Posts tagged cleaning
A sleeping bag will eventually need a cleaning. How do you proceed, in particular according to the different materials?
Pictured below is my knife sharpener. I’d like to sharpen my knives, but there’s so much metal built up on the stones that it won’t sharpen. How can I clean these off? Attempts with cloths and Q-ti...
I have purchased some outdoor clothing made of 83% merino wool. The manufacturer states in their care instructions to "use regular detergents, not wool detergents". What is the reason for them reco...
I have never found a good answer to this one: How do you clean rock-climbing shoes, without ruining them? Let me be more specific. I have a pair of modern leather-and-fancy-rubber climbing sho...
I use a regular hydration pack. I had given to a friend of mine to use it as she had her pack leaking. I guess she filled it with some sort of refreshment/flavored sports drink, and that has caused...
Similar to this question, but mildew tends to be very resistant to removal. I sadly failed to keep my tent dry enough, and now it has a couple of mildew spots. They're not bad, but I would rather...
When you find large trash items left by others in less accessible places, what should be done? The exact scenario: We were hiking a ten mile trail on US Forestry Service land with river crossings ...
When coming back from a day of hiking and eating I often notice that the top of the straw of my water bottle is dirty on the inside. I've come across quite a few options to clean the inside of the...
Basically as the title states. I placed my tent under a tree at the weekend to give a bit of respite against the torrential rain while setting it up. Said rain has mixed with sap laden leaves (whic...
Poison oak season has begun around here, with fields full of the nasty stuff growing everywhere. I tend to dress conservatively in areas I know have poison oak, to avoid getting exposed in the firs...
There are times when I just barely miss getting sprayed by a skunk (there are a lot of them in my area). I haven't actually gotten directly sprayed, but I would like to be ready in case that happen...
I've been climbing for a few months and my gym sells old rental shoes at a discounted rate. I bought some as a cheap way to get started. I always wear socks when I climb but I've noticed the majori...
When using a CamelBak (or other hydration bladder system), it is easy for mold to grow if the bladder is left sitting with water in it. What is the best way to avoid mold (or other nasties) growing...
I took my sandals out of storage in the basement today because it's two-hobbits-just-threw-a-ring-into-my-room kind of hot in here and outside, too. The problem is that they have mold on them. How...
When backpacking in a coastal region, you sometimes have access to both fresh water (e.g. a stream) and salt water (sea, bay, etc.). If you do not treat the water used for washing dishes, what are...
This is a common problem during wild camping or survival activity, especially during colder seasons. You are tired, you have lost a lot of calories during day, and now you want to wash, but the onl...
I have a pair of water shoes with a thick rubber sole and a neoprene upper. They provide good protection from coral cuts, stonefish etc. In the past I've used these in the Ontario wilderness (f...
I have heard that the oils from poison oak, poison ivy, or poison sumac can remain on clothes even through a wash cycle. After hiking through an area with poison ivy (or poison oak/poison sumac), h...
I have just pulled my old Molle rucksack (5.11 Rush 72) out of storage and it is has a white/grey mould running through the fabric. What is the best way to make this rucksack suitable for use ag...
I have a bunch of dirty hard-shell pants and jackets. Are these safe to put in the washer and dryer? If not, how should I clean them?
The bite valve on my Osprey water bladder is covered in a black mould. It's not very old and this is the second valve I've had on this. It seems to be impossible to remove and seems to grow no ...
I was wonder how long it takes plastic to biodegrade and if there is anything a person can or should do to facilitate the process for plastics in the outdoors. I know that optimally "Carry in, Car...
After using tape gloves for crack climbing, I always have some tape gunk left over on my skin. While it doesn't hurt and goes away a few days of rigorous scrubbing, it doesn't look super great at t...
hopefully this is not a duplicate as I've searched for an answer on here before posting. I found this but there seems to be conflicting views on certain aspects of the question. What I would like ...
I know I shouldn't indulge in something like going on a beach while wearing shoes with breathable fabric. But, it happened the other day and now I still feel like there is some sand hidden somewhe...
I got a fairly bad cut on my leg, not quite bad enough for stitches but will probably leave a scar. I have a camping trip planned this weekend at a lake where we will go swimming and kayaking. I ex...
I've got athlete's foot after having my feet in the same boots for extended periods of time. How can I disinfect my wool hiking socks to prevent this from spreading and reinfecting my feet?
When I was searching for boat inspection plates amazon example I saw a review where someone had bought one to install in the top of their RV fresh water tank to make cleaning inside easy. I though...
For our little baby's merino wool overtrousers-diapers we use Lanolin, which is absolutely recommendes by all producers of this kind of overtrousers. My question has two parts: I have googled thi...
I bought some nikwax Down Wash to wash my sudden coat. Out of interest I compared it to a bottle of Nikwax Tech Wash. They appear to contain identical ingredients : contains among over ingred...
I love hiking but there is a serious problem - I find it disgusting to be sweaty or dirty. I am literally unable to function properly if I do not get a thorough and warm shower every morning. This...
Hiking in winter near urban areas, it’s difficult to avoid getting salty snow/slush on one’s boots. Of course, the first rule is to rinse it off immediately, and not to let it soak in. But someti...
I have a Mammut jacket that's made with their DRYtech 2-layer material. It's been used quite a bit but still appears to have a lot of life left in it. However it's acquired a weird smell, not unlik...
Some background. Whilst car camping down in Weymouth recently I was unfortunate enough to encounter a stomach bug (we initially thought it was food poisoning but later realised it was a bug as my o...
How can I clean my hiking boots after any hike I made and how can I clean them after extended use e.g. multi day hike? How can i clean them back home and on the field?
I have a Foam Helmet, made for climbing. Its kinda old and looks like it needs a wash. The Helmet is old, and so is the foam. Roughly a bit more than 3 years now. With other foam-made things that ...
I'm looking for a good solution for clothing (or clothes washing) on long hikes with the following considerations Southeastern United States, Appalachians We hike light 10+ day trips I don't wa...
How can I prevent (re-)infecting myself from my barefoot shoes? The obvious answer would be not to wear them while I am infected, but taken that aside, are there possibilities to clean/disinfect th...
How can I prevent (re-)infecting myself from my barefoot shoes? The obvious answer would be not to wear them while I am infected, but taken that aside, are there possibilities to clean/disinfect th...
Related: What size dry bag is best for keeping and washing clothes? Washing clothes on long hikes After reading the first question above, I'm wondering to myself, is there an effective "bag method...
I was checking these small hand powered or electric powered washing machines, such as this one, and I was wondering if they are actually effective. Do they wash properly? Are they worth the price?
Most of us go around, doing different physical activities. Whether it is indoors or outdoors, the common factor is that we often sweat, make our muscles, joints, tendons, ligament, etc work harder ...
When I go climbing indoors I typically wear my climbing shoes without socks because this gives me slightly better control over my feet while climbing which I particularly need in overhangs. The pr...
Of course, the best way is to prevent mold on a tent from occurring by airing, cleaning and storing it appropriately. When doing this I've never had any issues. However, there may well be cases wh...
What are the advantages of hand sanitizer over soap on a backpacking trip? Do they fulfill the same purpose? What would you recommend for hand sanitization?
My white full Dyneema backpack is old and dirty and stained. How do I clean it? Can I wash it in chlorine bleach or some other fabric bleaching chemical? If so, how? Even if the bleaching agent d...
My Ventile jacket is getting a bit dirty. Is there anything special I need to know when washing it, or will a regular washing liquid and low temperature do?
