Hunting clothes come in different shades, textures, and colors, but deciding on natural or synthetic clothes is entirely your choice.
Nonetheless, a range of clothes is necessary for different weather patterns, climates, and environments.
Successful hunters wear clothes that are scent-free with the capacity to camouflage with the surroundings.
But how should you wash your hunting clothes to ensure they are free from scents and retain their camouflage qualities.
Follow the information below to understand and appreciate how to wash hunting clothes. First, let’s look at some of the stains that you might encounter during your hunting expeditions
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Types Of Stains You Will Encounter As A Hunter
The type of stains you will encounter as a hunter depends on your hunting methods and target animals.
Also, the environment can be a good source of removable and stubborn stains. What matters is the weather, the nature of the soil, and the general surroundings.
Bloodstains are possible when hunting bears and other wild animals. Mostly, blood may take time to remove, and thus, it’s a part of stubborn stains. Greasing against the plants in the jungle exposes the hunting attire to stubborn stains too.
Such stains behave as per the material of the hunting clothes. It means that synthetic material is more resistant to stain, while natural materials are sound absorbent and more significant culprits of stubborn stains.
Stains vary depending on the environment. The nature of soils is significant in determining whether the stain is stubborn or removable. For example, clay or roam ground can cause very stubborn stains that may require prolonged soaking and washing.
Let’s look at how to get rid of the stubborn stains when washing hunting clothes.
How To Get The Stubborn Stains Out Of Hunting Clothes
Removing stubborn stains out of hunting clothes can be a tedious and costly experience.
Remember; be careful not to ruin your clothes and to retain natural scents. There’re specific colors for the jungle that may be designed for camouflage purposes.
You should try out natural methods of removing stubborn stains since they’re tough on stains and softer on fabrics. Baking soda, distilled white vinegar, and lime water are excellent detergents for removing stubborn stains such as blood.
For instance, baking soda eliminates stagnant stains while retaining the natural color of cloth. It works like magic for restoring a fresh and natural scent in the fabrics. You can settle for baking powder because it works perfectly with all forms of materials and hunting wear.
Also, the distilled white vinegar used for regular kitchen affairs works wonders in removing stubborn plant stains. White vinegar is safe and very gentle on fabrics. It helps in eliminating odor and retaining the original color of colored hunting clothes.
You can also get rid of those stubborn stains on the hunting clothes using hydrogen peroxide. It works magic for clothes needing whitening since it contains oxidizing radicals for the fabrics. The solution can also be a perfect alternative for ordinary bleach.
Remember, most local detergents contain a range of fragrances that give the fabric a decent smell. Such scents are not suitable for hunting since they destabilize the atmospheric natural flora, making the hunter more visible. The fragrances not only upset the animals but can provoke a possible attack.
Also, some detergent contains ultraviolet light (also known as UV brighteners), which is easily noticeable by wild animals like deer. The ultraviolet light can cause the entire hunting process to backfire. So using natural products such as baking soda and distilled white vinegar not only saves on the cost, but it’s efficient in removing stubborn stains.
Should I Wash Hunting Clothes Together With My Other clothes?
Washing hunting clothes together with other clothes depends on materials, colors, detergent, and stains. It’s not appropriate to mix up all clothes together since some materials and stains may require a stronger detergent. Also, you do not want to ruin the natural scent of hunting clothes. This is also why it is not recommended to use dryer sheets in this case.
Thus, it would help if you did not wash hunting clothes together with other garments.
You can decide on washing the hunting clothes first before turning to regular washing. The washing machine must be dry and free of other scents and chemicals.
Remember, you do not want to introduce a foreign fragrance or chemical which is absorbed by the hunting clothes. So wash off the machine washer with clean water, air dry, and then start with hunting clothes.
The choice of laundry detergent matters from person to person and also depends on the nature of the stain. You can settle for any scent-free detergent of your choice. A natural product such as baking powder and white vinegar is better, gentle, and useful for softening and retaining the natural scent (you don’t have to use a fabric softener in this case).
For stubborn stains, use a pitch of hydrogen peroxide on the stained clothing separately before emptying the machine washer.
Natural detergents are milder and have beneficial effects of cleaning even the machine washer. The white vinegar has strong cleaning properties to remove rust and stubborn stains.
Thus, it not only works on hunting gear but also on the machine as a whole. The natural detergents are free from fragrances and cleaning radicals that may attach to the hunting clothes.
There’s A Lot More Than Cleanliness To Consider With Hunting Gear
As mentioned earlier, there’s a lot more than cleanliness to consider when washing hunting clothes.
Remember, animals have a strong sense of smell and sight for color. They can spot predators from several kilometers away and hide or run. So, color and scent are strong tactics used in hunting.
Thus, protect yourself by restoring the natural scents in the clothes and preventing striking and reflective colors. Avoid bleaches if the clothing is not made of bright colors. Only use biological bleaching agents for bright colors.
You can opt for other bleaching agents that retain the natural color, like baking powder, lime water, and hydrogen peroxide.
Scent
Humans and animals can easily detect scents and use them to make an inference. Animals rely more on scent to read the surroundings and respond immediately. Also, the capacity to identify and distinguish scents is dangerous for human beings.
In case you somehow did end up with a strong odor in your hunting clothes, there are scent killer solutions available online to remove the odor quickly.
The scent is essential in the jungle, and all animals react to invasion based on the scent. A strong scent means a non-fruitful, hunting experience. As said earlier, animals have a strong sense of smell, which means they can sense danger out of a slight scent. Thus, avoid any odor from your hunting clothes
Again, use natural products like baking powder, lime, or hydrogen peroxide depending on the hunting needs. Natural colors will help you walk unnoticed and position yourself strategically for the prey.
Colors
Colors are an essential component of human sight. The ability to see and distinguish the object is due to the eye’s ability to differentiate colors. Thus, color brings meaning to life for humans, as well as for wild animals.
Animals in the jungle use colors for reflections and identification. They sense danger by reading the reflections in the eye transported to their brain. Thus, washing hunting clothes requires much sensitivity to color.
The right hunting colors are natural and easily camouflage in the jungle. Thus, wash your hunting attire with a pure, unscented detergent like baking soda and white vinegar. Test the detergent separately to identify its bleaching capabilities.
Notice any bleaching which is likely to distort the color and leave you exposed to the prey.
How To Store Washed Hunting Clothes Before Going Hunting
How to store washed hunting clothes before going hunting depends on many factors.
For instance, scent can be picked at the storage place, and remember the goal is to avoid any extra fragrance to the attires.
So after line drying your hunting clothes, fold and place them neatly in a plastic bag. The bag must be capable of fitting tightly to avoid air or any radicals getting in the clothes. Then put in a storage bag that is free from odors and pets.
Tools shed, or a garage can serve as a safer ground for storing hunting clothes. Use commercial scent wafers or pine boughs to diffuse any scent arising from the garage or the tools shed. The storage should allow for proper organization of the hunting clothes to reflect the hunting seasons.
Bottom Line
People hunt for various reasons, but currently, hunting is also turning into a pleasurable sport.
One important aspect of hunting is wearing protective clothing. Such clothing is prone to tear, odors and stains. So it would be best if you learned how to wash hunting clothes to retain their natural scent and color.
Removing stains is advisable before thinking of disposing of the clothes. It requires the care and sensitivity of the detergent and the chemicals in the machine washer.
The core advice to any hunter is to retain natural scents and the colors of the hunting attires. So wash the hunting clothes first before resuming the next hunting expedition.
