Last updated on August 14th, 2021
You’ve just finished enjoying the most delicious campfire meal with your family. Great! But, do you know how to wash dishes while camping? Unless you have an RV or travel trailer, chances are your campsite didn’t come with a sink or dishwasher.
If you have any dishes or cookware that are not disposable and require washing, it’s better to wash them sooner rather than later to avoid attracting pesky insects and hungry wildlife to your campsite.
So, how do you wash dishes while camping? I’ll show you an easy method for cleaning and sanitizing dishes that will have the task completed in no time so you can get back to enjoying life at the campsite.
How To Wash Dishes While Camping: Step-By-Step
First, you will need three dishpans. I use the cheap, plastic dishpans from Dollar Tree. That’s only a $3 investment and they stack together to reduce storage space. If you can’t find those, a set like this will work well.
Next, I place the dishpans on a picnic table and fill all three about 1/2 to 2/3 full with clean water. The first dishpan contains soapy water. The second is for clean, rinsing water. The third contains water with a capful of bleach for sanitizing the dishes (optional but recommended). I especially recommend using the sanitizing rinse if you are washing dishes with cold water. This helps to make sure food residue and bacteria are eliminated.
If you prefer to wash with warm water, heat a pan of water over the camp stove or campfire. Let it cool somewhat before using it to avoid burning your hands or melting the dishpan.
Now it’s time to scrub-a-dub-dub! I always have a sponge, small dish brush, and plastic scraper on hand when washing dishes at the campsite. Make sure to use biodegradable, environmentally-friendly dish soap to avoid harming plants or wildlife when disposing of your dirty dishwater. I use an unscented castile soap for both handwashing and dishwashing.
Soak dishes in the sanitizing bleach water solution for a minute or two after washing and rinsing to kill any remaining bacteria, then dry them with a towel. I have a set of cheap, white kitchen towels I keep in my camp kitchen box for this purpose to avoid accidentally bleaching my good towels.
When you are finished with the dishwater and sanitizing rinse, carefully empty the dishpans in an area where plants, trees, and wildlife will not be affected. Dry the dishpans and stack them together for later use.
And there you have it! Washing dishes at camp doesn’t have to be a daunting or stressful task. Keeping your camp kitchen clean and organized means less time and effort is required when preparing amazing camping meals!
Do you have any camping dishwashing hacks? Share them with us in the comments below!
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