The Best Way to Wash Hunting Clothes So They Don't Gloss

Cleaning your hunting clothes is imperative for hunters because older smells, including the smells of dead animals, are picked up and carried through the air. The animals you're trying to catch just might run the other way when they catch a whiff. Laundry detergent cleans most fabrics but it also has UV brighteners that animals can see. You need to find a way to clean your hunting clothes without leaving behind a gloss caused by the UV brighteners.

Things You'll Need

• Organic/residue free laundry detergent
• Baking soda
• Unscented laundry detergent
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Baby shampoo
• Spray bottle

Instructions

1. Check the hunting clothes carefully before washing. Look for signs of staining or ground in dirt caused by kneeling on the ground. If you notice any staining, use an organic laundry detergent or one guaranteed not to leave behind any residues. If stains are not an issue, place the clothes inside your washing machine and wash on the coldest setting, leaving out the laundry detergent.

2. Use baking soda if residue-free laundry detergent is not available. Pour ½ cup baking soda into the washing machine and then add the clothing. The baking soda works like laundry detergent by removing the ground in dirt and other stains on your clothing.

3. Use unscented laundry detergent in cold water to clean your hunting clothes as another alternative. Read the bottle carefully for any signs of scents, especially if the bottle isn't marked unscented. This type of detergent cleans your clothes, without leaving behind the scents that may scare off wild animals.

4. Make your own cost-effective cleaner for use on hunting clothes. Combine ½ cup baking soda with 2 cups hydrogen peroxide and mix carefully until the baking soda dissolves. Add 1 ounce baby shampoo, mix again and then pour into a spray bottle.

5. Spray the homemade solution onto your hunting clothes, either after washing the clothes or in lieu of washing. If you want to rid the clothes of scents rather than cleaning, spray down the clothes completely. Once the clothes are fully saturated, dry in your dryer on a low setting.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have access to a dryer, you have the option of hanging the hunting clothes outside on a clothesline until dry. Be careful about hanging the clothes outside in areas with a large majority of flowers, plants or other animals in the surrounding area, as this can cause different scents to adhere to the fabric.

References

• No Scents at All: Hunting Odor Elimination and Control
• Hunter's Specialties: How To Use Scents and Scent Elimination
• Made Man: How to Wash Hunting Clothes