Doing Laundry In Your RV

One of the many challenges presented by RV living is an essential chore that needs to be done often: laundry. You can only avoid a growing hamper full of dirty clothes for so long before you run out of clean things to wear, especially if you packed lightly to save on weight and clutter in your camper. While you could theoretically pack enough clothes for a trip without having to do laundry, you might not want to waste your trailer’s valuable storage space with clothes. Doing laundry in an RV is much easier than you might think, which is why The Outpost RV has created this handy guide of our best tips for getting your clothes clean while you travel.

Off-Site Laundromats

A laundromat near your campsite can be a quick and easy solution for doing laundry when you only have to do a few loads. You might have to unhitch your towing vehicle to drive to one in town, or your campsite might come with laundry facilities for your use. Bring laundry detergent, plenty of quarters and dryer sheets along with a basket or bag to tote your laundry around. Some truck stops also have washers and dryers, along with plenty of parking space for your rig to sit while you wash your clothes.

Portable Washing Machines

If you have small loads that don’t need doing often, a portable washing machine can be a good investment on an RV. These come in a variety of styles and operational methods. They can be a better alternative to sitting in a laundromat since you can do your laundry on your RV.

Wash By Hand

If you’re pressed for time and have no other options, you can always wash clothes by hand. This is good if you have a few pieces that need to be quickly cleaned, but don’t merit doing a full load. A bucket of water, some laundry detergent and a clothesline strung up outside will serve you perfectly well to get your garments clean and dry. If the weather is poor, you can always hang up clothes inside or drape them over chairs to allow them to air dry instead. Setting up a fan can speed up this process. 

Combined Washer/Dryer Units

If you spend a great deal of time in your camper or RV, then investing in a washer/dryer unit might be worthwhile. Many modern and high-end RVs come with washer/dryer hook-ups, allowing you to look for either two separate units that stack or a two-in-one option that washes your clothes, then transitions to drying them in the same machine.

Do Smaller Loads

You might want to procrastinate on doing your laundry until you have a large pile to contend with, but it makes more sense to do smaller loads for several reasons. One, it just takes forever to wash a lot of clothing. Two, you’ll save wear on your machines by doing smaller loads more often. Three, you’ll have clean clothes faster if you simply do smaller loads more frequently. So instead of having one laundry day, make a little space every few days to wash a small load of clothes.

Now that you’ve read these tips, you can save space and have plenty of clean clothes to wear during your travels! If you’re in the market for a new RV or camper with the space for a washer and dryer, come down to our showroom to see our full inventory of new and used RVs, campers and trailers available for sale. The Outpost RV serves the nearby city of Kalamazoo, Michigan, with our location in Middlebury, Indiana.