Bonus Blog: Chores in an RV
🧺 Small Space, Big Chores: Managing Daily & Weekly Tasks on the Road
Hello again from the ever-rolling Wildebeest! It’s Amanda & Chris from Outland Adventures, and today we’re talking about the behind-the-scenes stuff no one tells you about RV life — the everyday chores that don’t magically disappear just because your house has wheels.
Spoiler alert: laundry still needs doing, floors still get dirty, and sometimes your “linen closet” is just a fabric bin shoved under the bed.
But here’s the good news — you can keep your space clean, livable, and even a little cozy with the right systems in place. Here’s how we manage daily and weekly tasks on the road in our 1990 Ford E350 shuttle bus turned home.
🧼 DAILY TASKS (AKA "Let’s Stay Sane")
🧹 1. Quick Morning Reset
We start each day with a tiny home reset — making the bed (even if it’s just pulling the blanket up), wiping down the counters, and putting everything back in its place. When your entire home is one room, visual clutter = mental clutter.
Pro Tip: A pack of reusable cleaning cloths and a spray bottle of all-purpose vinegar cleaner lives under the table. No harsh smells, no space wasted.
🍽 2. Dishes = Immediately or Regretfully
With no dishwasher and limited counter space, dishes are a do-them-now-or-stare-at-them-all-day situation. We hand-wash using collapsible bins and dry on a towel next to the collapsible sink.
🧯 3. Check Systems (Like Responsible RV Grown-Ups)
We give our battery monitor, water level, and propane supply a once-over each morning. If anything’s low, we plan our refill run. A sticky note on the dash works great for reminders when the brain’s running on caffeine fumes.
🧺 WEEKLY TASKS (AKA "We Live Here, Not Glamp Here")
👕 1. Laundry Day = Chore + Social Event
Our laundry setup depends on where we’re parked. When facilities are nearby, we hit the campground machines. Otherwise? It’s hand-washing time.
We use a manual washer (basically a fancy bucket with a plunger-style lid) and hang our laundry to dry on a collapsible rack or clothesline strung between trees or mirrors. Amanda’s delicates always go on the shaded side of Wildebeest — nobody needs to see those.
Laundry Hack: We keep a rolling “wear again” bag under the bed for things like pajamas and camp hoodies. Saves space and laundry soap.
🧽 2. Deep Clean Fridays
Every week, we do a full wipe-down: walls, floors, ceiling fan blades, and those mystery corners that collect sand, dust, or glitter (Amanda swears it's not craft glitter, its makeup).
Chris checks all mechanical and maintenance points (tires, oil, water pump). Amanda handles the pantry restock and reorganizing her crafting corner before it rebels.
Storage Tip: We keep cleaning supplies in a tote at the rear of the bus. Compact, accessible, and doesn’t fall over every time we hit a bump.
🧴 STORAGE & ORGANIZATION TIPS
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Multipurpose Products: We use one concentrated cleaner for almost everything — counters, windows, floors, fridge. Less clutter, more clean.
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Clear Bins: We see what we’ve got before digging. Bonus: they fit great in cubbies and as under-bed drawers.
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Velcro & Hooks Are Your Best Friends: From broom clips to mounted command hooks, everything has a “hangable” spot.
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Folding Hampers & Storage Cubes: Dirty laundry goes in a fold-flat bin at the foot of the bed. When laundry’s done, the bin fold up out of the way... Til later in the day, when laundry magically reappears.
💡 A Few Final Thoughts
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We treat our small space like a tiny ecosystem — what we use, we clean. What we bring in, we store smart.
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We plan chore days around weather, water supply, and campground vibes (because you don’t want to be shaking rugs when your neighbors are grilling).
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Most importantly: we do it together. Chores go faster with music, coffee, and jokes about whose turn it is to clean the weird goo out of the fridge bin.
Full-time RV life isn’t just adventures and sunsets — it’s also stain removers, broom bristles, and laundry flapping in the wind like flags of survival. But when the chores are done, the sunsets do feel a little sweeter.
📍Currently cleaning: Somewhere between a field of wildflowers and a stack of socks we’re pretending don’t exist yet.
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