Washing dishes, ashes - practical questions

[amcc]

We recently acquired a popup after renting an RV for many years so we are still getting used to it. Last Spring Break, on our maiden trip, we were in loop 2000 facing the group bathrooms. We don't have running water in the popup so it was very convenient to have the big sink located outside of these bathrooms to wash dishes. The other comfort stations in the full-hookup loops don't have these and the other comfort station in 2000 didn't have one either.

In July, we are staying in full-hookup because we much prefer the location to 2000 and don't want to risk not getting 1500. Where do I wash dishes? If I use a camp kitchen, do I just dump the dirty dishwater into the sewer hole? Are there any other options to wash dishes? I don't recall there being dish washing sinks in the laundries...

Also, we only cook on the grill. Do you just dump the ashes in the garbage (wet with water)?

The RV was just like a house but we don't have much experience with popup or even tent camping (can you tell) but we are booked for nearly 20 nights for the rest of the year and I want to learn how to do everything! thanks for any advice!

 

[ilovedisneymm]

We used the boy scout method. Three plastic tubs! We just dumped the water at the edge of our site in the sand and it made a little puddle and dried up by the end of each day.

 

[2goofycampers]

The Fort asks (and Florida law) that no gray water, which is what dish water is, be dumped. There are no sewers in 1500. So you'd need to find an empty site with sewer (in a close by loop) or take it to the comfort station and dump it down the toilet.

If you leave your embers in the grill the Fort cleaners will clean them out. They usually only do this at the end of your stay. You can request it during your stay also.

 

[parrothead64]

I believe there was a laundry tub sink in the 1500 loop in the laundry room.

 

[bama_ed]

I believe there was a laundry tub sink in the 1500 loop in the laundry room.

This is what I've done with pots and pans (bigger items to wash up). Just wipe them out with paper towels best you can and take your soap and rag to the laundry room in the middle of any Comfort Station.

We used the boy scout method. Three plastic tubs! We just dumped the water at the edge of our site in the sand and it made a little puddle and dried up by the end of each day.

Please don't pour the water on the ground at the end, mm. For 1500 and 2000, you can use a two-tub technique (one for the soapy wash water, one for the clean rinse water). The third tub that BSA advocates is for situations where the water is not sanitized/treated (like if you were camping at the edge of a lake and using untreated lake water to wash up with). You use a sanitizer tablet in clean water after the rinse to take care of any germs. You really don't need a lot of water in any tub, just enough to get the job done. Used water should be carried to the laundry room tub and disposed of or an empty site with a sewer drain if closer. The Fort has city treated water so no sanitizer needed there. Since the OP in this case has a Full site reserved with a sewer, that's where your used water goes.

A camping kitchen (if it has a real, small sink) usually has a thread on the drain for a hose that you can run to the sewer hookup.

Pouring the water on the ground leaves food particles behind (particularly in the wash water) and animals will come to dine. They may not learn as quickly at the beginning but their nose knows. The next guest at the campsite will wonder why they all show up with knives and forks each evening. Or maybe the person who used the campsite before you dumped the gray water and now you have the audience.

Having said all this, have you considered paper plates and plastic K-F-S? At least for the Fort?

As for ashes, if you are using charcoal in the evenings I just let it go out overnight and put the ashes in the trash the next morning. If you are charcoaling more than once a day, yes, put the embers out with water. You don't want to set the trash can on fire.

Congrats on the popup. It gives you more of that "camping" feeling.

Bama Ed

 

[KristinU]

When we had our Aliner we used a Cabela's Camp Kitchen that had a vinyl sink that I rigged up to drain into a water container that had a cap, then I just carried that gray water to the bath house and either emptied it in the laundry sink or toilet (I can't remember now). I love how nothing ever dies on the internet...I was able to look up a review and details of the mod that I posted on a forum a few years ago! http://www.hybridexplorer.com/forum/index.php?topic=79901.0

 

[amcc]

I believe there was a laundry tub sink in the 1500 loop in the laundry room.

Thanks. I've seen those sinks I just wasn't sure if it was supposed to be used for dishes.

When we had our Aliner we used a Cabela's Camp Kitchen that had a vinyl sink that I rigged up to drain into a water container that had a cap, then I just carried that gray water to the bath house and either emptied it in the laundry sink or toilet (I can't remember now). I love how nothing ever dies on the internet...I was able to look up a review and details of the mod that I posted on a forum a few years ago! http://www.hybridexplorer.com/forum/index.php?topic=79901.0

Read about your mod and will be using it. Someone gave us a camp kitchen (we've been lucky with the hand-me-downs) and I think your mod will work very well. I'm thinking that this might be the solution for us along with the laundry room sink.

