By Gail Marsh
Woweee! Who’d ever think that a conversation about laundering clothes could elicit such strong emotions? Yep, a recent campfire discussion focused on RV campground laundromats and laundromat etiquette. It was quite a conversation!
Frustration
Beth began, “I made several trips to the campground laundromat today and my laundry still isn’t done! I forgot my quarters back in our RV. So I put my basket of dirty clothes on top of a washer to ‘reserve it’ while I went back to get the money. When I returned to the laundry room, my basket of dirty clothes was sitting on the floor and the washer I’d ‘reserved’ was in use. I think that’s rude!”
Cliff frowned. “I didn’t know you could ‘reserve’ a washer or dryer.”
“Who was using the washer? Could you have mentioned something to them?” Shelia wanted to know.
“That’s just it,” Beth complained. “There was no one there! Someone moved my basket to the floor, put their clothes into the washer, and left!”
Campground laundry facilities
One of the benefits of camping in a campground is that many places offer a laundry facility that you can use during your stay. The downside? Often the etiquette guidelines for using the campground laundromat are not posted. Other times people simply ignore the posted rules.
Use your RV’s washer and dryer
“What gripes me,” Cliff muttered, “are the people who have washers and dryers right inside their rigs, yet they use the campground’s laundromat!”
Shelia countered, “Hey if you had three active boys, you’d understand. My RV’s washer/dryer combo would take forever to get everything laundered. I refuse to spend my camping time doing laundry all day. I’m here to hike, fish, and relax with my family.”
RV washers and dryers
I’m not sure I agree completely with Shelia, but I see her point. Folks who have the combo washer/dryer have told me the same thing about how long it can take to do even one small load. The upside to having a combo machine is that it saves space in the RV. That’s why RV manufacturers install them rather than separate washer and dryer appliances.
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“What about the people who do two weeks of laundry at one time?” Beth wanted to know. “Then they fill every machine! No one else can do laundry because there are no machines available!”
“The thing is,” Shelia said, “You don’t know their situation. Maybe they’ve been boondocking. They have a right to use the laundry, too.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s polite,” Beth insisted.
Old and worn out
Dave chimed in, “Well my rig doesn’t have a washer or a dryer so I’m stuck using the campground’s laundry facility. I wish they kept more of their machines in working condition. Two of my shirts came out of the washer with tar or something on ‘em.”
“It might not be the washer,” Beth suggested. “I’ve seen people stick their grimiest clothes in, and not clean the machine afterwards. I’m talking mud, grease, you name it.”
“Well, two of the three dryers have had ‘out of order’ signs on them for over a week,” Dave claimed. “I’ve had to dry my jeans outside, and that seems to bug my neighbor.” He rolled his eyes.
Sheila said, “Be sure to write a review about the nonworking dryers on the campground’s website. It may not help you, but maybe the campground will do a better job maintaining their washers and dryers for the next campers.”
Nice amenity
“I love that the campground has a laundry facility,” Beth said. “It’s a good amenity to offer RVers. I just wish RVers were a little more polite.”
Basic etiquette for campground laundromats
RV campground laundromats are an important perk for many RVers. That’s why it’s important to know and follow a few rules as you launder and dry your clothes.
- Sit. Stay. These aren’t doggie commands. (Well, actually they are. But here they’re meant for doggie’s owners.) Don’t leave your clothes inside a machine. Stay with your laundry instead. Take a book, magazine, cell phone, or a friend with you to help pass the time. As an alternative, set an alarm to alert you several minutes before your laundry is finished. Be there when your clothes are done so that you can promptly remove them. Then other campers can use the machine.
- Don’t be selfish. Many smaller campgrounds have maybe two or three washers and dryers. Be courteous. If someone else needs a machine, share.
- Keep filthy clothing away. If you wouldn’t wash that really hairy dog bed in your washer at home, do not wash it in the CG’s machine. Same goes for other very greasy, filthy clothing.
- Do not overload. Use the CG machines like you use your own at home. If a load is too large, take some pieces out. Smaller loads will dry more quickly, anyway.
- Clean machines. If a tissue or piece of paper is accidentally washed with a load of your clothing, wipe out the washer. That way, the next person won’t have to deal with it. Always clean out the dryer lint trap when finished, too. (A wet wipe or clean, damp cloth will quickly clean the machine with a simple swipe.)
- Use proper payment methods. If the CG laundry appliances accept coins as payment, be sure to use the correct coins. For example, keep those Canadian quarters separate!
