A Stick-ler for Cleaning

A bamboo chopstick is one of most versatile utensils for cooking and eating — but these simple, cheap and strong implements can also double as one of best cleaning devices for chores in and around RVs.

If there’s a drawback to RVing, it’s probably cleaning. Take the comforts found in an average apartment and shrink them down to fit within the confines of a travel trailer or fifth wheel, and you have a recipe for aggravation. Consider this: How many times have you reached for a screwdriver or other pointed tool and wrapped a rag around the end to access tight areas to clean? It’s a pretty common practice. Working in corners and cervices with your fingers and a rag is liking squeezing a 1-inch peg into a ¾-inch hole.

For me, fighting with a rag that can’t reach the dirt is an exercise in futility — so, long ago, I “perfected” the use of chop sticks for just about all my cleaning chores.

Why use chopsticks? First, they are made of bamboo, which is pretty strong, so they remain rigid when pushing them into tight cleaning areas. Second, the bamboo will not scratch surfaces like a metal screwdriver or other similar tool should the tip push through the rag. Third, when combined with a microfiber towel, moisture and dirt are easily retained rather than just pushed around. And, of course, fourth, a bamboo chopstick can reach into very small areas, especially if you bevel the end with a knife.

I use chopsticks for dozens of cleaning projects — and found they even come in handy when trying to dig out something that has dropped into close quarters. Glue/tape on a tiny neodymium magnet to the end, and you have a great retrieval tool.

The uses are countless. In fact, they have (mostly) eliminated my aggravation: I use a chopstick with a beveled tip with a microfiber towel and Voom Multi-Purpose Cleaner (roadmasterinc.com) just about every day. I find my bamboo chopstick indispensable for cleaning around sinks, showers, faucets, stoves and sink drains — just about any hard-to-reach area. This setup also works great for cleaning window and shower-door tracks, without the risk of scratching the hardware. The combo is likewise perfect for cleaning exterior transition molding, and even wheels. And I always clean my bicycle with a chopstick and microfiber towel and have used this combo for numerous projects in the engine compartment.

I’m sure naysayers will attest to the use of brushes for various cleaning projects, and that also works. But when I’m done, the chopstick simply gets tossed in the round file. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

Plus, I have a good excuse to go out for Asian food more often.