Once you've used a mnemonic device to remember something, can you remember it in the future without the mnemonic device, or are they always associated?

I know that was probably awkward wording, but this morning I went to put some oil in my leaky van, and as I was going to take the cap off, I remembered a mnemonic device my cousin taught me when we were kids: “righty tighty, lefty loosey”... used so you know which way to turn a screw-on cap. Since I have no radio in my van, I’m forced to sit with my own weird thoughts for 40 minutes, and so it occurred to me that I’m not sure I could remember that the cap is turned left to remove it, and right to put it back on (in most cases) without automatically thinking “righty tighty, lefty loosey” in my head.

Do you ever experience that? When you know something that you’ve learned with a mnemonic device, but it always goes through your head anyway when presented with that particular thing?

am I making any sense? I would not be the least bit surprised if this is all gibberish… but I’m telling you, this is what happens during the 40 minute drives to and from work o.O