Doing Dishes

[CPT Davenport]

Just returning from a great 3 day trip, and boy did we go through our water. I calculated that around 13 gallons of it ran through the sink. It was a good eye opener for my wife who runs it hard when she is doing the dishes. My thought moving forward is to put an inch or two of HOT water in the sink for scrubbing. Then drain and fill with another couple inches for the rinse. Just wondering how others are doing it in an effort to conserve the liquid gold.

Also, please share any other general water saving tips you have!

 

[ski3pin]

Just returning from a great 3 day trip, and boy did we go through our water. I calculated that around 13 gallons of it ran through the sink. It was a good eye opener for my wife who runs it hard when she is doing the dishes. My thought moving forward is to put an inch or two of HOT water in the sink for scrubbing. Then drain and fill with another couple inches for the rinse. Just wondering how others are doing it in an effort to conserve the liquid gold.

Also, please share any other general water saving tips you have!

We use a stainless steel bowl in the sink. Water is warmed on the stove to dish washing temperature. A drop of biodegradable soap goes in and minimal hot water is poured into the bowl. The dishes are washed. Wash water is discarded. The bowl is refilled with with hot water for rinsing. We use maybe a liter and a half for a big clean up, most times less. Should note, dishes are wiped clean prior to wash. The rinse water is saved in the bowl for pouring over hands for washing and cleaning sink after tooth brushing or other chores.

 

[JaSAn]

Beagle prewash, then spritz with spray bottle containing bleach & water, wipe or sun dry.
Silverware goes in a Nalgene bottle with soapy water until next use, wiped or shaken dry. Water changed when needed.
When necessary to wash, I use a small pot with about an inch of water; same procedure as Ski3pin.
Da beagle gets the plates clean, bleach to sanitize (unless you don't mind dog slobber).

We use a little more than a gallon of potable water per day for me and da beagle (hygiene extra, I will use non-potable water for cleanup when available).
I don't have a water tank in the Grandby; I use 1 and 5 gallon containers and carry up to 20 gallons at a time.

 

[CPT Davenport]

Thanks guys, that is right along the lines I'm thinking. We already wipe them clean first, now I just need to convince the admiral that "camping clean" is good enough. As our Hawk is relatively new to us, she just loves the hot, running water that magically appears! As we continue to enjoy longer stays on federal land, we are learning to adjust our habits and consumption of water and power.

 

[Ronin]

We don't have a sink or water in our rig. We have a 20 litre Scepter Can with a ss spigot hanging on the back of our ATC and very seldom use all of it on a 5 day trip. Our main meals are pre-cooked and frozen to minimize cleanup ( stew, chili , spaghetti, breakfast burritos, etc.) Like everyone else we wipe clean 1st, then just a drop of dish soap on a scrub brush and a quick rinse. Coffee cups and the Melitta are usually just rinsed.
On a river trip on the Salmon the outfitter just had a dish pan with sanitizer for washing and another pan for rinsing. I like the Beagle method the best!!

 

[craig333]

For most trips I won't fire up the water heater, just heat a bit of water in pan. I have a pre treatment that works well but may not be for everyone. The dog. Not much left to clean when he pre treats

 

[CPT Davenport]

For most trips I won't fire up the water heater, just heat a bit of water in pan. I have a pre treatment that works well but may not be for everyone. The dog. Not much left to clean when he pre treats

Haha! You guys are making me miss my dog. I use to do the same thing!

 

[rubberlegs]

We carry dehydrated water in the form of paper towels. It takes a lot of water to make paper. We live in a former mill town and the water that the Scott plant used was tremendous. On our last trip, we lasted 7 days with 20 gal water, even with sponge baths and dishes, and might have lasted two more nights. Most of the water ended up getting drank. In a pinch I can wash the dishes with 2 cups of water and bathe with slightly less. The most vigorous washing is with the paper towel, but we also avoid greasy food most of the time, and I eat out of the pot.

But that kind of water rationing would drive many people crazy. My wife was looking the other way, ha ha! Dishes were spotless though -- I'm not gonna get away with them looking unclean!

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

<snip>
Also, please share any other general water saving tips you have!

