Over the years we’ve found that keeping things with like purposes organized together makes them a bit easier to find. And keeping the things you might need quickly in a convenient location is super important. So we wanted to find a way to keep all of our cleaning gear handy and minimally contained.

Our “cleaning basket” in it’s spot on the countertop

We had bought the big Peterboro basket for under the counter storage in the Silver Shadow and thought that for cleaning we wanted something similar that would fit under the shelf above the counter. That original Peterboro basket was an impulse buy on a camping trip to Woodstock, NY. We later discovered that Peterboro baskets have a long traditions and have been handmade in New Hampshire since 1854.

We measured and searched and found that the Peterboro basket that best fit our size requirements was the “Salon Center” basket. It seemed just the right size to fit in the spot where we wanted to put it and had 4 divided compartments to help us organize our gear. I decided that it would make sense to put our cleaners in plastic squeeze bottles that were sized to fit the compartments. I found some on Amazon and ordered them and some chalkboard labels so we could note what was in each bottle.

All the gear that we keep in the cleaning basket

So here are the key cleaning supplies we keep stored here:

  • Dish soap
  • Camper’s soap
  • Laundry detergent
  • A spray bottle of counter cleaner
  • A sponge
  • A scrubbie
  • A handled brush that is good for cleaning cups and bottles
  • A couple of “camp” scrapers/brush, good for getting things off pans
  • A baggie with some dryer sheets
  • A container with a bunch of quarters
  • A Sea-to-Summit kitchen sink for gathering dishes

It’s pretty much everything (well, almost everything) we need to keep our dishes and camping gear clean and do a little laundry if we need to along the way. And it all fits flat in this container and is easy to get to our on countertop. The cleaning supplies we keep elsewhere include the bigger kitchen sink, which we use if we are washing on site or if we have to schlep a fair way to get to a wash sink at the camp, and is stored in the cabinet below the counter. And also under the counter is a bag of kitchen towels that we use for drying.

Everything packed back into the basket to tuck away

And between trips, we just have to check the bottles for any needed refills, take stock of whether the sponge needs to be replaced, and check for whether we need more quarters.

Best of all, whenever someone needs to wipe something up or go wash dishes, they know exactly where to find the gear they need.