. Heres what I did just last weekend. I had a lot of new gear to wash.

1: We run scent free soap year round, but she likes those scent bead things you can add. I ask her to stop adding them about 3 washes out
2: Run a load of towels with my soap which is atsko, one of the only rinse completely detergents on the market. I also add baking soda and a cup of vinegar
3: Clean out drier with homemade scent killer, empty the lint trap and spray it too. Throw towels in, soak one in scent killer also. Mines heavy in baking soda
4: Ozone via log6 into tub for five mins, immediately open to air out when finished
5: Wash hunting clothes with atsko soap(preserve dwr finishes) add a half a cup of baking soda to every load too, run the rinse cycle a second time
6: Take it to the drier, only when temps are above freezing, wool never sees the drier period, i dont care if the manufacturer says its ok
7: The moment it comes out of the drier I spray my hands with scent killer and rub them together, wait a minute grab the clothes and fold them without them coming into contact with anything, immediately into the sealed tub.
8: If I had to skip line drying due to weather, the first chance I get above freezing they will all hang on the line for an entire day, then back to the tub

 

[redsquirrel]

I hand wash some stuff, depends on how much I am doing, if its just base layers yeah, but when Im doing the whole shebang, id be there for hours. Heres what I did just last weekend. I had a lot of new gear to wash.

1: We run scent free soap year round, but she likes those scent bead things you can add. I ask her to stop adding them about 3 washes out
2: Run a load of towels with my soap which is atsko, one of the only rinse completely detergents on the market. I also add baking soda and a cup of vinegar
3: Clean out drier with homemade scent killer, empty the lint trap and spray it too. Throw towels in, soak one in scent killer also. Mines heavy in baking soda
4: Ozone via log6 into tub for five mins, immediately open to air out when finished
5: Wash hunting clothes with atsko soap(preserve dwr finishes) add a half a cup of baking soda to every load too, run the rinse cycle a second time
6: Take it to the drier, only when temps are above freezing, wool never sees the drier period, i dont care if the manufacturer says its ok
7: The moment it comes out of the drier I spray my hands with scent killer and rub them together, wait a minute grab the clothes and fold them without them coming into contact with anything, immediately into the sealed tub.
8: If I had to skip line drying due to weather, the first chance I get above freezing they will all hang on the line for an entire day, then back to the tub

Nice writeup!

 

[jlh42581]

Nice writeup!

Thanks, I forgot to mention, I tore the fabric softener dispersal system out of the washing machine, we dont use it anyhow. With the scent beads she uses there is really no need, not only that but if you have ever seen one of those, they trap soap bad. We dont use liquid fabric softener. I also dont put drier sheets in with my hunting clothes, even the ones made for them as I read it was bad for DWR. I often wondered why my first apxG2 jacket in mossy oak treestand started to hold water, im certain it was because I was using scent free fabric softener, any regular scent free soap and drier sheets, all those add up to beating up that finish. Nothing in our washer gets poured into the port areas. Bleach goes right strait to the water before adding clothes, our every day soap is the all scent free pods, killer deal on those at sams club but I wont wash my hunting clothing in it, however, I wouldnt hesitate too if I didnt have waterproof/breathable garments. Theres even an ozone system you can put on your washer now. I think they call it pure wash.

 

[d_rek]

Great topic.

There is a gentleman here in Michigan - big QDMA guy - who is also a huge advocate of scent control for deer hunting.

A while back he had some videos on his website (i'll try to find them) about why using your regular household washer to launder hunting clothes was about the worst idea. He then went to completely dissassemble a household washer to reveal the 'detergent stalactites' that hide just behind the holes in the washer tub and also build up all over the interior of the appliance. He said you will never wash away those 'stalactites' and that you would be better off buying a brand new washer + dryer than trying to make your existing household washer 'scent-free'. It was really interesting and insightful.

The only problem is it's just not realistic or practical for most people to have a 2nd washer and dryer set.

So... what do you do then?

Well, before my wife and I sold our home in the spring we never ran scented detergent or fabric softener in our washer + dryer. Because I have sensitive skin and she's a natural/organic freak we almost exclusively used scent free detergent + fabric softener.

