RV laundry hacks- Some days, I swear my toddlers change outfits more than I do in a week. Finding RV laundry hacks became a necessity the moment we started living in a camper with two messy toddlers.
One minute they’re covered in yogurt, the next they’re jumping in mud puddles, and somehow they always manage to wipe sticky hands on the only clean shirt they have left. If you’re raising little ones, you know the laundry basket is never empty—it feels like it’s a permanent part of the family.
Now imagine trying to keep up with all of that in an RV.
Over time, we’ve discovered easy ways to keep the laundry under control without letting it take over our RV. If it’s staying organized, washing fewer clothes, or making laundromat trips less of a headache, these are the RV laundry hacks that have made a big difference for our family—and I hope they’ll help yours too.
Keeping a small space organized is a huge part of making RV life work, especially when you have kids. If you’re looking for more ways to maximize every inch of your camper, check out my RV storage ideas post where I share practical tips for keeping your space organized and clutter-free.
RV Laundry Hacks: Essentials We Love
Why Laundry Is Different When You Live in an RV
When you move into an RV, you quickly realize that everyday chores work a little differently—especially laundry. Unlike a traditional home, there’s no dedicated laundry room where dirty clothes can pile up out of sight. Every towel, sock, and muddy pair of pants takes up valuable space, and it doesn’t take long before your RV starts to feel cluttered.
Living with kids makes it even more challenging. Between messy meals, outdoor adventures, and surprise outfit changes throughout the day, the laundry basket fills up much faster than you’d expect. If you don’t stay on top of it, you’re suddenly digging through piles of clothes just trying to find everyone’s favorite shirt.
The good news is that you don’t need a huge washer and dryer or a fancy setup to stay ahead of the laundry. These RV laundry hacks have helped our family keep laundry under control, even while living full-time in our RV.
Create a Dedicated Spot for Dirty Clothes
One of the easiest RV laundry hacks we’ve found is giving dirty clothes one permanent home. When everyone knows exactly where dirty laundry belongs, it keeps clothes from ending up on the bathroom floor, under the bunk beds, or tossed across the bedroom.
If you choose a slim laundry hamper, a collapsible basket, or even a hanging laundry bag, the important part is finding something that fits your space without getting in the way. We prefer storage solutions that can easily tuck into a closet or slide beside a cabinet so they aren’t taking up valuable walking space.
It may seem like a small change, but having one designated laundry spot makes the entire RV feel cleaner and helps laundry day feel much less overwhelming.
Use Laundry Baskets That Work in Small Spaces
Not every laundry basket is made for RV living. Large plastic baskets work well in a house, but they often take up too much room inside a camper. Instead, look for collapsible baskets, mesh hampers, or pop-up laundry bags that can fold flat when they’re not being used.
We also like having lightweight baskets that are easy to carry to the campground laundry room. Since storage is always limited, every item needs to serve a purpose without wasting space. Choosing a basket designed for small spaces makes a surprisingly big difference when you’re trying to stay organized.
Portable Washing Machine vs. RV Washer Dryer Combo
One of the biggest questions RV owners have is if they should invest in a portable washing machine or an RV washer dryer combo.
A portable washer and dryer setup can be a great option for families who want to wash small loads without depending completely on campground laundry rooms. These compact washing machines for RV laundry ideas are especially helpful for baby clothes, towels, swimsuits, and everyday messes.
An RV washer dryer combo offers more convenience because you can wash and dry clothes in one unit, but it requires more space and a larger investment. The best option depends on whether you’re a weekend camper, seasonal traveler, or full-time RV family.
Make Your Clothes Last Longer Between Washes
One of the easiest RV laundry hacks is learning how to make clothes last a little longer between washes. When you’re living in a small space, doing laundry every single day isn’t always realistic, especially when you’re traveling with kids. Finding simple RV laundry solutions that reduce the number of loads you need can save time, water, and energy.
Instead of tossing every item into the hamper after one wear, we try to be more intentional about what actually needs to be washed. Jeans, hoodies, pajamas, and sweatshirts can often be worn more than once if they’re still clean and fresh. For kids’ clothes, a quick spot clean can sometimes save an entire load of laundry.
We also try to hang up lightly worn clothes instead of letting them pile up in the dirty laundry basket. Having a designated spot for clothes that can be worn again is one of those simple small RV laundry ideas that helps keep our camper more organized.
With little ones, messes are inevitable, but small habits like using bibs during meals, changing into play clothes for outdoor adventures, and keeping extra layers handy can help cut down on unnecessary laundry. In RV living, every little change adds up—and spending less time doing laundry means more time enjoying your adventures together.
Hi, I’m Trisha.
The lens behind Hike Cook Share
We’re a family of five sharing RV life with toddler chaos, cozy moments, and easy family recipes.
I also create SEO-focused content, photography, and Pinterest marketing resources that help businesses connect with their ideal audience
Choose RV-Friendly Laundry Products
Choosing the right supplies is another important part of creating functional RV laundry solutions. Since storage space is limited, oversized detergent bottles and bulky laundry products can quickly take over your cabinets.
Look for compact options like laundry detergent sheets, HE detergent, stain removers, and products designed for small spaces. These laundry detergent RV ideas help you keep your laundry area organized while still having everything you need.
Simple, space-saving products are some of the best high efficiency RV laundry solutions because they help reduce clutter and make laundry easier.
Keep a Small “Laundry Emergency Kit”
When you’re living in an RV, little messes can turn into bigger problems quickly—especially when you have kids. Between muddy hiking clothes, spilled snacks, food stains, and unexpected accidents, having a few laundry essentials nearby can save you time and frustration.