This is what I've done with pots and pans (bigger items to wash up). Just wipe them out with paper towels best you can and take your soap and rag to the laundry room in the middle of any Comfort Station.



Please don't pour the water on the ground at the end, mm. For 1500 and 2000, you can use a two-tub technique (one for the soapy wash water, one for the clean rinse water). The third tub that BSA advocates is for situations where the water is not sanitized/treated (like if you were camping at the edge of a lake and using untreated lake water to wash up with). You use a sanitizer tablet in clean water after the rinse to take care of any germs. You really don't need a lot of water in any tub, just enough to get the job done. Used water should be carried to the laundry room tub and disposed of or an empty site with a sewer drain if closer. The Fort has city treated water so no sanitizer needed there. Since the OP in this case has a Full site reserved with a sewer, that's where your used water goes.

A camping kitchen (if it has a real, small sink) usually has a thread on the drain for a hose that you can run to the sewer hookup.

Pouring the water on the ground leaves food particles behind (particularly in the wash water) and animals will come to dine. They may not learn as quickly at the beginning but their nose knows. The next guest at the campsite will wonder why they all show up with knives and forks each evening. Or maybe the person who used the campsite before you dumped the gray water and now you have the audience.

Having said all this, have you considered paper plates and plastic K-F-S? At least for the Fort?

As for ashes, if you are using charcoal in the evenings I just let it go out overnight and put the ashes in the trash the next morning. If you are charcoaling more than once a day, yes, put the embers out with water. You don't want to set the trash can on fire.

Congrats on the popup. It gives you more of that "camping" feeling.

Bama Ed

Our popup was a hand me down that we did a complete overhaul on including a complete roof rebuild. I love it. We are a family of 6 so while I do use paper plates and napkins, I try to use washable things like water bottles to avoid creating mountains of garbage. I also have cookie sheets that we use for the barbecue, our coffee mugs, and bbq utensils and sharp knives for steaks.

We are doing 9 nights next month between the Fort and a state park and I need to get all the practical stuff taken care of in my head so that I can put it into practice easily. If I'm not careful, we could disappear in our camper under mountains of dirty clothes and garbage!!!

 

[ilovedisneymm]

I wipe the food off the dishes with paper towels before I wash them with soapy water. I am not leaving behind any more food particles than a kid walking around eating a sandwich (or adult for that matter) without a plate under them to catch their crumbs.

This is what I've done with pots and pans (bigger items to wash up). Just wipe them out with paper towels best you can and take your soap and rag to the laundry room in the middle of any Comfort Station.



Please don't pour the water on the ground at the end, mm. For 1500 and 2000, you can use a two-tub technique (one for the soapy wash water, one for the clean rinse water). The third tub that BSA advocates is for situations where the water is not sanitized/treated (like if you were camping at the edge of a lake and using untreated lake water to wash up with). You use a sanitizer tablet in clean water after the rinse to take care of any germs. You really don't need a lot of water in any tub, just enough to get the job done. Used water should be carried to the laundry room tub and disposed of or an empty site with a sewer drain if closer. The Fort has city treated water so no sanitizer needed there. Since the OP in this case has a Full site reserved with a sewer, that's where your used water goes.

A camping kitchen (if it has a real, small sink) usually has a thread on the drain for a hose that you can run to the sewer hookup.

Pouring the water on the ground leaves food particles behind (particularly in the wash water) and animals will come to dine. They may not learn as quickly at the beginning but their nose knows. The next guest at the campsite will wonder why they all show up with knives and forks each evening. Or maybe the person who used the campsite before you dumped the gray water and now you have the audience.

Having said all this, have you considered paper plates and plastic K-F-S? At least for the Fort?

As for ashes, if you are using charcoal in the evenings I just let it go out overnight and put the ashes in the trash the next morning. If you are charcoaling more than once a day, yes, put the embers out with water. You don't want to set the trash can on fire.

Congrats on the popup. It gives you more of that "camping" feeling.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

Particles or not, simply saying it's not good practice. No one should be pouring out anything but clean water around the sites as a matter of routine. Especially with as much traffic as the Fort gets. The smells left behind are still an attraction.

Bama Ed