Home | Recreation And Leisure | Outdoors | Camping

Cleaning Sleeping Bags - A Few Handy Tips

By: Abhishek Agarwal Click author's name for more of his/her articles

The Great Outdoors beckon all those that love a fun-trip with a chance to let worldly worries slip them by so they can relax in the lap of nature's peace. While a holiday like this is fun-filled no-doubt, you do need to ensure all your camping gear is properly taken care of for the next trip, especially the sleeping bag.

Your sleeping bag's maintenance is of utmost importance as its one of the essential items for setting up camp; it is also a good way to ensure you get your money's worth from timely care and good upkeep of the sleeping bag. Many persons do not prioritize the care of the sleeping bag at all and may not be aware that not much washing is required as this action can wear down the sleeping bag's durability. Occasional cleaning of a sleeping bag is all that is needed to increase its lifespan.

Frequent campers may be required to put in more effort for maintenance of their sleeping bag besides the regular airing and shaking routine; to cleanse bags of the body-oil, grime and dirt that sometimes settles in the fabric and to rid them of the lingering unpleasant smells. The best way to begin cleaning of the sleeping bag is to follow the manufacturer's instructions; apart from these tips, we have some more handy tips for cleaning sleeping bags for you:

Washing machine tips:

1. Down-filled bags need to be cleaned with mild soap, like Woolite but synthetic bags can do with being washed down with a gentle detergent, provided the recommended minimum quantity is used.

2. Head and foot areas of a sleeping bag collect most grime and body-oils and therefore these need scouring before being machine washed.

3. Use of front loading machines and alternate cycles of warm and cold water is recommended for washing sleeping bags; top loading variety may adversely affect its material. Two or more rinses should prove adequate for ridding the bag of any soap sediments and this is important to ensure as a fibers can be ruined if soap remains.

Hand washing tips:

1. Use your bathtub to give your sleeping bag a thorough cleansing; warm water and small quantity of Woolite is recommended for washing it.

2. As mentioned earlier, give special attention to the foot and head area of a sleeping bag and scour these down of all grit and grime.

3. Use of commercial stain removers is not advisable as these ruin the fibers of a sleeping bag's fibers.

4. You may need to press and mold the bag in a kneading motion to spread the soap and water. End it off with refilling the tub for 3-4 rinses, pressing the bag to get the soapy water out and remembering to resist twisting or wringing the bag.

Tips on Drying your Sleeping Bag:

1. Press out the bag by rolling it to squeeze maximum water out.

2. With the help of a big plastic garbage bag, transport your sleeping bag to your local Laundromat.

Sign off with a special tip: frequent campers can benefit from using machine-washable sleeping bag liners that will absorb dust and odor that can be washed conveniently in the machine on return from the trip.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: Abhishek is a Camping freak! Visit his website www.Camping-Guru.com and download his FREE Camping Report "Camping With The Family: How To Have A Safe, Fun, And Inexpensive Vacation" and learn some amazing Camping tips and tricks for FREE. Learn how to have the perfect vacation on a shoe-string budget. But hurry, only limited Free copies available ! www.Camping-Guru.com