Containing a Mess

Cleaning the barbecue, cleaning tools, building stuff out of wood or metal and even changing the oil in your tow vehicle, for example, just about always create a mess. Trying to capture greasy scrapings and solvents/oil in a towel (paper or cloth) usually results in soiling the patio or even the gravel — and the chances of tracking that mess from your shoes inside the RV are also pretty high. Sure, a box or cardboard can help capture the offending debris, but storing such items is not practical (and finding a clean box when you need it is not always possible).

Dog training pads have an absorbent liner attached to a plastic outer layer that can consume copious amounts of liquid (and other debris) and not leave anything on the floor or ground. Put a piddle pad under your project and when finished simply fold (or crumple) and throw it away. Plus, the edges have adhesive strips to secure the pads while working in breezy conditions.

Over the years I have discovered numerous other uses for these training pads, including degreasing my bicycle chain and gears and working on craft projects while in an RV park, particularly when painting small items. Cleaning small parts with degreaser contains the mess and the pad even comes in handy when drilling through aluminum or metal to prevent the swarf (filings) from landing on the ground and ending up on your shoes, your dog’s fur or on the floor inside the RV. The plastic backing is relatively strong and has resisted tearing for all of my projects.

Piddle pads are available online (Amazon and Chewy) and in all pet stores. For most of my projects, I use the Top Paw Ultra Giant pads that provide approximately 24 x 39 inches of coverage, which is quite large. These pads can hold up to 14 cups of liquid and sell for around $36 for a pack of 50; smaller pads are also available, as are several different brands of pads. I found that for less messy projects, the 21- x 21-inch pads work well.

Traveling in an RV and working on projects — whether it be maintenance, repair or personalization of the interior — presents unique challenges, and you don’t want to leave a mess for the next person who will occupy your site. I always keep piddle pads in my storage compartment and they have saved the day countless times — including those days when our standard poodle was a puppy.