Washing dishes

[sparrowhawk1]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

And the most important principle -- give them a shower, not a bath. Nothing more wasteful, or more unsanitary, than filling the sink.

That's my method and my kitchen faucet has a mini shower head which reduces water tremendously. I also have a small container that catches the rinse water to pre-soak my silverware.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

If you want to save water the first thing to do is turn off the pressure water and make them use the foot pump.

Only if you have one. I've had this boat for 18 years, maybe I'll put one in someday.

[JanetGroene]

Rinse is the most important part and running water is the only way to go or bubbles keep proliferating. With only one, tiny sink, I wash in a dishpan, then put dishes in the sink where they are rinsed under running water. Even when on short-short water rations in the Bahamas during the dry season, and even of using salt water to wash, I use a small stream of fresh water to rinse dishes.

[sparrowhawk1]

[QUOTE=El Pinguino;2155374]If you want to save water the first thing to do is turn off the pressure water and make them use the foot pump.

Yes pressure water uses an insane amount of water. I know it's wasteful but when you're really trying to conserve water, wiping out dirty pots and wiping off silverware with a paper towel before washing with water is very effective.

[Sea Dreaming]

On our fresh water boat we still were very conservative with water. There are a lot of biologicals in mountain water that can make one sick unless filtered with a super micron filter. So we did everything already mentioned here. But since we were using our fresh drinking water we used just a cup or so and wash everything in the grunge. Rinse was just a teasoon of fresher water across the eating surfaces. If the wash water was cleanish we didnt rinse at all.
Use only a tiny bit of soap! That part will really save on water. Soap is really only to break surface tension of the water, which makes cleaning easier. A couple of drops tops.

[Rover33]

Let the dog lick everything clean before you wash it. Put some soap and hot water into something small like a coffee mug, and after washing off the dog saliva give it a quick rinse.

[Brob2]

Originally Posted by Rover33

Let the dog lick everything clean before you wash it. Put some soap and hot water into something small like a coffee mug, and after washing off the dog saliva give it a quick rinse.

I think this is a dog posting. Nice try Rover.

[Bulty]

I collect rainwater almost daily in a pail and store in a 10 gal jug. Use the rainwater first for soaking/washing then either rainwater or foot pump for rinse. Chlorine or bleach keeps jug water clean.

Tried the saltwater method and destroyed my pans and flat wear in no time.

[wsmurdoch]

We, like most here when tight on fresh water and floating in clean salt water, wash in copious amounts of soapy salt water and rinse in a little bit of running or foot pumped fresh water. Everything then drains on a dish towel on the countertop and is dried with a second towel before being put away.

We have foot pumped cold salt water in one sink and foot pumped cold fresh water in the other sink along with pressure hot and cold water from a central tap for both sinks.

We stopper the fresh water rinse sink, and after most things have been rinsed, we rinse small items in the accumulated standing water. That used rinse water is then used to rinse out the dish cloth and scrubby pad and to wipe down the stove, counter, and table tops.

If it was a greasy meal, salt water for washing gets heated on the stove in the largest semi-cleaned pot awaiting washing.

We wash up once a day after supper. Until then the dirty stuff having been scraped and rinsed in salt water is stored in the washing sink hidden from sight by the chopping board.

[Rover33]

Our boat really is named Rover (by the previous owner). Our dog (a Portuguese Water Dog) is named Schooner. We are the only people we know with a boat named after a dog and a dog named after a boat. Our dinghy is named Fido.

[zeehag]

wash n rinse in sea water. it aint gonna kill ye . donot need to rinse the salt off, like ye do with clothing. plates aint gonna chafe you when salty, so why waste fresh water if you havent that much?

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Bulty

I collect rainwater almost daily in a pail and store in a 10 gal jug. Use the rainwater first for soaking/washing then either rainwater or foot pump for rinse. Chlorine or bleach keeps jug water clean.

Tried the saltwater method and destroyed my pans and flat wear in no time.

With proper filtration and treatment, just tank the rainwater. Can be better than tap AND rainwater requires less to rinse.

[thinwater]

Often using pan to cook things in sequence can really reduce cleaning. The pan that was used to stir fry or brown can then be used for something that will clean off the burned bits.

And who said you couldn't eat out of the pan. One less bowl.

[Brob2]

Originally Posted by Rover33

Our boat really is named Rover (by the previous owner). Our dog (a Portuguese Water Dog) is named Schooner. We are the only people we know with a boat named after a dog and a dog named after a boat. Our dinghy is named Fido.

That makes for a good looking dog then, and we know you have a pretty boat. Well done!

[Mike OReilly]

Unless we're right in a marina we wash with raw water and then do a light rinse with potable from the tank. Means we use very little tank water. Of course so far we've been sailing in fresh water (Great Lakes), so it's the pollution we worry about, not the salt, but it's the same approach.