As RVers, we’ve all experienced this scenario: You’re logging miles to reach your destination, stuck in traffic, and too tired to stop and fix lunch. So, you pull into a fast-food place and the co-pilot—my wife, in my case—runs in to grab lunch while the driver—me— takes a break.
The challenge then becomes how to carry the fast food dipping sauces back to the RV without spilling them. After all, the sauces, especially those specialty ones beyond mustard and ketchup, often make the meal, and you likely already have mustard and ketchup in your RV’s refrigerator anyway. For me, it is the tartar sauce or cocktail sauce from Ivar’s, a favorite seafood joint for those in the Pacific Northwest.
Tiny white paper cups
If you’ve ever dined inside places where you pump your own dipping sauce, you’ve probably seen the self-serve ketchup dispenser and stacks of tiny white paper cups. It’s easy to fill a few cups, take them to your table, and enjoy your meal. However, when taking your food-to-go to the RV, those open sauce containers can be a recipe for disaster.
Thanks to a recent hack shared on social media, the worry of spilling an open sauce container might be a thing of the past. The video on Facebook demonstrates this clever trick: after pouring the dipping sauce, in this case, ketchup, into a paper cup, you take another cup, flip it upside down, and press it down to create a makeshift lid.
This hack, resembling a miniature chef’s hat, works perfectly as a cover. Despite some people questioning the effort, especially with ketchup packets readily available, the video has amassed more than 1.2 million views and sparked significant discussion.
The sauce cup lid hack has sparked debate
While many were surprised they hadn’t thought of this before, others raised concerns about cleanliness. Since the cup is turned upside down onto the counter before being pressed into a lid, it may not be the best option for those trying to avoid germs.
According to the CDC, surfaces frequently touched by customers, such as condiment counters, are more likely to harbor germs. Although the video creator claimed to have wiped the counter down beforehand, viewers remained skeptical. Personally, I would use a clean napkin on the counter before making the lid.
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Most if not all FF restaurants will give you the single use packets for takeout food and even if you eat inside. A lot have gotten rid of the pump containers due to health department restrictions. Bacteria will grow on the nozzles if not cleaned regularly. Plus the mess it makes on the counter.
As far as cleanliness/germs…..I think the people who are concerned about smacking the cup inside down on the counter should be more concerned with what they don’t know happens behind the scenes in restaurants….
So, if you want to use this ‘hack’ correctly you should bring in your spray bottle of diluted bleach and a freshly washed towel to scrub down a one foot square safety zone to do this? We are SO germaphobic I’m surprised some folks venture out their front door.
I imagine if we could see what goes on behind the counters of fast food joints while our food is being prepared (or probably any restaurant really) many of us would choose to forgo eating out. Sometimes you just need to trust in your immune system I think. Or just not give it so much thought.
Thank you, Dave! 🙂 Great idea! Thank you and safe travels! 🙂
Hold the clean paper cup over your lips and blow. That will expand the cup without having to smash it on the counter.
A solution looking for a problem.