If you’ve been a regular reader of RVtravel.com for a while, you may have read some of my “Unusual Uses for Ordinary Items” articles. In these stories, I’ve written about ways to use common everyday items in uncommon ways in and around your RV. Many readers have responded to these articles with very clever ideas of their own. Their suggestions prove that RVers are a creative bunch! They’ve shown that you can often fix RV irritations with things on hand.
Water bottle level
Want a quick and easy way to judge how level your assigned campsite is? Grab that water bottle you’ve been sipping on and place it on the ground. The air bubble inside the bottle will act just like a level to quickly show you the high and low spots. (Did you know that carpenters’ levels used to be nicknamed “whiskey sticks”? Read about it here.)
Prevent frosty mirrors
Picture this: You’re up early and ready to bring in the RV slides so you can get on the road. As soon as you go outside, you know your departure time is going to be delayed. That’s because frost has covered your outside mirrors and windshield, too. To prevent this situation from happening next time, cut a raw onion in half. Rub the cut onion over the windows, mirrors, and windshield before going to bed for the night. The onion will help prevent frost accumulation.
Smelly plastic containers
Got a plastic container that still smells like last summer’s cucumber, vinegar, and onion salad? Grab your toothpaste. That’s right, rub non-gel toothpaste over the interior of the container and then thoroughly rinse with clear water. Repeat for stubborn odors. Non-gel toothpaste will also help freshen your hands after handling smelly foods. Dampen your hands, apply a bit of non-gel toothpaste, and rub. Rinse and done!
Rattling ceiling fan light
I am so glad that we have a ceiling fan in our RV. However, I didn’t appreciate how the globes on the light fixture rattled when the fan was on. Turns out, a rubber band is a simple fix. We placed the rubber band around the base of the globe (as shown) and no more irritating rattle. 
Your turn
Let’s help each other out. If you’ve been able to fix an RV irritation in a nonconventional way with things on hand, tell us about it in the comments below.
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Just wanted to say Thanks to Gail for your RV articles. They have certainly made my camping trips easier.
Enjoy your day !
Thanks, Janet! Have a great day!
My thanks also to Gail. I read RVtravel.com every day.
Want to get rid of the onion, and garlic smells on your hands? Rub them on some stainless steel, like a faucet, sink, spoon, etc.
To keep my glass stove top from rattling during travel, I stow my silicone pot holders between the glass and the burners.
Thank you, Gail. 🙂 Sorry, no hints here. 🙁 How did the rubber band stop the ceiling fan globes from rattling? Are they plastic? Sorry, I cannot visualize what the rubber band did to eliminate the rattle. Thank you!
Some manufacturers supplied rubber bands with the fan. It works, but I preferred a couple of turns of good ol duct tape. Make it about 1/2 inch wide
We once bought a stainless steel ‘egg’ that was advertised to do this. Works great. Probably 25 years old.
Search for stainless steel soap!
Thank you, Bob, will do! 🙂
Thank you, Thomas D! 🙂
Ha! I see. I imagined the rubber band in the wrong position. 🙁 I get it now; thank you! 🙂
For a quick way to chill down your rv freezer-fill an empty wine box liner with water and place flat in your home freezer, once frozen place in your RV freezer. It will help chill down the unit and doesn’t take up much room. Also great for lining your coolers.
Many of us have a propane gas range or cooktop in our RV. If one where the burner flame is too high or hot on the lowest setting, carefully turn the burner knob towards the off position. It will restrict the gas flow without affecting the air/fuel ratio maintaining a blue flame lower in height and heat. Just be careful a wind gust does not blow out the smaller/weaker flame.