Camping is a lot of fun, but an outdoor adventure can go off the tracks if you end the evening with a dirty sleeping bag. You don’t want to buy a new one for each adventure, so find out how to keep your sleeping bag clean. Also, remember that a pickup laundry service in New Jersey can help you accomplish this.
Send It to an NJ Laundry Service at Least Once a Year
You should wash your sleeping bag at least once a year or more if you go on many camping trips. Washing it at home can be tricky, though. First, you cannot wash a sleeping bag in a machine that uses an agitator since that can destroy the material. Also, most residential washing machines aren’t large enough to accommodate bulky sleeping bags, meaning your machine might not be able to get the sleeping bag clean. Trying to launder large items in small washing machines is one of the most common laundry mistakes people make, but it’s also easy to avoid.
First, search for “laundry service pickup and delivery near me” and then schedule the service. The company will pick up your sleeping bag, launder it, and return it to you. That’s the easiest and most effective way to clean a sleeping bag.
Have a Pickup Laundry Service in New Jersey Clean the Liner
You can keep your sleeping bag cleaner between washings by adding a liner. Removable liners protect the inside of the bag, so you won’t have to worry about transferring bug spray and more to the fabric.
Just send the liner to an NJ laundry service after each camping trip. The company will wash the liner and deliver it to your house so you can put it back in the bag for the next trip.
Air Out the Sleeping Bag Between Camping Trips
Even though you don’t need to launder your sleeping bag after every use, it’s important to air it out so it’ll be ready for the next adventure. Airing it out does a couple of things. First, it neutralizes the odors, so it’ll be much fresher when your next camping trip rolls around. Second, it dries out the moisture, so you can store your bag without worrying about mold or mildew accumulating.
First, unzip the bag and turn it inside out. Then use a large hanger or a line to hang it up outdoors. However, don’t hang it in direct sunlight since that can damage the fabric. Instead, place it under a cover for four hours. Then turn it right-side-out and let it hang up for another four hours. When it’s done, it’ll be dry and ready for storage.
Store Your Bag Properly
Improperly storing your bag could lead to a mold infestation, so put it in a breathable sack between uses. Your sleeping bag might have come with a breathable storage sack, but if not, a king-sized pillowcase will do the trick.
Put on Fresh Clothes Before Using Your Sleeping Bag
Putting on fresh clothes before going to sleep can help you keep your bag clean on multi-night adventures. Otherwise, all the odors you accumulated during the day will transfer to the bag, so you’ll be stuck with smells like insect repellent and smoke from the fire every time you snuggle up to go to sleep.
What if you can’t pack fresh clothes to put on each night? You can use the same pajamas each night of the trip as long as you only wear them to bed. Thus, put them on before going to sleep, and take them off as soon as you wake up in the morning.
Spot Clean the Sleeping Bag or Use “Laundry Service Pickup and Delivery Near Me”
You might accumulate some gunk on your sleeping bag after a night or two out in the wilderness. If you don’t want to deal with it, you can use an NJ laundry service. However, you also have the option of spot cleaning the sleeping bag yourself.
First, create a paste out of the water and non-detergent soap. Then dip a toothbrush in the paste and apply it to the stain before rinsing it off. Just make sure that you avoid the insulation when spot cleaning the bag. If you need to clean the insulation and the shell, it’s best to send it to an NJ laundry service.
Don’t Step on Your Sleeping Bag
Do you ever find yourself walking right on top of your sleeping bag to get to the other side of the tent? That’s fine if you have on clean socks but never step on your sleeping bag with shoes on. If you do, you might end up with muddy footprints all over the bag, meaning you’ll need to send it to a pickup laundry service in New Jersey sooner than normal. Thus, extend the time between washings by keeping muddy footprints on the ground instead of embedded in your sleeping bag.
Don’t Put Your Sleeping Bag Directly on the Ground
You can keep your sleeping bag clean from one trip to the next by placing it on a pad instead of directly on the ground. When you put your sleeping bag on the ground, it can soak up moisture, accumulate dirt, and even get damaged by sticks and rocks. Thus, using a pad can provide additional protection so your sleeping bag won’t get nearly as dirty on camping trips.
Let a Pickup Laundry Service in New Jersey Clean Your Sleeping Bag
If it’s been a while since you last cleaned your sleeping bag, knock it off your to-do list before your next camping trip. First, create an account and schedule a service online. Then gather your sleeping bag and the other laundry you need to be cleaned, and hand it over to the valet. The team will get to work laundering everything. Then the valet will drop your order back off at your house in no time. Thus, it’ll be ready for your next camping adventure.
Sources:
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/caring-sleeping-bag.html
https://www.backcountry.com/explore/how-to-take-care-of-your-sleeping-bag
https://scoutingmagazine.org/2015/10/how-to-clean-and-care-for-your-sleeping-bag/
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-store-a-sleeping-bag.html
