Cleaning the HoboStove

[Sideburnt]

I've had a lot of fun in the front yard with my Hobo Stove, poking around in my little garden while a pot of tea boils.

I've only used wood and have not figured out the best way to give the little thing a quick clean before it gets packed away.

Burning natural fuel leaves a slightly greasy black sooty film over the inside of the hobo and on the underside of the tin, I was hoping that a quick rinse with the leftover water and a quick wipe would be fine but its too greasy.

Any ingenious ideas?, mix the ash with oil and a bot of water?

carry a small amount of dish soap?

Its not a massive problem but its not great having black greasy hands after putting the hobo away.

 

[Melonfish]

not sure about greasy. what kind of wood are you using?
mostly i just get some sooty deposits that rub off with cold ash and water or a chopped up scour pad.

 

[R.Lewis]

I always carry baby wipes and a beer towel. Baby wipes work well at cleaning sooty hands and pans too! I don't worry about getting too clean, just clean enough. Oh, and make a bag to keep it in to stop soot getting over your kit. I used a trouser leg to make mine as a lot of others have. Only difference is mine was Leather trousers....

 

[Sideburnt]

Aye, I have a nice denim bag for my camping version, the other sits happily in my zip up greenhouse.

I though handwipes might be the answer, they usually make an appearance in most of my travels anyway. I'm going to mod an old oversized toothbrush to pack for cleaning, bit of a scrub with water and ash then a wipe is all I need I should think. The wipes should help with the lye too I suppose.

 

[FGYT]

its why i have mine so the Stove fits snugly around the pot so both dirty sides are kept out of the way when packed

for a spring clean I use Soot and Tar remover for cleaning Stoves (or oven cleaner works to ) its not nice stuff so only use it when its really sticky etc

 

[ged]

Most of the time I don't bother cleaning my hobo stove, kettle and/or Ghillie kettle, I just let them cool down and put them in a couple of carrier bags. One bag isn't usually enough to guarantee that soot doesn't escape into my kit. I always carry a few plastic bags of various sizes for this sort of thing. Freezer bags, assorted carrier bags, a couple of dustbin liners or the bags that charities keep pushing through the letter box. When I pack, the dirty items are already in their plastic bags before I set off.

I've worked on a routine for keeping the dirty side of the bags inside, and the outside clean, when I take the things out and put them back in. The wife likes to make drawstring bags, shopping bags, whatever bags with scraps of fabric left over from her bigger sewing projects. The Ghillie kettle came with one of its own. Once the dirty stove/kettle/whatever is safely tucked away in its plastic bags, popping it in a purpose-made drawstring bag makes it easier to handle and stow -- but it isn't essential and it weighs more.

 

[Tank]

carry some wirewool to scrub the pot. I usally dont botter cleaning the outside of the pots until i get home.

 

[Barn Owl]

I don't bother cleaning mine and carry it in a leather bag too.

 

[John Fenna]

Excess crud burns off when you get the hobo realy hot - the rest does not matter.....

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

i don't bother cleaning the stove, actually, i don't clean the outside of the kettle or pans either. got a trouser leg bag for the stove and kettle. army mug and bottle with hexi soot on mug and esbit just get stuffed into a pouch. if it was going in with other kit without being bagged in some way maybe i would bother, but one fire in either and they are black again. no point. let it get that lived in look.

 

[chris_irwin]

just rub it on your jeans and sling it in the stuff sack, job done

 

[Laurentius]

Why? Couldn't you call it Patina? You ought to see the inside of my Kelly Kettle, then again perhaps not