Spending time traveling in an RV does not eliminate certain household chores. Take doing the laundry. You still need to wash your clothes. That is, unless you are okay with wearing dirty, ratty clothes that attract equal attention from wild animals and other campers. For most RVers, doing the laundry is best left for campgrounds stays.

That being said, there are certain rules of etiquette that govern campground laundromats. The rules are not necessarily set in stone unless a campground establishes its own set of written rules and posts them in the laundromat. In the absence of such rules, RV owners should make a point of practicing good etiquette.

Below are the four principles of campground laundry etiquette, compliments of Connecticut-based AirSkirts. AirSkirts makes a patented inflatable RV skirting product designed to protect RV plumbing from the elements.

1. Don’t Stuff and Run

The very first etiquette principle is to not stuff and run. In other words, do not fill a couple of machines with your laundry and walk away. Stay with your laundry. If that means you have to bring a book or crossword puzzle, then that is what you do. If you want, bring another family member and play a board game. Just stick around.

What’s the big deal? It is easy to forget about your laundry if you are not there with it. People who stuff and run have a tendency of forgetting to go back and retrieve their laundry in a timely manner. This leads to other campers waiting around for machines that are stuffed with clothes but not running.

2. Rinse Heavily Soiled Items First

Next up, it is just polite to rinse out heavily soiled items before you throw them in the washing machine. For instance, maybe you and your family have just gotten back from a few hours of ATV riding that has left your clothing caked with mud and debris. Rinsing before you put dirty items in the washing machine will reduce the risk of your laundry load leaving debris behind.

Along those same lines, it is not a bad idea to check the inside of the washing machine once your load is finished. If you find stones, large chunks of debris, or anything else, remove it. Do not leave it for the next camper to find.

3. Leave the Place Better Than You Found It

The traditional camping rule of leaving the place better than you found it certainly applies to the laundromat. In other words, do not make a mess when you are doing your laundry. If you do create any sort of mass, clean it up before you leave. There is nothing more disrespectful in the laundry arena than making a mess and leaving it for someone else to deal with.

4. Treat the Equipment with Respect

Last but not least, treat campground laundry equipment with respect. You may not own it, but someone does. That someone spent a lot of money to install washing machines and dryers. Respect that. Treat the equipment as if it were your own. And if you accidentally break something, inform the management right away. Don’t just walk away and ignore it.

In closing, AirSkirts reminds RV owners that campground laundromats are amenities offered for the benefit of all campers. It is important to always remember that you are not the only camper enjoying the campground you are staying at. Go ahead and make use of the laundromat. The campground owners want you to. But be respectful to them, their equipment, and the other campers you are sharing the laundromat with. Everyone wins when everyone demonstrates proper respect.