Washing hunting clothes. (Real men can scroll on past)

Hey just wondered what everyone uses for washing hunting clothes?

I used to use a liquid soap which apparently had no UV brightners, (which supposedly make your clothes more visible to deer) and it was non scented, which l prefer.
I only used a half cap for a typical load, so it lasted for ever.
Actually not forever, because I’ve run out, and it doesn’t seem to be on the market any more. I don’t want to use our general household detergent which promises the brightest whites.

Interested to hear what you’re using.

Cheers M

Same stuff the rest of my clothes are washed with. Don’t buy into the marketing, it’s a waste of money.


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Don't use anything other than water, there's no need.

Just whatever the rest of our stuff at home is being washed with.

Some type of sportswash I got from a hunting shop, when I can be bothered/remember.
Otherwise just the usual Persil.

+1 for the throwing it in with the normal stuff. Have heard that baking soda is worth a crack if your that worried about it

I used to use this

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I was told it was the only stuff to use and I shot bugger all deer.

Now into the Miele washing machine with their detergent, clothes come out bright, smell great and I have never shot so many deer.

Just chuckem in the wash, the deer won't know the difference.

I put mine in the magic basket and then they appear in the other magic basket in our spare room.

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Originally Posted by 7mm Rem Mag

I used to use this

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I was told it was the only stuff to use and I shot bugger all deer.

Now into the Miele washing machine with their detergent, clothes come out bright, smell great and I have never shot so many deer.

Just chuckem in the wash, the deer won't know the difference.

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Yeah, thats the stuff I sometimes use. GC and H&F both sell it, as does Gunworks

Dishwashing liquid and hot/warm water

Gets the fat out of your clothes from carrying fatty legs/backsteaks

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Originally Posted by JoshC

Same stuff the rest of my clothes are washed with. Don’t buy into the marketing, it’s a waste of money.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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+1

Cold wash with normal washing powder to get blood out.

lux soap flakes as they are a soap not a detergent. mix them with hot water to dissolved then add to a cold wash

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Originally Posted by Lauries Hut

Hey just wondered what everyone uses for washing hunting clothes?

I used to use a liquid soap which apparently had no UV brightners, (which supposedly make your clothes more visible to deer) and it was non scented, which l prefer.
I only used a half cap for a typical load, so it lasted for ever.
Actually not forever, because I’ve run out, and it doesn’t seem to be on the market any more. I don’t want to use our general household detergent which promises the brightest whites.

Interested to hear what you’re using.

Cheers M

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ya can buy into the bullshit about supposed detergents advertised as hunting wash and claims of benefits from using them to avoid UV glare etc but at end of day if you fuck up your wind direction or exposé yourself out on a ridge and spook ya deer- then no matter what ya used useless

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Here's why I prefer soda ash aka washing soda aka sodium carbonate. Persil bottle showing spills under UV light. Check out those UV reflecting brighteners! Apparently they do reduce the amount of UV that reaches your skin, so they aren't all bad.

Edit... And real men can do laundry... it's the first skill I mastered in the army! :thumbsup:

Wash twice a year,May n October in cold water,no soaps or powders.Hangn em out the cloths line on a breezy warm day,airs them out nicely once a month.

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Originally Posted by Rusky

Cold wash with normal washing powder to get blood out.

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Cold water soak in bucket gets the blood out,just hand rinse after 20 minuts,blood runs out.

@7mmwsm - When I see a deer flashing a UV light at me, I'll take up a different pastime! I hear you, but if you want to squeeze out every advantage, using washing soda might make a difference, because deer are tuned in to the shorter wavelength end of the spectrum, and the scent in washing products like Fab and Persil is very powerful in terms of what wild animals can smell.

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Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

I put mine in the magic basket and then they appear in the other magic basket in our spare room.

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https://youtu.be/-_kXIGvB1uU
I at least make it easy for the magic basket by throwing on the floor by the chest of draws, then the only have to move 2 feet into the draw.

I wash my synthetic clothing with Sportwash. I just want it to be clean. Don't need fabric softener, colour brightener or fragrance.

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Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

Dishwashing liquid and hot/warm water

Gets the fat out of your clothes from carrying fatty legs/backsteaks

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+1 for the dishwashing liquid. I put a scoop of Baking soda in as well. I have tested the UV brightener effect on farm deer and they see and react to the difference, wild deer - sit in sight of them with no brighteners and then put a UV brightened piece of clothing on and the bastards will see you straight away. UV brighteners are a newish thing that weren't around back when everyone was bushstalking only

I just use a scoop of sodium bicarbonate. Gets rid of the BO pong as well

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Originally Posted by gonetropo

lux soap flakes as they are a soap not a detergent. mix them with hot water to dissolved then add to a cold wash

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Wow didn't know anyone still did this my Mum in her 80's is the only other person I know who still uses Lux flakes. We use white vinegar instead of fancy fabric softeners

Don't wash clothes, all jackets and trousers turned same colour just different shades of maroon. Perfect when making the weekly pilgrimage to the shops as it parts people like Moses and the Red Sea. Deer actually come to me, none of this walking around looking for them nonsense :o :wtfsmilie:

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It costs a little bit more than standard washing powders but for the amount of times I go hunting it lasts years. No idea if it makes a difference to my hunting success.

