Dumb Newbie Camping Question: Washing Dishes?

Anything to do with camping, fundamentals, secrets, etc...

Postby b.bodemer » Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:27 am

If someone cooks then the others pitch in and they do the dishes..............

Some of the PA state parks have large double sinks set up behind the bathhouses just for washing dishes. Simply carry the dirty ones down there and use the sink like you are at home and carry the clean ones back to camp.

But usually I have some dishpans. I'll leave them stacked and just start to put the dirty dishes from a meal and then then use the other for a wash and rinse at the table.

Here are my nieces demonstrating good technique :lol:
Image

barb
User avatar
b.bodemer
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1600
Images: 319
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 5:43 pm
Location: Lakewood OH

Postby Gaelen » Sun Sep 16, 2007 10:13 am

For those who don't want to invest in dishpans (carrying my inner cheapskate from another thread), for years I used 'dishpans' that were the six inch deep rectangular boxes seafood stores get full of frozen fish. A little soap and bleach and they no longer remind you of eau de seafood...and after a few uses as a dishpan, all trace of seafood is forgotten. They stack, they come with lids, they can be frozen if used for food storage so handle temp extremes very well, and best of all, they're FREE from any place that sells fresh seafood or sells fish fry on Friday night. ;)

I've always used Dr. Bronner's soaps (peppermint, and almond mainly) while camping...thought they were biodegradeable, but that doesn't seem to show up on the label.

NY State Parks with shower houses usually have utility sinks in the restrooms/show houses there. I have an oblong bucket that I use as a dishpan, to haul dishes to the shower house sinks.
Gaelen
2006-2011: '79 SunLine Sun Spot
now: '05 Finntec homebuilt teardrop
My blogs: Life Out Loud, Kitchen Jam and Dog Trainer's Log.
Syracuse Dog Training and @gaelen2 on Twitter
User avatar
Gaelen
500 Club
 
Posts: 595
Images: 38
Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 3:09 pm
Location: Central NY

Dishwashing

Postby CAJUN LADY » Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:08 am

Image

Al:
I built a dishwashing table for that same reason. I used a 2'x4' piece of birch, rotoziped the holes (over and over) until the rubbermaid pans fit in, put 3 coats of high gloss paint on it, put an adjustable leg and brackets and it works like a charm. I do have a dish drain pan for under the dish drain, just not pictured. I will cut finger holes in the table where the handles (pans) are because when they are full of water, they get snuggly and it is a little harder to get them out to drain them. I did find some pans that have drain plugs in them at Wal Mart but I had already cut my holes so I didn't buy them. But, they would be great to use with a 5 gallon bucket under them. Hmmmm...I might have to whip out the Rotozip again.
Becca
~Cajun Lady~
User avatar
CAJUN LADY
Donating Member
 
Posts: 3822
Images: 74
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:52 pm
Location: Cajun girl stuck in Florida
Top

Re: hot water heater???

Postby pgwilli » Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:32 pm

starleen2 wrote:
Norma really likes her hot water on demand/2 sink set up....



pgwilli

Neat little hot water heater, where can I get one. could you post some info???? HaD some post on another thread about hot water heater
thnxs


Its a Coleman brand that is available at REI or you may be able to find it discounted somewhere else.
Norma has added it to the "must take gear - even if its only overnight" list :lol:
Here is a link to the manual from Coleman's site.
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/images/pdf/2300-700.pdf
Paul, Norma & the Girls
2014 Escape 21
2006 Chevy Trailblazer
User avatar
pgwilli
Lifetime member
 
Posts: 463
Images: 75
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 10:08 am
Location: Marysville, WA
Top

Postby sdtripper2 » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:07 pm

There is a calm satisfaction when hot water comes to you on demand when
you are out in the wilds. I just got my Colman on Demand rig and know
that once you have this pleasure when you are camping you will be sure
this unit will find its way always into your packing list. Just think; dishes
clean with ease and you will find so many uses for instant hot water when
out camping. Makes you really appreciate this simple pleasure.

I did much searching and found my Colman for close to a 44.00 savings.
Now sales tax was NONE and the shipping was 18.00. So even with the
shipping I saved about 25.00, from the usual price of 179.00. Now I found
these units cost more some places but the General RV parts center had the
best price for me at the time I bought.