- Keep laundry room clean. If you spill detergent or liquid softener, wipe it up right away. Put the dryer sheets you’ve used into the waste basket. If beach sand from your towel spills onto the floor, sweep it up. (Most facilities in smaller CGs do not have someone hired to clean the laundry room daily. It’s up to the campers to make sure they leave the facilities cleaner than they found them.)
- Tell management. Report nonworking machines to the front desk or campground manager. S/he may not be aware of broken or nonworking machines.
Can you think of other laundromat etiquette to include on this list?
##RVT1092
This is a great article that will surely bring some laughs and some disagreement. I ripped the relatively useless combo W/D out of our last DP and added storage and shelving space in the first year we had that rig. The following 16 years, that extra shelving was on point. In those 16 years my wife would rate CG laundry facilities for quality and cleanliness from the Canadian Rockies to Miami and San Diego to Maine. We could make a plan around a dozen different stops for some quality laundry time and boy oh boy, my wife gives great laundry.
We currently have a stacking W/D in our latest DP and yes, it is great, but the CG laundry facility memories and stories will always be close to us.
We are currently on the workamping staff performing housekeeping duties at a 300 site RV resort in Arizona. Our facilities are cleaned daily during the overnight hours. We have laminated ‘out of order’ signs available that ask for the office (literally next door) to be notified of the problem. It seldom happens. There’s a sign requesting guests use no more than 3 washers or dryers at a time. We regularly clean shredded paper out of the machines, lint from dryer filters and the floor, spills, etc. it makes me wonder what they do at home! You don’t even want to know about the bathrooms.
Donna—I admire you for your fortitude for continuing to do the job. There have been bathrooms in campgrounds that I have seen that have been absolutely disgusting (between cleanings) and have made me, too, wonder how some people can be so ignorant. Having to clean up other people’s bathroom messes is a job that deserves a medal. Thank you!
In college I worked at a local supermarket and went in at 5 AM to clean the public rest rooms. The men’s room were “dirty” and the women’s were “disgusting and beyond belief” One of my other jobs in college was cleaning the morgue after an autopsy. Guess what job was worse?
Outhouse, pitcher and wash basin, dirty wet towel. Farm when I was a kid.
Many do not know there’s such a thing as laundry etiquette and to tell you the truth, they laugh when they hear it. One woman whose husband is a traveling worker along with others gets paid to do their laundry and so she took up everyone’s machines. It only happened a couple of times but that’s something we worked around.
The standard rule should be just be considerate to others – the golden rule.
Also, we’ve been washing our clothes at our campground but hanging them to dry except for towels – it saves $. Along with everything else, the prices are going up!
Two comments: 1) we have a washer/dryer (combo unit/vented) and love it. We use it exclusively except for when it comes to our bedding and rugs. 2) we watched a guy in at RV Park remove his tire covers and put them in the washers at the parks laundromat. The manager wasn’t very happy but damage was done.
We currently take our two to three weeks of laundry to a wash and fold facility with great success. Yes it’s more costly but we drop our gear, and continue to do our tourism and pick up the finished goods a day or two later. It sure beats sitting in a hot and humid Laundromat.
Yup…agree
We stayed at a facility that had two washers and two dryers. One dryer had a sign on it that stated it was like Las Vegas. It might work, and it might not. C’mon, take a chance. I applauded the owner for his honesty. We actually got it to work. That was several years ago and I’m hoping it’s been fixed by now.
Wash our clothes in the same washers that some inconsiderate dog owner did the dog’s bedding and rugs? No thanks, don’t want that hair or smell. That is why wife insisted on her own W/D.
We have a washer/dryer combo in our 5th wheel and use it exclusively when we have FHU’s. It’s slow, but there is only two of us, so we can start a load and go about whatever we want to do and fold when we come back. If we do not have sewer hook-up, we rough it and will go to town and use a commercial laundromat. We have yet to use campground laundry facilities.
Just a quick tip: wipe the dryer lint screen with the used fabric softener sheet after your load is completed. It makes that task efficient and easy.
A commercial facility is usually just a few miles away….and usually a bit cheaper than the campground. With 15 or 20 washers they don’t care if you use 5 of them.
As for the rude and uncaring people that abuse the machine’s there is no fix for that…at least at a larger facility you can just find another.
I’m lucky, my husband likes to do the laundry and does it well. He uses that time as his “time away” – takes a book to read and gives him some quiet time. Being f/t, 24/7, it’s a nice little break for us!
I love the campgrounds that use a laundry app. That way I can see from my campsite when washers and dryers are available, and no scrounging for quarters.
Thanks for the reminder about cleaning the floors up after myself. I don’t wash dog beds, but I do wash dog blankets and sweaters. I’ll shake them out outside first to avoid the film of dog hair on the floor. I always wipe the drum when I’m done in case any stray hair is left behind.
