Mobile Hand Wash Basin 19L: No Plumbing, No Power, 100 Washes
Last updated: August 2026
A hand wash basin is the one bit of kit an environmental health officer will look for before they look at anything else. It is also the bit most traders leave until last. This unit solves it without plumbing, without power and without a van conversion: a 19-litre insulated tank, a tap, a bowl and two soap dispensers, ready to work the moment you fill it.
What you actually get
The unit is a single moulded HDPE body with an insulated 19-litre tank. Water goes in the top. A stainless steel tap with an elbow lever sits above a removable wash bowl. Two soap dispensers are fitted, and a temperature gauge on the front reads 0-100°C.
- Capacity: 19 litres
- Washes per fill: 80 to 100
- Dimensions: 42cm high, 41cm wide, 36cm deep
- Weight: 5kg empty
- Included: removable bowl, elbow-lever tap, temperature gauge, two soap dispensers, wall mounting lugs
At 5kg empty it lifts with one hand. Filled, it is closer to 24kg, so site it before you fill it.
How long the water stays warm
This is the question that matters on a cold morning, and the answer is measurable. Fill the tank above 65°C and it holds a usable washing temperature of roughly 36-56°C for over six hours. In a 15°C ambient it loses about 5°C an hour.
In practice that covers a full trading day from one kettle-and-urn fill. In January, in the wind, expect less. Top up at lunchtime and you will not run cold.
What environmental health actually asks for
Wording varies between councils, so confirm with yours. The baseline is consistent across UK guidance:
- A basin with running water, hot and cold or suitably mixed
- Soap
- Paper towels – reusable cloths are not accepted
- Hand washing water kept separate from any water used for drinks
Note the last point. If you are drawing water for coffee from the same container you wash your hands from, that is a fail regardless of how good the basin is. Keep the two supplies apart.
The bowl lifts out for emptying, which keeps used water away from the clean tank. Where a council asks specifically for separate clean and waste reservoirs, check the wording before you buy – some setups want a plumbed waste container rather than a bowl you tip out.
Where it works, and where it does not
It suits market stalls, festival pitches, street food counters, small events and back-of-house top-ups. Anywhere you have a flat surface and no plumbing, it earns its place.
It is less suited to a high-volume unit running all day with several staff. At 80 to 100 washes you will be refilling, and a 20-litre station with a dedicated waste tank makes more sense. We cover the fuller range in our mobile hand wash station buyer’s guide.
Looking after it
Clean it with hot water and soap. Swill the tank out, wipe the outside with a firm cloth, and dry it completely before it goes away. Store the lid loosely fitted – screwing it down tight can vacuum lock the tank.
Because it is HDPE rather than stainless steel, it will not corrode, but it will scuff. That is a fair trade at this price.
Common questions
Does it need power?
No. There is no pump and no element. You fill it with hot water and gravity does the rest.
Can it be wall mounted?
Yes, mounting lugs are moulded in. Most traders sit it on a table instead, which makes refilling easier.
How many washes will a shift really get?
Between 80 and 100 from a full tank, depending on how long people run the tap. Two staff on a busy six-hour service will empty it once.
Does it heat the water itself?
No. It insulates water you have already heated. An urn or a kettle fills it.
The short version
If you trade outdoors and need a compliant hand washing setup without plumbing, this is the cheapest sensible answer. It is from £174.99, it holds temperature for a working day, and it packs down small enough to live in the van permanently.
See the full specification on the Mobile Hand Wash Station – Tap and Dispenser Single Unit product page.
