Picnic Tables

[Veebyes]

It might be unimportant to some but wouldn't it be nice if CGs spent a few minutes a couple times a season going around & giving the tables a pressure washing to clean out the mildew & other grunge that builds up on them?

[paulcardoza]

A 99cent disposable tablecloth is a must for us. I've seen people let their dogs sit up on the table. No matter if the table was pressure washed before the season started, who knows what was on there since?

[Jim_Shoe]

I stayed at one CG that had a picnic table at each site and delivered a newspaper on it every morning. I read the paper and drank my coffee while sitting on the bench. I eat off the table inside my RV. I know who's been sitting on it - nobody.

[Reader1]

We always use a tablecloth. When ready to leave, I always wait till DH pulls out and check out the site looking for anything left behind and making sure the site is clean. It seems by the comments that everyone on RV.net leaves everything clean. I have never read a comment from anyone who leaves sites a mess. Mmmm...tales of shame are silent or everyone here does the right thing?

[Bill_Diana]

Actually I can do without the picnic tables. As you have experienced campground picnic tables can be a real mess and simply take up space.

[2gypsies1]

Hey...we did it for you! That was one of our volunteer jobs for a national park. Another was scraping and staining those suckers. 😞

It really would be nice if folks would help a little by washing the table themselves after slopping the food on them and by not setting their hot grills on them (carry your own grill table, please) or cutting into them. Thanks!

[jamway]

A lot of the C. O. E. Parks we have been in have the tables pressure washed while we were camped. I don't know if that happens ever week or what.

They do the cover on the inside to get the cob webs and wasp out too.

[Veebyes]

Can't do much about the slobs among us who neglectfuly burn table tops or the morons who willfully damage tables with carvings.

My thoughts are more about what nature & time does to them & how fast a pressure washer can clean them up.

[ScottG]

It would be nice if they made that minimal effort.

OTOH, have you ever looked at the underside of that table you sit at?
It's likely to be covered in webs, spiders and other bugs!
I always use a large broom to clean them out under there.

[dodge_guy]

We have fitted picnic table covers for the tables. I do agree that the picnic tables would be great if they were cleaned at least in the opening season, or once a year for those down south.

[Mr__Camper]

Instead of them doing it and adding $5.00 a night to camping fees, we clean it on arrival and on departure and always use a tablecloth.

[Old-Biscuit]

Friend of mine built from scratch a 50 site RV Park

WE spent couple weeks building metal framed picnic tables with 2X8 seats and 2X6 tops. All welded/bolted/painted/stained/sealed.

End of first year of operation we had to completely sand/stain/reseal tops/seats and repaint frames due to folks using pocket knifes on wood, burned/scorched from portable BBQs, running into them and just plain slobs.

Keeping up with the tables became a ongoing endeavor

[naturist]

Oilcloth table cloths are the answer. Never leave home without one. Or two.

And yes, it would be great if campgrounds all hit the tables with pressure washers frequently. Almost as great as it would be if campers quit leaving those same tables covered in garbage. Some campgrounds do that. Some campers don't do that.

I've been in campgrounds where it looks like a garbage truck exploded in one or another site. I've always seen staff cleaning up after their guests. And I've always done my part to leave my site cleaner than I found it. Sometimes I feel alone in that mission.

[fla-gypsy]

Lantley wrote:
I agree but the guest/campers could avoid abusing the tables as well.
I have often seen tables with gouge and scorch marks caused by abuse

X2

[pconroy328]

agree - but we try to leave ours cleaner than when we arrived. Seems to me if everyone pitched in a little, we might just get there.