Don’t use your water heater, water in a pan on the stove is our solution.

 

[PaulT]

Don't use your water heater. Heat just what you need on your cooktop.

Or:
Buy a good large (60+ oz) vacuum bottle like a Yeti or a Nissan (Nissan seems to have been bought by Thermos). My 60 oz Nissan will keep water hot for days.

Heat enough water to boiling to fill the vacuum bottle then use what you need to warm up your cold water as needed. This has been more frugal for us than heating yet another pot anytime warm/hot water is required.

Paul

 

[alano]

We use hot water from the water heater only when we've had showers that afternoon. Otherwise we heat some water on the stove while we eat. If we have more than a minimal amount of dishes, I do them outside and use the shower wand to rinse them after washing in a pan. Minimal amounts are rinsed in the sink inside.

Alan

 

[CPT Davenport]

Interesting, seems to be a common thread with the heating water on the stove, theory. Is this because the water is hotter (cuts grease quicker/better)? Or the waste of water from the "waiting for it to get hot" thing? My guess is both.

 

[JaSAn]

Heating only what I need.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Interesting, seems to be a common thread with the heating water on the stove, theory. Is this because the water is hotter (cuts grease quicker/better)? Or the waste of water from the "waiting for it to get hot" thing? My guess is both.

For me it started with a rotten egg smell in the hot water, accompanied by a worse taste. I leave the blasted things on bypass.

I am going to be tested, however. The new to me travel trailer has a Truma instant. I may change my mind.

 

[ckent323]

Hot water helps the cleaning process (i.e. moving the dirt from the object being cleaned to the water) because it can dissolve the dirt faster and break strong bonds (up to a limit, of course) of dirt with the item being washed.
It is worth mentioning that between the detergent and the hot water, the detergent contributes more to the dissolution of dirt in the water than does hot water alone (that is the same reason it is better to wash your hands with soap and water than with water alone). However, for optimal results, using both detergent and hot water will clean better (and faster).

The detergent (or soap) is actually what is called a surfactant which are chemical compounds that decrease the surface tension or interfacial tension between two liquids, a liquid and a gas, or a liquid and a solid.

Not to be overlooked is the action of scrubbing which greatly assists in the removal of the oils and dirt by exposing more of the surfaces of the molecules allowing the surfactants to work faster.


I hope this is helpful.

Craig

 

[ski3pin]

Interesting, seems to be a common thread with the heating water on the stove, theory. Is this because the water is hotter (cuts grease quicker/better)? Or the waste of water from the "waiting for it to get hot" thing? My guess is both.

No reason to carry the extra weight - and maintenance, possible problems - of a water heater around all the time. Old time hiker and backpacker's approach. "You watch the ounces and the pounds take care of themselves."

 

[craig333]

This weekend I fired up the water heater. More days plus adding my part of the group cook I had enough dirty dishes to justify it. Maintenance on my water heater has consisted of replacing the anode. It is getting harder to fire up as it ages.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

I avoid "KP" as much as possible, sometimes to the point of using paper plates. I know, I know... My approach to "hardware" cleanup is influenced by my Scouting days where simplicity and speed were needed. Pots and/or pans get a quick wipe and a spritz of Dawn Powerwash if necessary, another wipe, and then a quick rinse, maybe with warm water if I've heated extra. My meals are kept as simple as possible with the intent of keeping cleanup equally easy. I still eat well, but nothing fancy requiring lots of equipment/cleanup.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Ok, Imma gunna partially retract my thoughts on water heaters. Our new to us travel trailer has a Truma instant WH, and I like it. Turn it on, wait 30 seconds or so, and open the valve. You get hot water in very short order. Very little wasted water.

… but, I still feel the same about the WHs with tanks.

 

[pvstoy]

Ok, Imma gunna partially retract my thoughts on water heaters. Our new to us travel trailer has a Truma instant WH, and I like it. Turn it on, wait 30 seconds or so, and open the valve. You get hot water in very short order. Very little wasted water.

… but, I still feel the same about the WHs with tanks.

Did I miss the posting that you showed pictures of the new to you trailer?

The Truma instant WH sounds like a advantage over waiting 20-30 minutes for the tank to reach temperature.