There is nothing better than hammock camping in the great outdoors. After a few camping trips though you might be wondering how you’re supposed to keep your hammock clean and best ways to wash or clean your camping hammock.
To help with cleaning your camping hammock we created this simple and easy how-to guide on cleaning a camping hammock.
- Read the care and cleaning instruction for your hammock to determine if it can be machine washed or if it needs to be hand-washed.
- Remove the carabiners from your hammock.
- If your hammock can be machine washed use a front load washing machine only, using a mild detergent, and setting the washer on the most delicate cycle available.
- If your hammock must be hand washed do not machine wash.
- To hand-wash first, rinse away any surface dirt on the hammock.
- Then fill a bathtub or kitchen sink with slightly warm water adding a mild detergent or dishwashing liquid.
- Place the hammock in the water and using your hands agitate the hammock in the soapy water for approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
- Then run your hammock under fresh water until no soap suds can be seen.
- Never dry your hammock in the dryer.
- Always hang and air dry your hammock.
Hopefully, the above basic steps have given you a good general idea about the best way to clean your camping hammock but if you are looking for more detailed information about cleaning your camping hammock then continue reading on.
How to Clean a Camping Hammock
Gentle and cautious are the two words you want to keep in mind when washing your camping hammock.
This is because it can be very easy to ruin or damage your camping hammocks when washing due to it’s thin and lightweight materials.
Start By Knowing Your Hammock and its Care Instructions
When washing or cleaning your camping hammock one of the most important steps in the process is to know the specific care and cleaning instructions for your particular hammock.
As it’s very easy to ruin or destroy your camping hammock by not following the care instructions for your particular hammock.
For example, some hammocks its completely fine and recommended to machine wash your camping hammock however for other hammocks, machine washing would absolutely ruin them.
So first things first read those care instructions carefully and make sure you know your camping hammock.
Don’t Forget to Remove the Carabiners from your Camping Hammock
Whether you plan to machine wash or hand wash your camping hammock make sure to remove the carabiners or metal clips first before washing.
By doing this you make sure that your carabiners will not rip or puncture your thin hammock fabric when washing the hammock.
Also while your carabiners are detached don’t forget to give them a clean as well. A damp rag with a little mild detergent or dish soap will do wonders in removing the dirt and grime from them and keeping them looking like new and working properly.
Machine Washing a Camping Hammock
If your camping hammock can be machine washed then the process is very easy with only a few things to keep in mind.
The most important thing to remember when machine washing a hammock is gentle and soft is the name of the game.
Even though your camping hammock might be machine washable in general the fabric and stitching can still be damaged especially over time if you don’t use a gentle touch when machine washing your camping hammock.
As mentioned above the next thing to do is to remove the carabiners from your hammock.
Also if your camping hammock has a bug net its also advisable to remove this as well. This usually can be thrown in the washer as well but having it separated from the hammock will reduce the chances of stressing the stitching and zippers during the washing process.
Another point to keep in mind if your planning to machine wash your camping hammock is whether or not you have a top load or front load washing machine.
Be aware that many manufacturers recommend machine washing your camping hammock in a front load washer only. The reason for this is that if you use a top load washing machine there is a chance that your hammock could get wrapped around the center agitator potentially ruining your hammock.
The last two things to keep in mind is the type of soap to use and the proper washing machine settings.
In regards to soap, the best thing to use is a mild detergent. Never use any kind of bleach on your camping hammock. Lastly when selecting the washing machine settings you want to look for and use the gentlest cycle your washing machine has available.
Hand Washing a Camping Hammock
If your camping hammock cannot be machine washed then don’t even think about machine washing it unless you want to be in the market for a new hammock.
Also, a point worth mentioning here is that if you know yourself and know that you’re not the type of person that is going to hand wash your hammock a good selection criterion for your next hammock would be to make sure the camping hammock can be machine washed.
When handwashing a camping hammock, in essence, you are recreating a machine wash cycle you are just doing it by hand.
So to begin with you first want to remove any dirt or particulates from the hammock by running it under mild or warm water never use hot water when washing your camping hammock.
Once this is complete you want to fill either your kitchen sink, a large bucket, or even your bathtub with warm water and either a mild detergent or dish soap.
Once the container is filled you simply want to hand agitate your camping hammock underwater for 5 to 10 minutes to remove any additional dirt and grime from the hammock’s fabric.
Finally, you want to run the hammock underwater until you no longer see soap suds or bubbles coming from the hammock.
Drying Your Camping Hammock
Whether your camping hammock can be machine washed or must be hand washed never use a dryer to dry your camping hammock. As a dryer even on the most gentle of settings will expose your camping hammock to way more heat than the hammock can handle.
Instead when you have your camping hammock washed and nice and clean the best way to dry it is to simply hang it outside if the weather is nice or if not indoors to allow it to naturally air dry.
The nice thing is due to the material of a camping hammock it will dry very quickly usually in less than 20 minutes.
Storing Your Camping Hammock
Once your camping hammock is completely dry the only thing left to do is to reattach the bug net and carabiners you removed from the hammock during the washing process.
Then simply store your nice fresh and clean camping hammock back in its storage bag so that it’s ready to go for your next epic hammock camping adventure.
Want to know the best ways to stay comfortable in your camping hammock? Check out our article “Is Hammock Camping Comfortable? 5 Best Practices“.
