How to Wash Hunting Clothes for Scent Control
Animals in the wild use their sense of smell to help them survive. When hunting for deer, elk and many other trophy animals, human hunters must control and cover as much of their own scent (their body odor, what they eat, and what they wear) as possible. Learning how to wash hunting clothes for scent control is the first step in this process.
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Things You'll Need
- Cloth previously washed with scent-free laundry detergent for hunters
- Scent-free laundry detergent for hunters
- Baking soda
- Plastic garbage bags (unscented)
- Natural or commercial scents
Instructions
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Washing and Drying
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1
Run the rinse cycle on your washer while it is empty to rinse away any previous detergent. After you've done that, wipe the washer thoroughly, using a cloth that has previously been washed with scent-free laundry detergent for hunters, been air-dried and kept in an airtight container or plastic garbage bag. Double-check the top of the washer's agitator for any leftover detergent.
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Place all washable hunting clothes in the clean washer and add the appropriate amount of scent-free detergent for hunters, as directed by the instructions on the package.
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3
Add ½ cup of baking soda to each load of hunting clothes to help control odor and cover scents.
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Wash the load as you would any other. Run an extra rinse cycle after the regular wash-and-rinse cycle has finished.
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Remove your wet hunting clothes from the washer immediately. Hang them to air dry. While they are drying, make sure they are away from any areas where any odors may be present.
Storing Clean Hunting Clothes
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Place thoroughly dry hunting clothes in unscented plastic garbage bags and close tightly until it is time to put them on.
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7
If your hunting ground has trees, add a few branches from that tree (such as pine, hemlock or cedar, for example) to your bag of clothes.
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If no natural materials are available, add a very small amount of commercially produced cover scent to a cloth that has previously been washed in scent-free laundry detergent for hunters, and place the cloth in the bag with your clothes.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid coming in close contact with other family members or pets if you must put your hunting clothing on before reaching your hunting ground.
