How To Wash Dishes While Camping

I hate washing dishes so much, and I’m pretty sure that you agree. Washing the dishes is the most universally despised task, right?

It’s tedious, laborious, and boring at the best of times and that’s with the help of access to hot soapy water or if you’re lucky enough, a dishwasher.

However, these are luxuries that are taken for granted. And it’s not until it’s time to wash those dishes while camping, where these things are not so easily available, that you’ll realize how easy you actually had it.

Now, I can’t make the task any less boring for you. Sorry, it’s just not physically possible – it is the world’s worst task.

But I can show you the system I use to ensure that those dishes get washed and cleaned as quickly as possible so that you can forget about the whole ordeal. At least until tomorrow.

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about washing your dishes while camping.

Campground Etiquette

So, obviously, you are responsible for keeping your dishes clean while you’re on a camping ground. Depending on where you are staying, you might be privileged enough to have a designated washing facility for your dishes.

If you see these, definitely use them. However, these facilities tend to be pretty rare around the US. And therefore you’ll need to find your own way to get those plates nice and clean again.

Whatever you do, you want to steer clear of washing up your pots and pans in a bathroom sink or a drinking water spigot. This is a really bad idea due to the fact that they are simply not designed to cope with food waste.

And you’ll end up attracting some unwanted visitors (for example, rats) if you do so.

You will need to wash your dishes and dispose of your dishwasher responsibly while at any campground. Don’t worry if you’re a little lost as to how you should clean your dishes because I’ll go through a step-by-step guide now.

Everything You’ll Need

So, you’ll need a fair few items to be ready for washing those dishes while camping. I’ve compiled a checklist for you here so you can ensure you have everything you’ll need before you travel.

Sink – This can be a collapsible camping sink or just a large bucket. It really doesn’t matter what it is as long as it will hold enough water and your dishes can fit into it.
Pan Scraper – You’ll definitely need a little scraper to get rid of any stubborn food that sticks to pots, pans, or plates.
Sponge/Brush – You’ll need these to scrub and wash all your dishes.
Biodegradable Soap – It’s really important to ensure that your soap is biodegradable to ensure that you won’t harm or damage the environment when you dispose of your water.
Fine-Mesh Strainer – You need to remove any food waste from your water before you can dispose of it
Towels/Drying Rack – To dry your dishes after the washing process is finally over.

Please Note – You should never wash your dishes in natural water sources and all water should be disposed of at least 200 feet from any water source.

Step-By-Step Guide

1. Clean Your Plates

You’ll want to scrape away any leftover food either into a bin or a resealable container if you’re saving it for later. Obviously, the less food you leave on your plates, the easier this step is, so take extra care when it comes to portion control.

You really want to keep as much food out of the water as possible, so a pan scraper will be a lifesaver. Scrape off as much food waste as you can.

2. Wash And Rinse

Wash Sink – You’ll want to fill a bucket with warm/hot water and then add a few drops of your soap. I always start with the dishes that are cleanest and then work my way towards the dirtier ones to keep the bucket of water as clean as possible for as long as possible.
Rinse Sink – You’ll also want a bucket filled with hot water. Once you’ve washed them in the wash sink, you can give them a dunk into the rinse sink. They should now be dirt and sud free.
Sanitize – This is an optional step that can help kill germs. You’ll need boiling water, you can then let your dishes soak in it for a minimum of 60 seconds.

3. Dry & Double-Check

Once all your dishes have been dunked, scrubbed, and thoroughly cleaned it’s time to dry them. You can do this with a clean towel or you can let them air dry. Just don’t use a dirty towel as you may transfer bacteria onto your plates.

Then just before you move on to disposing of your sink water, double-check that you don’t have any other pots, pans, plates, or mugs that need to be washed. Otherwise, you’ll have to start the whole process over again.

4.Consolidate Greywater & Strain Out Food

When you are sure there are no dishes left, you can then consolidate your gray water. All you need to do is pour the rinse sink into the wash sink (the sanitize sink too if you have one.)

Then you’ll need to pour this water into a strainer to catch any leftover bits of food that ended up in the water. You should dispose of any food in the garbage.

5.Dispose Of The Water

Now all that’s left to do is dispose of that mucky water. If your campsite has drain water basins you can use them. If not, you should ask a staff member where you should dispose of your used water.

If you are pouring the water out in the area, ensure you are at least 200 feet away from any water source and try to spread the water over a large area to minimize any harm to the environment.

Final Thoughts

And just like that you’re all done with the world’s worst task. Like I said before, I, unfortunately, can’t make the dishes fun… no one can.

But I can help you get them done ASAP so you can get back to enjoying your holiday. And this is without a doubt, the fastest and easiest way to get your dishes back to sparkling clean.