But now that we've been living with my inlaws, and my MIL absolutely must use her perfumey detergent + dryer sheets, I have simply resorted to washing and drying a full load of towels before I wash my hunting clothes. To my lame nose, it appears to work. I did have several deer dead down wind of me this season only lightly scent checking the area. Granted they were younger deer, I doubt I would have gotten that response had I not properly laundered and reactivated my carbon activated clothing.

So... do you need a 2nd washer and dryer? Sure, it might not hurt but think about all that you would need for a 2nd set - you would have to plumb that area, have a discharge for the washer, ventilation and/or gas hookups for the dryer, and proprely amped outlet for electrical! In my mind you are a very, very hardcore scent control freak if you must have a 2nd washer and dryer exclusive for hunting clothes!

\

 

[d_rek]

Great topic.

There is a gentleman here in Michigan - big QDMA guy - who is also a huge advocate of scent control for deer hunting.

A while back he had some videos on his website (i'll try to find them) about why using your regular household washer to launder hunting clothes was about the worst idea. He then went to completely dissassemble a household washer to reveal the 'detergent stalactites' that hide just behind the holes in the washer tub and also build up all over the interior of the appliance. He said you will never wash away those 'stalactites' and that you would be better off buying a brand new washer + dryer than trying to make your existing household washer 'scent-free'. It was really interesting and insightful.

The only problem is it's just not realistic or practical for most people to have a 2nd washer and dryer set.

So... what do you do then?

Well, before my wife and I sold our home in the spring we never ran scented detergent or fabric softener in our washer + dryer. Because I have sensitive skin and she's a natural/organic freak we almost exclusively used scent free detergent + fabric softener.

But now that we've been living with my inlaws, and my MIL absolutely must use her perfumey detergent + dryer sheets, I have simply resorted to washing and drying a full load of towels before I wash my hunting clothes. To my lame nose, it appears to work. I did have several deer dead down wind of me this season only lightly scent checking the area. Granted they were younger deer, I doubt I would have gotten that response had I not properly laundered and reactivated my carbon activated clothing.

So... do you need a 2nd washer and dryer? Sure, it might not hurt but think about all that you would need for a 2nd set - you would have to plumb that area, have a discharge for the washer, ventilation and/or gas hookups for the dryer, and proprely amped outlet for electrical! In my mind you are a very, very hardcore scent control freak if you must have a 2nd washer and dryer exclusive for hunting clothes!

\

 

[jlh42581]

Michigan, QDMA Guy... im thinking its gotta be Jeff Sturgis?

BTW, dont know if I ever told you guys but im the Pres of our QDMA chapter

 

[d_rek]

Michigan, QDMA Guy... im thinking its gotta be Jeff Sturgis?

BTW, dont know if I ever told you guys but im the Pres of our QDMA chapter

Nope it is not Jeff Sturgis. He has come right out and said that he does not practice extreme sent control. He does go beyond what most normal hunters do in regard to send control but not nearly as far is guys like John Ebert heart. The guy I am talking about is Jim Brauker and I believe he is out of Hillsdale, Michigan.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[redsquirrel]

BTW, dont know if I ever told you guys but im the Pres of our QDMA chapter

Nice. Do you have your own land? I was under the impression that most QDMA have their own land to manage. I have very little knowledge of QDMA though and could be way off. I hunt 99.9% public land.

 

[jlh42581]

That's a very common misconception about QDMA. I own two acres. I've seen turkeys in the yard but that's it. Biggest draw was all the state land and a two car garage.

QDMA loves that I don't own land because it speaks loud it's not about that.

70% of all the work we do is public land. Branches are funded solely by events and donations in their own area. We do things like sponsor kids baseball, youth events, public food plots.

I've got the perfect storm where I live because both qdma and penn state lead the way in deer research, we have access to all that plus penn state gave us a 40 acre playground

 

[redsquirrel]

That's a very common misconception about QDMA. I own two acres. I've seen turkeys in the yard but that's it. Biggest draw was all the state land and a two car garage.

QDMA loves that I don't own land because it speaks loud it's not about that.

70% of all the work we do is public land. Branches are funded solely by events and donations in their own area. We do things like sponsor kids baseball, youth events, public food plots.

I've got the perfect storm where I live because both qdma and penn state lead the way in deer research, we have access to all that plus penn state gave us a 40 acre playground

Very cool. Thanks for enlightening me

 

[jlh42581]

Anytime, you likely have a branch nearby. It can also open some private land opportunity