All this washing talk has me thinking about how others do scent control. I don't just wash my camo and base layers I also use a towel that was washed in scent free soap after I shower, as well as socks underwear and t shirt even the sweats I wear out to the tent are in scent fee soap. Anybody wash else wash it all? I will not hunt if I do not shower first.
Well I've slacked this year in the scent control area. I used to prewash the machine then add my stuff. I would throw baking soda in the dryer for 20 minutes then add my stuff. After getting yelled at for my wifes baking soda covered cloth I stopped drying them. if you need to activate carbon layers in a dryer then just take them to a laundromat and fill the dryer with baking soda and your cloth. cook them for an hour and throw them in a plastic airtight tub. with these high temp I don't see how everyone isn't washing their cloth every time. I sat all day Wednesday and decided to just wear my cloth home to rewash. My wife said I stank of BO horribly. Perhaps that's why I didn't see anything. I did go through an entire bottle of Dead down wind. I was sitting and sweating. it was in the 80's. I'm so glad we got 2 in of rain that night if I stank badly the storm surely cleansed the area.
Of course everything is washed in scent free soap. The lengths some of you guys go to is mind boggling. Tell your wife this is important to you and to humor you for a couple months. If she is unable to go without her downy for a couple weeks I feel bad for you guys.
You could get away with it if you got her a new washer and dryer and kept the old for yourself. You know, to make her life easier.
I dont pre wash and wash underwear and socks or base layers before outta layer. I spray the washer and dryer with scent free spray then wash all my hunting stuff at once. Works for me as long as you play the wind right they wont smell you. All that extra stuff is a waste of electricity, water and time in my eyes.
Wash a couple of towels with scent free soap or some baking soda and borax then wash your clothes. Hang out to dry or wipe dryer down with some scent spray and use some scent eliminating dryer sheets they make these in fresh earth smell too.then throw them all in a big plastic bin with HS fresh earth wafers. Most of the time I just throw my outer garments in the dryer with a dryer sheet for short time and put back in the bin. Undergarments get washed every trip Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
This plus prior to that I run the washer empty w a dose of bleach; it kills any other artificial odors, then run an empty load w just water, then all that. I also run the dryer empty w/some fresh earth dryer sheets before I dry my first load. I swear by those things. Unless I sweat bad I don't wash my outer layers much in season. Just spray w scent killer and hang outside the camper at night to air out. Next season I probably will get a scent crusher bag for under wear/base layers since I typically hunt 3+consecutive day stretches in pretty remote campsites.
I only wash my inner layers every couple of hunts unless I've sweated terribly. I just turn everything inside out and hang outside overnight. I hunt where I live essentially. So great cover scent. I wash everything in Tide and also use Downy when I do. I remember a few years back everyone was worried about brightners but the deer it my woods don't seem to think I glow. Or at least don't let on if I do!