Cleaning up.

[Asa Samuel]

Hi,

How do you guys clean up your dishes and pans in the bush? I usually just take them home and wash them up there but I won't be able to do that on overnighters.

Asa.

[Morning Fox]

Usually just a quick rinse with water and a wipe down with a tissue does the job :)

PS - I usually eat out of the pans I cook in like someone else mentioned

[tobes01]

'Goldilocks' wire scourers are great for stubborn stuff. Disposable cloths don't get smelly if they're damp. Bracken seems to work OK for me if there's nothing else to hand...

[korvin karbon]

i try to eat from the pot i am cooking in to limit the amount of dishes i need to clean. When using the boil in the bag stuff i use that water for cleaning, if cooking from scratch i will clean the pots by filling them with water, boiling it and adding soap, let it cool then scrub and use a pad on the outside, wet wipes are great and you can burn them after.

[TwoSticks]

Hi Asa,
Sand/gravel makes a great scourer, mixed with water into a slurry.

Saliva contains enzymes designed to break down food - there's a lot to be said for licking your plate clean then a quick wipe with a piece of damp toilet roll (obviously not recycled!)

Also, after you've eaten, put your pan back on the fire with some water in. As the water boils it will lift off any grease and is a lot easier to clean.

[eraaij]

Just use sand and leaves to get rid of the leftovers, then rinse with water and put it back on the fire with some water-until cooked dry and sterilized.

[durulz]

I usually take some washing up liquid in a small bottle and a foam scourer cut in half.
Alternatively (if you want to be really hard core and bushcrafty) you can use the husks from sweet chestnut - they make extremely good scourers.
I always make an effort to clean things 'in the field' as a matter of hygiene and so I don't have to empty everything out, clean it up and re-pack at home. Clean it properly in the field, put it away and it's all ready for the next time you go out!. But it's also easier to clean things when they are fresh rather then dried on.

[Globetrotter.uk]

I carry a old theramed toothpaste bottle with washing up liquid plus a mini sponge. I also carry a collapsible bowl for long trips.

[Chris the Cat]

Two inch square of Scotchbrite.
C da c

[troy ap De skog]

chunk of bread.... i like the edible dishcloth aproach

[Matthew.Passmore]

Lick it the give it a wipe with the t-shirt ;-)

[rik_uk3]

Take them home in a plastic carrier bag if its only an overnighter?

[Asa Samuel]

Take them home in a plastic carrier bag if its only an overnighter?

I thought about that but I'd like to be able to use them more than once.

Thanks to all who've replied, I'l give the boiling water in the pan approach a go :)

[Chris G]

I use a nail brush, which is also used to give my hands a good scrub before I start to cook.

[Wink]

Sphagnum moss, then a rinse. Better than a scourer (which gets greasy), doesn't involve any detergents, is normally plentiful and has antiseptic properties.

[Shewie]

After giving it a wipe with some bracken you can put ash into some water in your pan and boil it up to create a mild alkalai solution which will remove any grease.

Remember to pour it into the ground away from any water sources though, nothing worse than seeing somebody's breakfast floating on top of the loch or lake you're camping next to.

[Cobweb]

Old School way:

If the food is particularly burned on, then add water and ash to the pot (I know it seems counter-intuitive but the solution creates 'lye' a strong alkali) and heat until hand temp.
Swish around, scrub with leaves/whatever and rinse, perfectly clean pot/dish/ect and with the added bonus of antibacterial goodness!

It does help to take a cotton dishcloth with you, handy for many different things, not just washing up!


Ps, I use this method everytime I'm out, I never take dirty dishes home yuck!

[DoctorSpoon]

I give pans to the dog for a pre-wash - she's brilliant with anything that's burned on :D After that it's a simple job with a little hot water and a drop of w/up liquid!

[weaver]

When I'm out camping I fill my cook pans with water and set them in the coals to boil, if anything is left in the pan at least all the germs are dead. Most of the time everything rinses out just fine.

[Ratbag]

Here is my usual method:
1) Being a greedy pig, there is never any leftover food in the bottom of my pans, so first I fill the pan with water to cover the mucky parts and set it over the fire to warm the water.
2) Once the water is warm enough to start lifting the grease, have a good rinse around / stir with a spoon, then tip most of the (now dirty) water out
3) Pull up a small clump of grass, knock most of the soil off the roots, then use the gritty roots to scour the pan clean. Wipe the pan out with the grassy top part. Rinse the pan with a little water then repeat (maybe with a new clump of grass :) ) if necessary.
4) Give the pan a final rinse and then set it close to the fire to dry out and sterilize

This method works well for me: I always use stainless utensils and pots (so I can sterilize them in this way) and I never carry washing up liquid.

HTH

Rat

[rik_uk3]

I thought about that but I'd like to be able to use them more than once.

Thanks to all who've replied, I'l give the boiling water in the pan approach a go :)

Scouring pad and washing up liquid is by far the easiest method, just heat a little water up and away you go. No need to use boiling water if you are going to cook hot food in it next time and the detergent stops the pad getting greasy. Ask you mum to keep a small shampoo bottle for you to store your washing up liquid in.

Do you not do any washing up at home then young Asa;)

[Intertidal]

I eat outa the pan anyway. Clean up with bracken, dry grass or moss which can the be burned. I also carry a small plastic squeegy bottle (from one of those multipacks of small plastic bottles/jars) full of Ecover washing up liquid. Just remember to dispose of the suds well away from a water course.
On longer backpacking trips I carry a tube of liquid detergent for washing clothes too - available in most supermarkets.

Nck

[Ishmael]

I'm the same as everybody else and try to keep washing up to a minimum, eat out of the pot, boil up some water afterwards, and give a good rinse. Sometimes, if there is a lot of washing up or the pots are very dirty, I'll dig a small hole in the ground, lay my waterproof poncho in it to make a natural bowl, fill it with hot water, then add Lifeventure biodegradable soap. I'm not sure if it's intended for washing pots, but it works for me.