Washing Dishes When Camping: 8 Easy Steps

Washing dishes when camping doesn’t have to be a chores. As a matter of fact, it almost seems easier to me than when I am at home since I know I have to wash the dishes immediately afterwards versus having the space to let them sit until another meal or two are finished. Here’s my tried and true guide to washing dishes when you’re on the road or in nature.

Washing Dishes When Camping at a Campground

Most of the time this is similar to washing dishes anywhere else but occasionally you’ll come to a developed campground and they will have a designated washing area. When that happens, use it and enjoy.

Otherwise, the rules of how to wash dishes pretty much applies everywhere, and you should plan to do dishes at your campsite.

Equipment Needed to Wash Dishes When Camping

• Sinks: My preference is for collapsible sinks. I even have a drying rack that fits in with them as well. If you are in a pinch, a big dish pan will work.
• Wash Cloth or Sponge: We have wash clothes we bring for this purpose and have used a green scrubby in the past as well.
• Biodegradable Soap: I recommend Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Soap but as long as it’s biodegradable, use what makes your heart happy.
• Fine Mesh Strainer: I like this one because it has handles on them so you don’t have to hold it while you are pouring the water from one bucket to the other.
• Drying Towel and Rack (if desired): Brandon bought a microfiber drying towel that he swore by. Since then, I do too.

How to Wash Dishes When Camping

I want to point out that all dishes should be washed away from water sources—and never in lakes, rivers, or streams. Biodegradable soap needs the bacteria in the soil in order to properly break down. When washing dishes while camping, you should dispose of used dishwater at least 200 feet away from any water source; otherwise, you’re basically using dishsoap.

1. Eat Only What You Need

There are so many reasons this is important. For one, having extra food while camping is not as feasible as at home because you can’t store it as easily. You also don’t want to have a ton of trash at your campsite. I recommend figuring out how hungry you and your crew are and then deciding from there how much you need to cook. Hopefully after all is said and done you’re not having to do much of step three.

2. Gather Your Dishes

I am a fan of gathering the dishes all at once so I can approach the dishes with a get ‘er done mentality. I think waiting for people to be finished or having to round them up little by little would be stressful.

3. Scrape the Dishes Clean

Put any residue in your trash bag, making sure to get as much food as possible off.

4. Wash, Rinse, and (if necessary) Sanitize

First, get your area set up. Pop open your two to three buckets and fill the wash and rinse buckets with water. I like to add my soap to the bottom of the wash bucket first and then shake my hands around to get lots of good bubbles going.

I only use the sanitize towels when I’m wiping down items that have had raw meat on them. Getting sick stinks in general but even more so when camping!

5. Dry

Because I like to batch clean my dishes, I will gather them up, go through the process and put them in the strainer that we have. Once I am completely done doing dishes, I will dry them. If I am lucky enough to have someone work alongside me, I will often ask them to dry the dishes.

6. Make Sure You Didn’t Miss Any Dishes

Double and triple check at this point because it’s no fun when you finish up and there is a dirty dish lying around. If this does happen, just use one of the sanitization wipes temporarily and wash it good the next go round.

7. Consolidate Your Grey Water

Add all your rinse water to you wash water.

8. Strain to Collect Scraps

Pour that water back into the rinse water bucket over the strainer to collect scraps. Once this has been done, throw the scraps away.

9. Dispose of Greywater

If there is a designated area at your campground, dispose of the greywater there. Please don’t put it down the sinks in the bathroom or washing facility. That is not what they are designed for.

In lieu of disposal facilities, Leave No Trace recommends disposing of greywater by broadcasting it (essentially spraying it) over a large area. This should be done at least 200 feet away from any water source.

10. Put the Dishes Away

Now, you can put the dishes away and close up the kitchen until the next time. Good job friends!

Final Thoughts on Washing Dishes When Camping

Washing dishes is never anyone’s favorite thing to do. Many people will use disposable plates on their trips but I am trying to travel, and live my life in general, as ethically as possible. So, I crank up the music, put a smile on my face and rip through those dishes as quickly as possible!

If you have any questions about washing dishes while camping, be sure to email me, and stay tuned- I plan to have more great camping and van-life tips coming soon!