For probably 95% of the users, you only need one rule, treat the park laundromat as if it was your own stick & brick laundry facility with one washer and one dryer. (the other 5% might have an abused – and likely malfunctioning – home laundry). Otherwise go to a commercial laundromat.
I go to regular city laundromats. But irregardless, people are generally pigs when rules aren’t enforced by a person who is there. Like the saying goes “you can’t fix stupid”.
Enforced or not they are pigs in every aspect of their lives. The old commerical line was “Only your hair dresser knows”. Only your Plumber really knows your personal habits. You can’t believe what I have seen!!
Just goes to show you sense is not common. Go into town to a bigger laundromat. It’s a lot easier.
We agree! We go into a commercial laundromat, usually in town, and do upwards of 2 weeks of clothing very quickly. We never leave the laundromat with stuff in the process – catch up on reading, texting, route planning, etc. Still occasionally see many of the same problems, washers and dryers out of order, grossly dirty machines, etc. However, many of these places have attendants who make change if needed, provide interesting conversations related to the local area and more!
I like the “sit-stay” rule. Last time I was in a laundromat, 7 of the 16 dryers were out of order, and 5 were sitting with dry clothes waiting to be picked up. (I observed this as I was loading my laundry into a washer.) The person using the 5 dryers didn’t appear until 15 minutes after my wash load was done! Luckily, another dryer had become available. Personally, I wouldn’t leave my laundry.
Both our previous motorhome and the current one have a stacked washer and dryer. I use them whenever possible. The washer in RV #1 was broken for a time and I did laundry at the campground laundromat. I set an alarm on my watch so that I didn’t have to sit with the laundry, but would not leave finished wash (or dried clothes) in the washer (dryer) after the cycle ended. A few other times we were at the factory service center getting work done (including fixing the washer) and only had electricity. I used the service center’s laundromat and, again, set an alarm to try to be polite to other users.
For those frustrated with RV’er’s who have washer/dryers in their rig but use the campground laundromat, remember that a number of campgrounds have rules forbidding using the RV washer/dryer at their campsite. Speculation abounds about the reasoning for this rule… is it due to the campground’s limited capacity septic system? Water concerns? Do they just want the profit from using their on-site coin operated laundromat? Nobody fully knows. But it does mean RVers will have to take their laundry to the laundromat, so don’t judge! 🙂
Here’s a rule I didn’t see mentioned in the comments–well maybe the “don’t be selfish” rule, which makes sense. But several campground/RV park laundry rooms have signs saying “Don’t use more than 2 washers/dryers at a time” so that units are available for other campers. That makes sense if it’s a busy day with many folks in the laundromat. But it does NOT make sense if you’re the only person in the room and you have 4 loads to do. Why not do all 4 loads while nobody’s in there, so I can have all of them finished before the next user arrives? If I do two loads at a time, I’m there twice as long. And so is the next person who comes in with 4 loads, when I could have been finished before their arrival! Campgrounds need to rethink the logic of this policy.
And if I come in 2 minutes after your 4 loads have started, I am supposed to wait but you could not?
At least the laundries who post “rules” try to remind users to think about other customers. Those who don’t have rules likely don’t want to have to enforce them.
I never leave laundry unattended. In college I had a load dumped on floor and one stolen. I bring plenty of change, detergent and reading material. Yes, I am one who uses 2-3 loads at a time,but I go very early when it’s cool and less crowded . I believe in first come first serve. There’s been many times when I they are full and I come back another day. Like I said wait your turn.
Hhmmm. This discusion sounds strangely like the ones about campground courtesy. Could it be the same culprits in each case?
Friends think we are nuts, but we actually like going the public laundromats when travelling. We do look at online ratings, and prefer those with an attendant. We have never had to wait for a washer or dryer. We actually like talking to the locals — have met some interesting people and gotten some great suggestions on places to eat and see while in town. Just one more adventure!
Agree! I get my laundry done faster and most people are very friendly and interested in where I’m from and share interesting stories and places to go in their town.
Best laundromat I ever went to was on Hatteras Island, NC. My girlfriend and I took a cooler with us, popped open a beer each and looked around. Imagine our surprise when we found a pinball machine and a new air hockey machine in a side room. We had a great time while the laundry finished.
The campground I lived at for the better part of two years had machines that used an app to pay…it was wonderful. I knew if there were machines available before I headed to the building, I had a timer I could look at to know how much more time was on the machine, and if I thought the dryer needed more time, I could add it without going there. It spoiled me. But when I needed to wash large loads, comforters or dog beds I went to the one in town.
Basket on the washer means it’s hers?