General RV Center
800-615-1117
I bought mine Colman Hot Water On Demand Portable Water Heater on line
I user the on line order and paid no sales tax.
The pay method was PayPal and they ship via United Parcel Post (UPS).
6 Locations in Michigan

Image

Unit comes with and AC & DC adaptors for charging the internal battery.
Also has a plastic collapsible 5 gal bag for water.

Colman Hot Water On Demand Portable Water Heater $135.00 on sale reg 179.00.
This price seems to be one of the deals I found on line. Sure offsets the
shipping cost of close to 18.00.
http://store.generalrv.com/pc-966-134-h ... eater.aspx


Other options from General RV
that may or may not be beat on line from other sources.
Image
Carrying bag 20.00 on sale reg 29.95
http://store.generalrv.com/pc-967-134-carrying-bag.aspx
Image
Shower sprayer with 48" hose 16.95
http://store.generalrv.com/pc-969-134-s ... rayer.aspx
Amazon has a price of 9.99 for the Shower Sprayer
http://tinyurl.com/ypvge7
Image
Hose adapter 15.00 on sale Regular Price: $31.95
http://store.generalrv.com/pc-968-134-hose-adapter.aspx


Image
Paul (pgwilli) suggests this hose with real end fittings.
25 ft Hose $36.95
http://store.generalrv.com/pc-490-164-handi-hose.aspx

*********************************************************
Not sold at General RV
Another option that you might like is the
Coleman Bulk Propane Adapter
Last edited by sdtripper2 on Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:48 pm, edited 4 times in total.
"A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country
is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards." -------Theodore Roosevelt

Steve
User avatar
sdtripper2
Search Garoux
 
Posts: 2162
Images: 168
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2005 1:32 am
Location: California, ... San Diego
Top

Postby pgwilli » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:25 pm

The search master strikes again :thumbsup:
Before I replied, I did a quick search on "hot water on demand". Most all I got we're sites for residential inline water heaters.

Got the carry case -like it
Got the Shower head - never use it
Just got the hose adapter - I think its going to work out, but the cheap, roll up hose I took on the Mendo trip died the first night out (plastic fittings) :roll:
I see GeneralRV has a handi-hose for $36 with real fittings- http://store.generalrv.com/pc-490-164-handi-hose.aspx. I'll have to pick one up.
Paul, Norma & the Girls
2014 Escape 21
2006 Chevy Trailblazer
User avatar
pgwilli
Lifetime member
 
Posts: 463
Images: 75
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 10:08 am
Location: Marysville, WA
Top

Postby sdtripper2 » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:31 pm

Paul: :)

I just got the Colman before the last SLO trip and it was wonderful.
Will get the accessories soon and think the hose adaptor will be very useful
but will get a good white hose so it won't collapse as yours did ... Thanks for
the heads uP. The 5 gal. bag that comes with the unit seems to empty quickly
when hot water flows so nicely out in the bush. So if I have the option for a
hookuP I will take advantage for sure.

Your hose that you see from General is roll uP and don't it have to be taken all the way out to use?

I wonder what the best option is for a hose for this solution?
"A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country
is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards." -------Theodore Roosevelt

Steve
User avatar
sdtripper2
Search Garoux
 
Posts: 2162
Images: 168
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2005 1:32 am
Location: California, ... San Diego
Top

gray water

Postby RiffRaff » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:07 pm

I usually leave the gray water in the dishpan and use it to put out the camp fire at the end of the night.
User avatar
RiffRaff
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 22
Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:46 am
Location: Ontario Canada, just north of lake Erie
Top

Postby CAJUN LADY » Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:25 am

I used my Coleman hot water rig this weekend camping and it is a wonderful thing to have. I have the hose adapter too so running out of water was never an issue. The water gets hot fast! One thing I did learn is that only Coleman propane canisters would work on it, not the Wal-Mart generic ones. Maybe it was just my canister but it just wouldn't screw in. Luckily I had an extra Coleman canister. Another thing is that the battery never needed recharging from Friday night to Sunday and we used it alot Friday and Saturday. So, I am very pleased with it. I will post some camping pics in my album today.