One of our favorite RV laundry hacks is keeping a small laundry emergency kit stocked and ready to grab. Since storage space is limited in an RV, the goal is to keep only the items you actually need while making sure you’re prepared for those messy moments.
Here are some items we recommend keeping in your RV laundry emergency kit:
- Stain remover stick or spray – Perfect for treating food spills, grass stains, and muddy clothes before they go into the wash.
- Travel-size laundry detergent – Great for unexpected laundry needs or quick trips to the campground laundry room.
- Laundry detergent sheets – A lightweight option that takes up almost no storage space.
- Mesh laundry bags – Helpful for keeping socks, baby items, swimsuits, and smaller clothing pieces together.
- Small lint roller – Great for removing pet hair, lint, and crumbs from clothing.
- Dryer sheets or dryer balls – Easy to store and useful when using campground dryers.
- Clothespins – Handy for air drying towels, swimsuits, and lightweight clothing.
- Reusable laundry bag – Makes carrying clothes to and from campground laundry rooms much easier.
- A few quarters or laundry card – If your campground uses coin-operated machines, keeping extras ready can save you a trip.
These simple RV laundry solutions take up very little space but make a big difference when you need them. Having a small kit ready means you can handle stains, spills, and laundry emergencies without disrupting your day.
Have a Plan for Campground Laundry Days
For many RV families, campground laundry days become part of the weekly routine. Without a washer and dryer inside your RV, a trip to the campground laundry room can feel like a big task—especially when you have kids, towels, bedding, and everyone’s clothes to keep up with. Having a simple plan can make the process feel much easier and keep laundry from taking over your day.
One of our favorite RV laundry hacks is preparing everything before we ever walk into the laundry room. We keep our detergent, stain remover, dryer sheets, laundry bags, and a basket ready to go so we’re not searching through cabinets at the last minute. Having a dedicated laundry setup is one of the best RV laundry solutions because it saves time and keeps supplies organized in a small space.
We also try to choose our laundry times wisely. Going during slower hours can mean fewer people waiting for machines and less time spent sitting around. If we’re washing multiple loads, we like to bring something to do while we wait, whether it’s answering emails, planning our next adventure, or spending time with the kids.
Another helpful tip is folding clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer. Bringing clean, folded laundry back into the RV makes putting everything away much easier and prevents clean clothes from becoming another pile of clutter.
Use Vertical Space for Drying Clothes
When space is limited, using vertical space is one of the best RV laundry hacks. Not every load needs to go into a dryer, and air drying clothes can help save electricity and reduce trips to the campground laundry room.
Clotheslines, retractable drying racks, and compact drying solutions are great clothes line RV laundry ideas for campers. A small drying rack can be stored away when not in use but provides valuable space when you need it.
These simple drying rack RV laundry solutions are especially helpful for towels, swimsuits, and lightweight clothing.
Involve Kids in the Laundry Routine
Laundry may not be the most exciting chore, but when you’re living in an RV with kids, getting everyone involved can make a huge difference. In a small space, every family member contributes to keeping things organized, and even young children can help with simple laundry tasks.
One of our favorite RV laundry hacks is turning laundry into a family routine instead of something one person has to handle alone. Kids are often more capable than we give them credit for, and giving them small responsibilities helps them learn independence while making laundry feel less overwhelming.
Here are some simple laundry tasks kids can help with:
- Putting dirty clothes in the hamper – The easiest first step is teaching kids that all dirty clothes have a designated spot.
- Sorting laundry – Older kids can help separate colors, towels, or different types of clothing.
- Carrying laundry baskets – Even toddlers can help carry lightweight baskets to the laundry area or campground laundry room.
- Matching socks – A simple activity that turns folding into a game.
- Folding towels and washcloths – Small items are perfect for little hands to practice folding.
- Putting clothes away – Kids can help place their own clothes back into drawers, bins, or storage spaces.
- Helping load the washer – Older children can learn how to start the washing machine and understand the laundry routine.
When you live in an RV, these small habits are some of the best small RV laundry ideas because they help keep clutter under control while teaching kids responsibility. It also helps everyone understand that maintaining a small home is a team effort.
Laundry with kids will never be completely effortless (especially during messy toddler years!), but creating simple routines can make it feel much more manageable. Plus, spending less time catching up on laundry means more time enjoying the adventures that brought you to RV life in the first place.
Final Thoughts on RV Laundry Hacks
Living in an RV doesn’t mean laundry has to feel overwhelming. These RV laundry hacks have helped our family stay organized, reduce clutter, and spend less time worrying about laundry and more time enjoying our adventures. Whether you’re a weekend camper or living full-time in your RV, even a few of these ideas can make laundry day much easier.
How do full-time RVers do laundry?
Full-time RVers usually handle laundry by using campground laundry rooms, portable washing machines, RV washer dryer combos, or nearby laundromats. Many families create a simple routine by doing laundry on a schedule, using space-saving products like laundry detergent sheets, collapsible hampers, and drying racks. These RV laundry hacks help make laundry easier to manage when living in a small space with limited storage.
Can you have a washer and dryer in an RV?
Yes, many RVs can have a washer and dryer, depending on the available space. Larger RVs may have built-in RV washer dryer combos, while others use portable washing machines or campground laundry rooms to save space.
What are the best RV laundry hacks for small spaces?
Many RV families also reduce laundry loads by rewearing lightly used clothing, keeping a laundry emergency kit, and choosing supplies that fit their limited storage space. Small changes can make laundry day much easier when living in an RV.
Where do you store dirty clothes in an RV?
For small campers, a collapsible hamper or breathable laundry bag is one of the easiest RV laundry hacks for keeping clothes organized and preventing piles from building up around the RV.