Reminds me of a stay at Kalaloch (sp) NFS park on the wa. coast. Pulled in got a spot, put my ticket in the required slot for payment.
There was a cardboard box on the picnic table. Sure enough some idiot pounds on our door and says it’s his campsite.
There was much more, but I’ll leave it at that….
What a world……..
Oh and the ranger was busted for stealing cash from the campers later….
I guess I should go back to the laundry title. No body out there has to worry about me and washers-dryers. I always pack too much of everything, clothes included.
I just can’t change my ways. I usually wear one pair of shorts for a week or more. I change my socks etc. unless I’m sitting in hot springs and for a few days.
I do understand all you other folks, but it isn’t much different from facilities in cities, some folks are courteous, others are (fill in the blanks)……sadly…….
We are full time. I try to do my laundry during the week, earlier in the day, so people who may be working have machines available on the weekend. Also, I have a wagon to put all my stuff in. Friends gifted it to me. Best gift ever!! My tip: just use common sense, be courteous.
We got a wagon and it is the handiest thing with multiple uses. Wouldn’t leave home without it!
When I am using the CG washers and dryers I leave a large piece of paper with my name, my space # and my cellphone # on the washer(s) or dryer(s) in case I don’t get back in a timely manner to unload my laundry. And some RV parks have Bluetooth applications that let you know when your washer or dryer is done which is pretty handy to use.
Here’s a “rule” for the campground/laundry owners: Post the amount of time the washers and dryers take. It’s different at every facility. But knowing that the washer takes 35 minutes and the dryer gives you 14 minutes per quarter helps both those who are doing their laundry and those who wait. It helps people be courteous and reduces frustration.
Wow – lots of comments and a touchy subject. The campground we stayed at did not have any place to sit. The chairs that were suppose to be there were taken by others for the shuffleboard area. I timed it so I could come back when my loads were done.
Everyone has a cell phone. They have clocks, timers, alarms etc. Figure out how to use them. The machine says load will take, say, 30 minutes. Be back to remove your load in time.
last time I needed the super large one. The load stopped, I got a basket and unloaded the washer and did my load. When mine was almost finished the previous user finally came and blew a gasket. I had no right to remove her clothes yah yah yah. I told her she was lucky I didn’t put them in the waste basket. There are others that need a machine and others that occupy this earth.
Look for a sign stating laundromat open hours. Then follow those rules! There may also be signs regarding the use of detergent pods and where to use them. I work in a campground where we check every hour. Wet or dry clothes left in machines when others need to use them will be removed to a stack on a table.
We use cg laundry. I hang dry most of our clothes, use dryers for sheets and towels. If pet bedding needs cleaning, I vacuum it, then hand-clean it with ‘Tough Stuff’ and a scrub brush, then hang it to dry. One visit to laundry last summer, a neighbor was sitting waiting for her clothes to wash. So I decided to sit & wait. She then informed me that her neighbor who wasn’t there was next in line to use them. She was in a class A which I’m sure had a w/d in it!! I did the right thing and waited ‘my turn’ but feel if you’re not willing to sit and wait or arrive unprepared, you snooze, you lose. No one is better than the other. We all pay the same for our sites and laundry room use.
I can probably count on 2 hands the number of times we have used an RV park laundry. Mainly because we seldom camp in RV parks, but in public campgrounds with no laundry facilities. But also because we like to do all of a week’s laundry, including sheets and towels, in one 2-hour block of time. We often stop at a laundromat in a shopping center with a grocery store, so we can both wash and shop in that 2-hour block. Then we head to our out-of-town cg. with a week’s worth of groceries, as well as a week’s worth of clean clothes and linens. We did that with our travel trailer and fifth wheel, but it’s been especially valuable traveling in a (short, easily parked) motorhome with no toad!
Please don’t assume that a Class A or large 5er has a washer/dryer. We don’t, and don’t want one. Whether tent camping or traveling in a 40 footer, we all have the same rights to use cg facilities.
Thank you, Gail! 🙂 I have used laundry facilities at campgrounds (including at the REV Group’s factoryservice center) and set an alarm based on the time displayed when I started the washer. The washers are much larger than the one in our RV, so I may do a single load in the laundromat rather than 2 or even 3 loads in the RV. Generally though, I use the washer and dryer in the RV, or wait until we get home. Thanks for the discussion! Safe travels! 🙂
While seldom using a laundromat on trips, I’ve seen an amazing lack of consideration at times when I have. Once, 6 dryers sat full of dry clothes for 30 minutes before the owner of the clothes showed up. She didn’t seem to be concerned at all.
All the rules posted mean one thing. Give others what you expect for yourself.