Washing up

[coordinated]

Possibly daft question, but have you got any clever washing-up techniques in the Cali?

Given that the sink's quite small, and I don't want to flush much oily food waste through the waste water system, I wipe out and bin all waste with kitchen roll first (until things are nearly "camping clean"!), wash in the bowl full of hot soapy water placed on the table, rinse in the sink, then dry.

Or do you always use campsite sinks?

 

[Freeley]

We always use site facilities for washing up it's too much of a faff in the van, lack of space, hot water etc.

 

[calikev]

Steve. If its just a cup of tea or small plates we generally just use any left over hot water from the kettle in the van.
Anything larger like dinner plates pots and pans we use the site's facility's.
Let's face it you are not going to wash up after a large dinner in that sink :rofl :rofl

 

[DavidofHook]

We too use the site facilities if they are there. Cali sink is too small and all that dirty water going into our Cali........ Urgh!

We take a small bucket courtesy KFC or Vue popcorn and put it under the waste outlet and leave the outlet open all the time. However it's important to put a small rock in the bucket to stop the wind blowing it away!

Downside is the breakage problem. We had one of those nice skillets that they sell at the shows. While meandering my way to the washing up place chatting to people as I went I accidentally dropped the glass lid on the road where it smashed. Didn't help that I'd had a wine or two at dinner. Missis not amused. For some reason they get very worked up about these minor things but it does show the risks of washing up away from the Cali! Financial loss and minor marital strife!

 

[C&HinNorwich]

We had the same issue - too much of a faff to use the sink so we got one of these

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/outwell-col ... wl-p195332

It's ideal for us, big enough to wash the plates but small enough to fit in the cupboard and fill with one full kettle

 

[Martin]

We use one of these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Camping-Dishwas ... 495&sr=8-7

Fits nicely under the sink and when not in use you can get loads of stuff in it for storage

 

[ChrisandPenney52]

As generally agreed, we don't put oily/food dirty water into our waste system. We have had a problem of smelly drain when we failed to empty it soon enough. Not had the problem again
We use a Sainsburys box - it is big enough to carry a good meal's worth of washing-up to the site facilities and it can double up as a bowl (though is a little big sometimes but at least will contain the biggest of pans/BBQ bits).
It is useful for muddy boots too.
Penney

 

[David Eccles]

those flexy plastic carry buckets are ideal for carrying dishes in..or veg down from the garden!

 

[swigle]

I bought one of these from Ikea

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/50202538/

£8.99.

Length is perfect on the shelves until the sink/cooker.

 

[Calinicki]

I love that ikea washing up bowl I am going on Sunday so will buy one.

 

[Iain&Shani]

I love that ikea washing up bowl I am going on Sunday so will buy one.

Lordy, I think Shani will be after one of those.

btw...how come so many chaps are answering this thread, surely it's for girls.

(I'll get my coat!!)

 

[Calinicki]

I love that ikea washing up bowl I am going on Sunday so will buy one.

Lordy, I think Shani will be after one of those.

btw...how come so many chaps are answering this thread, surely it's for girls.

(I'll get my coat!!)

I'm a girl. At least I was the last time I looked :rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl

 

[helenherbert]

I carry a thermos jug and pour any left over kettle boilings into it - so at end of day have a litre of hot water - for washing up or face/hand washing at night (when site has limited facilities).
My children (teenage) do the washing up and get rewarded with sweets! Dentist bills are all part of the holiday budget!

 

[Freeley]

that's a clever idea - would never of thought of doing that.

 

[Andy]

I do similar, when boiling kettle for morning brew I put excess into thermos & either use for a pm brew or washing up later.

 

[malc]

Paper plates ?

 

[John]

Paper plates ?

Malc your a man after my own heart. :lol:

John

 

[coordinated]

I bought one of these from Ikea for £8.99.

Length is perfect on the shelves under the sink/cooker.

We're now up to 6 of these!

1 in each cupboard under the hob (for food).
3 in the bench drawer (1 front-to-back, 2 side-to-side, placed on anti-slip mat - perfect fit!)
1 between the front seats (for guide books, binoculars, water bottles, munchies etc).

Plus an older equivalent one under the sink, as it's wider and fits our plates.

Don't think we've actually used any for washing up yet ;-)

 

[Fin]

Onto our second California now and we've never used the sink for its intended purpose in fact it does a streling job of housing the washing up stuff such as tea towel, dischclothes, sponge, w'up liquid, etc. If on a site we use the site facilities, or we boil a kettle and use a bucket to wash up. We also have never ever used the water storage facility in the camper, not on this camper or the previous one, we usually just take a new large 5 litre plastic bottle of water on each trip and when empty re-fill, not sure why we've never used it but it hasn't ever seemed to bother or inconvenience us at all.

 

[gatvol]

I learnt on a Duke of Edinburgh's expedition in the lakes many years ago when it was snowing that the secret to cooking is not trangias and smash - it is pub food.

Failing pub food, I second the paper plates suggestion here - with a nice side order of plastic utensils. And for the truly decadent, plastic cups too

Infinitely perferable to washing up in the van when it is raining

 

[malc]

Failing the pub

Higgiddy Quiche in its own tray, with Tabasco, glass of red wine .... mange tu

No prep no washy .

 

[KernowLad]

Wife has cooked up some cracking meals so far and we've either washed up outside (with the bowl) or at campsite facilities. Tend to use the sink just for rinsing coffee cups, etc.