Washing Machine Temperatures

[LesBrass]

Hello - I'm hoping that one of your clever folks can help me out.

I've bought a new sleeping bag and the washing instructions say wash in a bath in warm water... my back pack had the same advice. And I notice that my tech t-shirts say wash at 30oc.

I know last year I had a t-shirt shrink from a 40oc wash at Roncesvalles (my fault for not checking) but I wonder how many washing machines do all their default wash at 40oc... and what happens if there are bed-bugs and the albergue suggest washing all your gear in a hot wash?

Has anyone done this and if so where there any problems?

I'm just thinking out loud really... but curious nonetheless

 

[Anniesantiago]

Personally, I would not wash ANYTHING I can't afford to lose in one of those Spanish washing machines.
Two years ago, I had a nice felted wool sweater that had survived several Caminos and several hot water washings at home.
My nice landlady in Santiago decided to wash it for me.
It ended up about the size of my 5 year old granddaughter!
I was soooooo sad -

That said, if you get the bugs, you have to wash everything.
I've also heard (but don't know if it's true) that items can go to a dry cleaner.
I don't know the answer except to plan ahead by spraying your gear with permethrin, and keeping your eyes wide open for bedbug sign, avoiding any place that exhibits that sign.

 

[Tincatinker]

I've also heard (but don't know if it's true) that items can go to a dry cleaner.

Carbon Tetrachloride, the most commonly used solvent in 'Dry-cleaners' may well kill the dread bugs. It will kill most life-forms on the planet with sufficient exposure. 'Dry-cleaning' sleeping bags is a risk issue / known hazard to professional dry-cleaners because of the potential residual CCI4. 48 hours of airing is recommended.

Most 'tech' gear has a recommended wash temperature of 30c and 'dry-cleaning' will destroy the silver-oxide 'anti-bacterial' properties of most of the common 'tech' fabrics.

My washing machine has a 30c setting but thats not much use to me on Camino.

As we all know the sensible approach to the bug problem is prevention/avoidance not cure; and stick everything in the freezer for a fortnight when you get home.

 

[C clearly]

The best way to kill the bed bugs is to expose them to a temperature of 50 degree heat for 30 minutes or so. That typically means the cloth should be dry and then get 30 minutes in the hot dryer, since the heat will first go into evaporating the water before it raises the temperature of the fabric to 50 degrees. We usually like to wash the items first but then they need more time in the dryer. When I'm on the camino and fear bedbugs, I put my sleeping bag in the dryer without washing it.

I have put my synthetic bag in a 60 degree dryer, with no problem. All my camino clothes get treated to that, but I accept the risk. My rain pants lost some bits of seam-sealing-tape in a 60-degree dryer, but otherwise everything has survived reasonable well. My view is that if it can't survive that, it doesn't belong on the camino!

I have also tumble dried my backpack. That undoubtedly killed any bedbugs, but now my pack has an S-shaped back panel when it was meant to be straight. I'm looking for a replacement!

Now I protect my backpack from bedbugs by putting it in a large airtight bag in the albergue, and during the day I enclose my sleeping bag and night clothes in another bag inside the pack. Then the likelihood of loose bedbugs in or on my backpack is quite low.

When I get home, everything gets either 40 minutes in a hot dryer, or a week in a freezer, or a very careful inspection.

 

[LesBrass]

Thanks for the suggestions folks. When I came home the last two times I left my sack and most of the contents I couldn't wash in the garage, and it stayed there over winter. It get's pretty cold here in winter with plenty of -6 nights... it's worked so far.

It was really because the Cleaning 101 information for new quilt says dont hot tumble dry as it can melt the fabric... I'm happy to put it in the freezer but whilst on route I guess prevention is going to be the very best policy I do store my sleep gear in it's own bag so perhaps I can give this a spray/soak in permethrin?

Maybe I'll give it a soak in a permethrin too? I think I might email the company and see what they say?

Thanks again for the ideas, in the last 2 trips I've not had a problem so hopefully it will never be an issue!

 

[LesBrass]

WOW... quick reply from Enlightened Equipment! I think I'll be buying and treating the quilt with Sawyer Permethrin and following all the other good advice on here for detection and prevention!

Hi



Usually what people do is just use permethrin on there quilt. I know Sawyer permethrin is down safe. I would not use heat when drying my quilt and very little when washing it as you could melt the fabric. Sorry I do not have a better solution for you than to just use permethrin but so far it is the only way to eliminate bed bugs without damaging the quilt. Let me know if you have any other questions.



EE

 

[Amadis]

Hello - I'm hoping that one of your clever folks can help me out.

I've bought a new sleeping bag and the washing instructions say wash in a bath in warm water... my back pack had the same advice. And I notice that my tech t-shirts say wash at 30oc.

I know last year I had a t-shirt shrink from a 40oc wash at Roncesvalles (my fault for not checking) but I wonder how many washing machines do all their default wash at 40oc... and what happens if there are bed-bugs and the albergue suggest washing all your gear in a hot wash?

Has anyone done this and if so where there any problems?

I'm just thinking out loud really... but curious nonetheless

Do most of the albergues have washing machines? Just curious because I can't live without a washing machine for more than 12 hours.

 

[dougfitz]

Do most of the albergues have washing machines? Just curious because I can't live without a washing machine for more than 12 hours.

12 hours. Really? You will find some form of laundry everywhere, but not necessarily a washing machine.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Do most of the albergues have washing machines? Just curious because I can't live without a washing machine for more than 12 hours.

No, they do not.
You can, however, wash your clothes by hand in the cold water sinks that are provided.

 

[annakappa]

Do most of the albergues have washing machines? Just curious because I can't live without a washing machine for more than 12 hours.

Why????

 

[Amadis]

No, they do not.
You can, however, wash your clothes by hand in the cold water sinks that are provided.

O.K. I was being a bit naughty...yes... I can wash by hand. My only worry is...will things dry by the morning?
I will be travelling in July.

 

[Anniesantiago]

:::rubbing the crystal ball:::
Maybe

 

[dougfitz]

My only worry is...will things dry by the morning?

Who can tell? In Apr, wearing slightly damp clothes was always a possibility when they were hand washed. Things might be better in July if the weather is kind to you. Just don't ask for a forecast of that just yet!

 

[newfydog]

It is amazing how quickly a damp shirt dries out, assuming of course, you survive the jolt of putting it on.

 

[Susan Peacock]

a few additional laundry comments:
1) be sure and wash and dry your clothing and socks in hot water before you go. I hung my wool socks when training and they shrunk so small I could not wear them when they were washed/dried at an albergue.
2) if the albergue is doing your laundry be sure to pin your socks together. We learned this the hard way.....lost sock.
3) do your laundry right away when getting to the albergue. Having it in the sun for a few hours before sunset certainly helps with the drying.
4) On the occasion that its raining and you can't do laundry....just dry clean it....put it in a ziplock, add some powder, shake and let it percolate until morning..... and yes we did have to do this a couple of times. No one seemed to notice. I'm guessing they were wearing dirty clothes also.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Do not machine wash a down bag. It will clump the down and with the extra water it can tear up the baffling. I hand wash and dry my bags with the sun or low heat before going into a dryer to finish the job. Static electricity in the dryer helps fluff up the down again.

Cold will kill bedbugs but it has to be kept at 0 degrees F or -18 degrees C for about 4 days. I used the black bag in the sun trick in the summer and now I'm keeping the bag in the back of the car for the winter. Winter may not kill any bugs that managed to remain alive through the summer but I feel better that any that may be there are having a rotten time. When it gets warm again it will be time for the spray.

 

[Robo]

Do most of the albergues have washing machines? Just curious because I can't live without a washing machine for more than 12 hours.

Sounds like the Camino will be an interesting life Changing experience for you

Don't worry about the small stuff. You'll learn to cope

 

[Nanc]

C Clearly- you've mentioned a water tight bag to hang your pack- is that like a "dry bag"? weight?
wouldn't a strap to hang it off the bunk do the same to prevent bed bugs?

also Susan, when you talk of powder in a zip lock bag to dry clean are you talking about the Woolite etc commercial dry cleaner sachets?

whew- my basic wear seems reasonably pared down but as we talk electric adapter splitters and dry clean chemicals and power packs for cell phones and front loaders and and and it seems like the weight would double under all the little incidentals?
nanc

 

[annakappa]

O.K. I was being a bit naughty...yes... I can wash by hand. My only worry is...will things dry by the morning?
I will be travelling in July.

There are always drying lines or drying racks in the albergues. If you squeeze out properly, your clothes will probably be dry in a couple of hours in July.

 

[Robo]

There are always drying lines or drying racks in the albergues. If you squeeze out properly, your clothes will probably be dry in a couple of hours in July.

My shirts dry in about an hour or less. Of course it helps if you buy ultra lite gear that dries fast!

 

[dougfitz]

Don't worry about the small stuff. You'll learn to cope

I don't know, @Robo, I always felt it was more important to worry about washing the smalls than anything else.

 

[C clearly]

I don't know, @Robo, I always felt it was more important to worry about washing the smalls than anything else.

And those may be the only things you have control over.

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Walked in April/May last year and everything was dry overnight even without heating. Only had a dampish moment at O'Cebreiro.

 

[Robo]

Walked in April/May last year and everything was dry overnight even without heating. Only had a dampish moment at O'Cebreiro.

There is a great little laundry service there in one of the shops.

 

[marbuck]

If you use a washing machine always check your pockets. I forgot my passport in the pocket of my shorts at Condom in France last year. That was the end of our Camino, back to Paris for a week, at great expense, to be issued with an emergency passport. But it was not all bad, it means we have to return to France this year to finish our Camino. Any excuse to go back to France.

 

[t2andreo]

WOW... quick reply from Enlightened Equipment! I think I'll be buying and treating the quilt with Sawyer Permethrin and following all the other good advice on here for detection and prevention!

Hi



Usually what people do is just use permethrin on there quilt. I know Sawyer permethrin is down safe. I would not use heat when drying my quilt and very little when washing it as you could melt the fabric. Sorry I do not have a better solution for you than to just use permethrin but so far it is the only way to eliminate bed bugs without damaging the quilt. Let me know if you have any other questions.



EE

WOW! Thanks for the lead to Enlightened Equipment. They make some very good gear. I am looking at a quilt right now. But, I do not know if it will happen this year, or next. We shall see.

Thanks again!

 

[C clearly]

C Clearly- you've mentioned a water tight bag to hang your pack- is that like a "dry bag"? weight?
wouldn't a strap to hang it off the bunk do the same to prevent bed bugs?

I use a large "pack liner" (yes, like a dry bag) with a foldover closing, that my full pack fits inside. It weighs 140 g and is a bit of a luxury for me. You could even use a garbage bag if you promise not to be rustling it early in the morning! I put almost everything into it at night, it is neatly enclosed and I don't have things strewn about, and I can even pick the whole thing up easily and take it out into a common area to open and rummage around early in the morning.

Hanging your backpack from the bunk wouldn't serve the purpose, because bedbugs could easily walk from the bunk to strap to the the bag (if they wanted to). Then, there isn't always a convenient way to hang something from the bunk, and even if there is, the other occupant might be using it. Sometimes a backpack hanging like that can be a nuisance for people moving around the beds.

All this said, most people don't seem to do any of this, and most of them don't get bedbug bites. My experience has been different - bedbugs seem to like me, and I'm a person who reacts to their bites, so I've been bitten when no one else has. That's why I'm more careful now.

 

[LesBrass]

@t2andreo ... I can't take all the credit. There was an old thread on this forum about who had the lightest quilt... that sent me off looking at the various options... and it was @Dutch that I think mentioned it first... and then gave me a big thumbs up about his quilt... but I'm really looking forward to getting mine

 

[Susan Peacock]

C Clearly- you've mentioned a water tight bag to hang your pack- is that like a "dry bag"? weight?
wouldn't a strap to hang it off the bunk do the same to prevent bed bugs?

also Susan, when you talk of powder in a zip lock bag to dry clean are you talking about the Woolite etc commercial dry cleaner sachets?

whew- my basic wear seems reasonably pared down but as we talk electric adapter splitters and dry clean chemicals and power packs for cell phones and front loaders and and and it seems like the weight would double under all the little incidentals?
nanc

We had a small thing of Monkey Butt powder (yes that's really what it's called) that we used for all sorts of smells. We were just improvising, when we used it to "dry clean" our clothes.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hello - I'm hoping that one of your clever folks can help me out. I've bought a new sleeping bag and the washing instructions say wash in a bath in warm water... my back pack had the same advice. And I notice that my tech t-shirts say wash at 30oc. I know last year I had a t-shirt shrink from a 40oc wash at Roncesvalles (my fault for not checking) but I wonder how many washing machines do all their default wash at 40oc... and what happens if there are bed-bugs and the albergue suggest washing all your gear in a hot wash?

I am in agreement about only washing gear that really needs to be washed. I was lucky I avoided the dreaded bed bugs but at Rabanal they put the sleeping bag in their hot drier for 30 or 45 mins (maybe longer) which killed the bugs and eggs. The rest of the pilgrim's gear was hand wash with a hot water rinse (as I recall) and then again given the drier treatment, or left in the hot sun.

Of course the mantra should be to double check the albergue bed BEFORE agreeing to stay there. One pilgrim I know sprays the bed with insect repellent (if in doubt about the bugs) then waits 10 minutes, if the little fellows come out then he/she tells the hostpitalero and moves on to a cleaner place. Cheers

 

[C clearly]

Of course the mantra should be to double check the albergue bed BEFORE agreeing to stay there.

That's a good thing to do. But probably the majority of bedbugs are hiding in the cracks and crevices in the building walls and floors, waiting for us to get into bed where they will follow!

 

[mcopeland]

@t2andreo ... I can't take all the credit. There was an old thread on this forum about who had the lightest quilt... that sent me off looking at the various options... and it was @Dutch that I think mentioned it first... and then gave me a big thumbs up about his quilt... but I'm really looking forward to getting mine

I'm wondering why we would need a quilt. We're walking late April-May/June.

 

[C clearly]

I'm wondering why we would need a quilt. We're walking late April-May/June.

I'm pretty sure the quilt is being used as an alternative to a sleeping bag.

 

[J F Gregory]

If you use micro-fiber towels while traveling. roll your freshly washed clothes in them to get out the excess water then hang to dry it works and clothing dries faster.

 

[LesBrass]

I'm pretty sure the quilt is being used as an alternative to a sleeping bag.

Yes, it is