My wife and I just got a travel trailer and we are about to take our first weekend trip.My question is should we be using paper plates or dishes, which would conserve water the most.My opinion is that paper plates are better, particularly because I don't use many at all and I hate doing dishes.My wife thinks that it is wasteful to use paper plates but less wasteful to do the dishes and reuse the dishes that she got.I think that I'm right but there's absolutely no point in me trying to tell my wife that paper plates are better. Particularly here, she is concerned about "conservation."When I suggested reusing gray dishwasher for toilet water, she didn't wanna do that so she's not that in to conservation, just as a how far will she go to really conserve barometer.So can someone please either explain to me why I am wrong and / or please tell me how I can somehow explain to my wife that paper plates are better and also how can I really impress upon her the importance of not getting food waste in the sink because in my opinion she's just being way too cavalier about this whole thing. So normally I'd just let her do whatever she wants because that's the easiest way to live life, but still I just can't deal with the idea of food particles getting in my water lines.

Who cleans the real dishes? Their choice. We use paper.

I had a quick answer and cannot seem to convey the best, however I if you wash the dishes need to make sure the plates are food free. May need to buy a tub for the outside and do a scrub off then inside to do the sanitizing.

Interesting first post. Please tell me you're not trolling. It's appreciated if you fill out your profile.

IMHO: I don't think either is right or wrong. It all depends on what is right for you.My wife often says "just use paper" but I dislike eating from paper plates. When camping I do all the cooking and all the dishwashing so I can dictate to some degree. A quick sandwich is ok on paper but anything that requires a knife and fork requires a sturdy plate and utensils that are not plastic, IMHO.

When we RV camp, we use paper plates. The pots and pans are non stick so a couple of paper towels to get rid of the big chunks and then a quick hot water rinse and you good to go. And sometimes we use the used paper plates for the BBQ start or campfire start. The RV spots we use always have a garbage disposal can, so no big deal there. Again, she is in charge! Happy Camping!

paper plates or doing dishes / wife advice | Good Sam Community

toedtoes
Explorer III
Jun 20, 2016
HGL wrote:
Have to say as the wife, I love the real plates. As the one who does all of the cooking and the rest of the team is suppose to wash, I end up washing as well. My husband "HATES" dishes and since he cleans the black tanks, I'll give him a small pass and we'll use the paper.

My biggest issue with the real dishes is counter space for drying and we are only three people.

Good Luck!

I always use real plates and I just dry them with a towel and put them away immediately. Works whether it's just me or have folks joining me.
HGL
Explorer
Jun 20, 2016
Have to say as the wife, I love the real plates. As the one who does all of the cooking and the rest of the team is suppose to wash, I end up washing as well. My husband "HATES" dishes and since he cleans the black tanks, I'll give him a small pass and we'll use the paper.

My biggest issue with the real dishes is counter space for drying and we are only three people.

Good Luck!
tdsxt51
Explorer
Jun 18, 2016
Hiker_01 wrote:
JimPDX wrote:

So can someone please either explain to me why I am wrong

You are arguing with your wife - 'nuff said.

We use paper and real - depending on what we are eating and how much cleanup we want to do.

There's your answer right there.
OLYLEN
Explorer
Jun 18, 2016
If you don't use paper plates what do you start the campfire with? We use GOOD plastic coated paper for meats ans hot or something that might leak and cheap paper plates for Sandwich's chips type meals and GOOD bowls for soups and the like but real cups for coffee and at times soups. Find precooking meals, freezing then Micro so we skip pots and pans cleanup on a lot of meals. Eating out which we do too much of gets us the china and leftovers for the paper plates.

LEN
dave54
Nomad
Jun 16, 2016
Both.

Paper when dry camping or boondocking and have limited water. Plastic when we have water hookups.
amdriven2liv
Explorer
Jun 13, 2016
My wife says " Be thankful she let you talk her into getting the dang trailer and going camping with you"
CWDoc115
Explorer
Jun 10, 2016
I believe in the KISS principle, If momma aint happy, nobody is happy!!! :B
Kittykath
Explorer II
Jun 09, 2016
Why not use regular dishes? You probably have to run a sink of dishwater for utensils, pots & pans anyway. Just sacrifice a few paper towels to wipe everything off as good as possible first. Save doing the dishes for once a day if water conservation is an issue. Now everybody is happy.
Strabo
Explorer
Jun 09, 2016
If i could find dispoable everything i would use it to cook and serve with.

We have a limited fresh water supply and it will go quick if your washing dishes.
rhagfo
Explorer III
Jun 09, 2016
K Charles wrote:
Do you use paper at home? We don't, and we don't in the camper either.

XXX2!
We eat off Corel plates real coffee mugs, we sleep on regular sheets and blankets. Washing is far better than filling up a land fill. If you burn them then what ever!

Forum Discussion

paper plates or doing dishes / wife advice

About RV Newbies

Related Content

Plate to plate gap

Lube plate

Lube Plate

teflon plates

License plate frame