Rebecca
Cajun Lady
Becca
~Cajun Lady~
User avatar
CAJUN LADY
Donating Member
 
Posts: 3822
Images: 74
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:52 pm
Location: Cajun girl stuck in Florida
Top

Postby FireLion » Sun Oct 07, 2007 3:41 pm

When I went car camping, I carried a plastic dish pan and a 5 gallon container of water. Heat water on the stove, pour it into the dishpan add detergent, rinse with a small stream of water from the carrrier. Be sure to dump the suds at least 200 feet from any lake or stream.
When backpacking, I would wash dishes in a stream, scrubbing them with sand or grass.
'How can ya get away from it all if ya take it all with ya?'
2004 Ford Escape Ltd.
2012 Coleman tent-no wheels, no A/C, no hitch
User avatar
FireLion
500 Club
 
Posts: 697
Images: 104
Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2007 10:22 am
Location: Rosedale, Kansas
Top

Postby kurtibm » Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:02 am

Image

Coleman 'Folding Double Wash Basin' - about $10 or $12. (each side is 10"x10" and it's about 8" deep.

kurt
It is not the years in your life that matter, it's the life in your years.
User avatar
kurtibm
Donating Member
 
Posts: 334
Images: 29
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 6:27 pm
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Top

Postby CAJUN LADY » Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:41 am

kurtibm wrote:Image

Coleman 'Folding Double Wash Basin' - about $10 or $12. (each side is 10"x10" and it's about 8" deep.

kurt


Kurt:

I got one of those from K-Mart, but I don't think it was a Coleman and I hated it. It just didn't seem to work well for me. I loved the idea of it folding up and out of the way but it bombed. Hope yours works better.

Rebecca
Becca
~Cajun Lady~
User avatar
CAJUN LADY
Donating Member
 
Posts: 3822
Images: 74
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:52 pm
Location: Cajun girl stuck in Florida
Top

Postby AlaskaJack » Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:02 pm

jeepr wrote:I throw mine in the campfire... :lol:


Me too! :lol:

<img src="http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/AlaskaJak/paperplates.jpg" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting">
AlaskaJack
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 245
Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:44 pm
Top

Postby halfdome, Danny » Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:35 pm

We use paper plates and bowls a lot. When we use dishes or have to wash pots & pans we have one of the hot water on demand units & 2 plastic dish pans like Paul's. We use this Camco RV mini dish drainer available at Camping World, Fred Meyer, Walmart etc, it's the perfect size for a TD and you can store items inside it. :thumbsup: Danny
Image
ImageImage
"Conditions are never just right. People who delay action until all factors are favorable do nothing". William Feather
Don't accept "It's Good Enough" build to the best of your abilities.
Image
Teardroppers Of Oregon & WashingtonImage
User avatar
halfdome, Danny
*Happy Camper
 
Posts: 5882
Images: 252
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 11:02 pm
Location: Washington , Pew-al-up
Top

Postby TENNJIM » Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:42 pm

I use two 12qt Sterilite storage containers (one for wash/one for rinse) from Wal-Mart and the Coleman hot water rig. I carry the Coleman in my tongue box. The storage containers nest one inside the other and allow me to store my cooking stuff and dishes in the top one-I use a large Ozark Trails stainless steel camping cook-set . The wash cloths and drying towels can be stored in the space between the top box and bottom box. A large round, totally sealed with a spout, oil-drain pan from Wal-Mart is great for catching or dumping grey water and it can be placed under your teardrop with ease until you dispose of the grey water. The Coleman is good for heating water to use in a seperate container for a warm-water shower in a changing tent if the campground does not have showers. The Coleman is not made to use inside tents. Some campgrounds require that grey water be contained and dumped properly. So, the dish washing and shower may take a little thought about containment. A small stand with a large/low sided Sterilite box underneath can be used to contain shower grey water in the changing tent-I used plastic shelving and cut the legs to fit. Just stand on it, shower, and let the container catch the grey water-dump it later.

Jim B / Utah
Most People Seem Normal Until You Really Get To Know Them!
Never mind what people say, I think those Saguaros are shooting us the finger!
72.68% Of All Statistics Are Made Up!
User avatar
TENNJIM
Palladium Donating Member
 
Posts: 597
Images: 35
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2007 6:00 pm
Location: Ogden, UT
Top

PreviousNext

Return to Camping Secrets

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests