Campground Laundry Facilities: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

RV Life

Five washing machines along the wall in a laundry area - campground laundry

The Pros & Cons Of Using Campground Laundry Facilities

Should you be using campground laundry facilities? Laundry day on the road is even more dreaded than laundry day at home. We all have to do it, so let’s see what laundry day at the campground looks like.

It’s easy to forget about daily chores when you’re camping, but we do still need to be adults at some point. If you’re spending more than a weekend at the campground, odds are you’ll have to deal with laundry.

Every day at the campground, laundry piles up just as it does at home. Add in smoky campfire clothes and swimsuits, and laundry day may come sooner than you think. Many RVs do not have washers and dryers, so laundry can become an issue.

The majority of serviced parks have laundry facilities for campers. However, they are hot, noisy rooms filled with coin-hungry machines and impatient campers. It’s not all bad though, and being able to do laundry on-site is worth it to most people.

Laundry day is going to come whether you are ready for it or not, so let’s look at the pros and cons of campground laundry facilities.

Pros of doing your laundry at the campground

You’ve put it off as long as you can—the pile is growing by the day, and it’s time to hit the campground laundry room. Anyone who has spent any time in campgrounds has probably used these facilities. Most will agree there are some pros.

On-site convenience

The number one pro of campground facilities is, of course, the convenience. If you have an extended stay at a campground, you are going to have laundry to deal with, so why not do it right there?

The alternatives are leaving to visit a laundromat or taking it home to do if you’re close enough. For those without a separate tow vehicle or tow-behind vehicle, this means breaking camp to make a trip out. For most people, this isn’t worth any benefit you might find in other laundry services.

Smaller loads

Sometimes you need laundry facilities before you have a full load. If something gets stained or there is an article of clothing you want that day, being able to do it right away is nice. A big cleanup in the kitchen may use up all your dishcloths, or a family pool day leaves you with no towels.

If you are leaving for laundry, you will only be doing so with a full load. Although it isn’t the best use of the machines, having them there for a quick small wash is a pro for sure.

Meet your neighbors

Although hanging out in the laundry room might not be what you’d like to be doing, there will be other RVers in the same position.

Laundry facilities can be the coffee shops of campgrounds, and they are often a place of great conversation. If you have to be stuck doing laundry, you might as well engage with others doing the same. You never know what connections you’ll make and who you’ll meet through a simple hello in the laundry room.

Cons of campground laundry facilities

It’s not all soft towels and fresh-smelling Bounce sheets; campground laundry has its cons.

Getting the timing right

As convenient as having laundry on site is, just because it’s there doesn’t mean you can do it whenever you want. Campground laundry rooms can be busy places, especially during the peak season.

When you’re on vacation, waiting in line at the washing machines isn’t the ideal way to spend your time. Your laundry seems to take forever when you’re waiting for it to finish, and even longer when you’re waiting for someone else’s.

Not being able to do your laundry when you want or missing out on something while waiting for laundry is a con that comes with campground laundry.

All those coins

When you think about a laundromat, you automatically think of a pocket full of coins. In today’s world, not often do we have much cash on us, let alone coins.

Unfortunately, most machines only take coins, and you will have to plan for that. Most facilities will have a change machine or provide change in the camp store. You will still likely need cash to exchange, so make sure to have some with you.

Campgrounds are slowly moving away from coin machines, so if you’re lucky, you can pay using a card or app. You should check with your campground before you arrive so you can have coins with you if needed.

Are campground laundry facilities your best option?

When we leave our homes, there are things we give up for the freedom of an RV. Private laundry is one of those things most of us have to sacrifice when RVing.

Without laundry machines in your RV, your options for getting it done are limited. You can use the campground facilities, take it off-site to a laundromat, or take enough clothes, bedding, towels, and dishcloths on your trip so you don’t need to do laundry.

There are some things you can do to make laundry days go a little smoother and be less of a chore:

Take rolled coins so you don’t have to wait for change.
Buy your laundry soap before getting to the campground to save some money.
Have a convenient way to store and carry your laundry. Collapsing laundry baskets are a great option.
Bring a book or game to play to pass the time.

Campground laundry facilities, although not the most exciting place at the campground, are convenient and essential for extended stays. If you plan ahead and watch for slower times in the laundry facilities, you’ll be back to the pool in no time!

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