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

I thought eco meant economy, yet you say it costs more.

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Haha. No. "Eco" means 'environmentally friendly' which means it costs way more. :D

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Originally Posted by Shearer

Haha. No. "Eco" means 'environmentally friendly' which means it costs way more. :D

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Look at the box, that stuff is for Babies, where's the 'mans' washing powder ?? Real men dont do washing ??

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Look at the box, that stuff is for Babies, where's the 'mans' washing powder ?? Real men dont do washing ??

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You’ve all missed the point.
He’s used it because no animals were harmed with it.

Borax

if you worried about it....when load has spun out...start it back through again WITHOUT powder at all this time...so it will get another total wash and rinse thing going on... personally I dont worry about it...definately hang it inside out on washing line or the sunlight will root that fancy pattern you paid so much for in no time at all.... the inside of my cloths are faded but outside still looks great.

Like others have said, use the detergent the wife uses, don’t have hunting specific clothes, freezer is full

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

What about the carbon footprint?
Two lots of water, two lots of power. Scorn on you Micky.

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Fear not, there is plenty of electricity to go around, enough so that every household can charge their EVs…?..!..FFS!!!!

last time washed mine did it while had a few days rain. Washed left on line in rain for 3 days. Then another couple days airing.
Maybe @Bol Tackshin could do a wash a teeshirt test with powder and uv light and then rince it out to see how long it takes to wash out brightners.

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Look at the box, that stuff is for Babies, where's the 'mans' washing powder ?? Real men dont do washing ??

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- you're right mate, dip your stuff in petrol (while offending Greenies, it removes all other stink)....- the same approach goes for your balls after a trip to Hamilton :thumbsup:

@kruza - fark... that sounds like work! See this site - they seem to have put in the hard yards already. Interesting point that many fabrics have a built in UV brightener permanently bonded to the material, so it may actually not matter too much anyway.

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

What do you do with your balls in Hamilton?
I've been to Hamilton hundreds of times and never had to dip my balls in petrol on my return.

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....just breathing the air in Hamilton necessitates the need for risk mitigation..... :D
Lighten up mate - it's a play on Hamilton's "Clap Capital" reputation.....

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Originally Posted by Bol Tackshin

@kruza - fark... that sounds like work! See this site - they seem to have put in the hard yards already. Interesting point that many fabrics have a built in UV brightener permanently bonded to the material, so it may actually not matter too much anyway.

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When ya think about plants give off uv light to attract insects, lots of birds have uv as part of thier displays. Some hawks can see uv in animal piss. Mabe we're more noticable when we dont have uv emitting.
I recon mu clod hopping around and the wind turning or dropping/rising temps in the evening/morning grabbing my uuuum manly odours and wafting it to critter nostrals probly a bigger give away.

Heavens... I have alot to learn. 60+ years of shooting and I've never dressed up once to go on a hunting trip!! :) Had no idea I had to have right soap suds too!! And its quite disappointing, but those bloody animals I've been shooting are no better educated than I am. Shot umpteen thousand of them up and down the country and not one has raised a paw or hoof and said "Not good enough mudz - you are not wearing the latest hunter fashions". Just bang, flop and they all fell down. Clearly they don't have any discernment or taste either...though the last 3 fallow on that last trip did taste very good!

But - a man must learn...and I must try. As soon as tailing is over down here and we're out shooting in north Canterbury, Tekapo, the McKenzie again, I'll take some H&F magazines with me, bookmark the fashion pages, and spread them round the hills and stations so all those bunnies, wallabies, deer etc can start to upspec on what hunters should be wearing, what suds we should be using. Probly only take a few months then next time I go to pull the trigger, that wallaby will stop, look at me, raise a paw, waggle it, complain I'm not wearing the right fashion lines - and there is a little fading with the camo jacket too. "You've got the wrong suds mudz.." I will likely look at him, accept his reproof, thank him humbly for standing still an extra 5 seconds to advise me, then shoot the little bastard.

Could be hard re-educating these old schoolers... :)

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

What about the carbon footprint?
Two lots of water, two lots of power. Scorn on you Micky.

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well handwash it then...or better still do it in your nightly/weekly shower/bath..... hang out on cloths line when its raining....

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Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

I put mine in the magic basket and then they appear in the other magic basket in our spare room.

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Me too. Except my magic basket seems to fold and put stuff away too.