Six (plus) Tools for Easy Galley Clean Up

Cleaning up in a tiny boat galley is difficult enough. Why not embrace anything that makes a tough job easier?

The Worst Part of Boat Life

Okay, we’ll start with the fact that cleaning up is about my least favorite part of any job.  In the galley, I’d much rather be doing the cooking . . . and the eating.  But when we informally divided up the chores, I got cleaning the dishes.  Dave got cleaning fish.  Considering that I really hate cleaning fish, I was reasonably happy with the split.

Over the years, I’ve discovered six tools that make galley clean up much easier. I feel quite happy with the division of labor.  Cleaning up isn’t nearly the chore it used to be.

My Favorite Tools for Cleaning Up the Boat Galley

All of these tools are easy to find and quite inexpensive. They certainly make cleaning up the galley faster and easier.

Silicone Spoon Spatula

I love my silicone spoon spatula so much I recorded a podcast and wrote an entire post about its virtues. In addition its use while cooking, I use it to scrape plates and pans before washing them.  The shape just plain works far better than a rubber scraper. It’s stiffer and gets more off, and the seamless construction makes it easy to clean.  Scrape the dishes into a wide-mouth jar so as not to attract bugs . . . or have a stinky trash can! You can find multi-packs of silicone spoon spatulas at Amazon.

Scrubr Dish Rag

A Scrubr dish rag has got enough “grit” to get dishes clean but won’t harm non-stick finishes.  But the best thing about it is that it just never gets stinky. That means that my hands don’t get that nasty smell, either.

Lunatec Gear makes the Scrubr dish rag, available on Amazon.

Nail brush

When you work on diesel engines, a nail brush comes in handy. But its compact size also makes it convenient for cleaning hard surfaces. I use mine a lot, particularly on plastic containers.

You can buy a variety of nail brushes on Amazon, or in most drug stores.

Bottle Brush

You might think the housewares department is the best place to find this handy tool. Look for them next to infants supplies. They are perfect tool to scrub out a Thermos or water bottle.  Also great for cleaning the gap between the stove and the counter without totally removing the stove. That cleaning task can make a huge difference in keeping bugs out of your galley.

Amazon sells assorted bottle brushes in different sizes.

Q-Tips

These handy swaps get into places where lots of other tools can’t, particularly the joint where the counter meets the lip.  “Gunk” always seems to collect here.

Besides their use in the galley, they’re helpful for applying glycerine to the impeller you’re installing, or cleaning winches.

You can buy cotton swabs anywhere, but Amazon sells sturdy ones that are six inches long.

Denture Tablets

Do you have tough, stuck-on food in a pan or Thermos? Just toss a few denture tablets in with a bit of water, let the pan sit overnight and then a tiny bit of rubbing will get rid of pretty much anything.  Much easier than scrubbing with Brillo (which just turns into a rusty pad if you’re around salty air)!

My Bonus Cleaning Tool

No boat galley should be without a bent toothbrush. Learn how to bend a toothbrush. Cruiser Karen B. suggested this tool and told me how to bend one.

Of course, cruisers offer great suggestions. Here are a few suggestions from other cruisers.

Cruiser’s Galley Cleaning Tool Suggestions

Jackie, currently a CLOD (cruiser living on dirt), uses an expired credit card as a scraper. They are strong, have curved corners, won’t scratch non-stick finishes. Best of all, they are free! Tami recommends stainless steel scrubbers because they don’t rush. She buys hers for less than a dollar apiece at Asian markets.

Cruiser Ralph recommends brushes with bristles sticking out the end (on the same axial as the handle). He said he’s only seen them in Mexico, but worth seeking out since they’re great for cleaning the basket of a coffee maker. He’s also a fan of a “parts brush,” found in auto parts stores. The bristles are close together, strong, and made for cleaning parts in solvent. Elaine recommends denture cleaning brushes (available on Amazon) with bristles on one side and rubber scraper for stubborn stains.

In addition to cotton swabs, Desiree suggests bamboo skewers or toothpicks for cleaning tight crevices and Jan suggests keeping a sewing needle on hand.

Sara suggests a method of her own for stuck-on food. She adds about 1/2″ of water to the pan and puts it on the burner. Once the water is hot, she uses a scrubby rag to loosen the debris. Once it’s loose, she pours the water through a strainer into a lidded jar. She has dish soap to the jar and uses it the next time she cookes. It usually lasts a week without smelling. Once full, empty it into your trash. Mark’s method of dealing with stuck pots is to add a dryer sheet and a half inch of water. Let them soak overnight. By the morning, the debris slides right off.

Learn More

Cruising is a challenging life. But you don’t have to learn everything from scratch. You can pick up a lot from fellow cruisers. You can also get a head start by taking our course, The Basics of Living on a Boat (available as a standalone course, or as part of the All-Access Pass.

Boat chores aren’t always fun. But they don’t have to be miserable. Hopefully, my experience (and ideas from other cruisers) helps you find cleaning the galley just a little bit easier.

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