Outdoor Dishwashing Station

  1. Trash Can: Scrape off your dishes over the trash can.

  2. Wash Bucket: Wash your dishes in the soapy water bucket. Warm water makes it a little easier to get the dishes clean, but cold water works too. Do not use water that's so hot you have to worry about scalding your fingers. There should be just enough dish detergent to form soapsuds on top of the water. If the water looks murky or doesn't have soapsuds, it's time to replace the wash water.

  3. Rinse Bucket: Dip your dishes in the clear rinse water to get the soapy water off. Rinse water should look clear and clean. When the water looks soapy, it's time to replace the rinse water. Warm water is more effective for rinsing off soap, but cold water works too.

  4. Sanitizer Bucket: Dip your dishes in the sanitizer for 30 seconds. The water in this bucket must contain one tablespoon of bleach for each gallon of water. Be careful not to splash it on your clothes or in your eyes. If the sanitizer looks soapy, you need to replace both the sanitizer and rinse water. Do not use hot water--bleach decomposes rapidly in hot water.

  5. Drying Rack: Place your dishes in the drying rack and allow them to air dry. Don't worry about the bleach--as the water dries, the bleach breaks down into salt and most of the salt will fall off your dishes. After the dishes have dried, you can use a dish towel to wipe off any remaining salt residue. Do not rinse off the sanitizer or wipe the dishes before they are dry. The sanitizer is more effective when given time to air dry.
Ideally, your water buckets should be emptied into a drain connected to a sanitary sewer or septic system. If your camp doesn't have such a drain, pour your buckets out at a location that won't leave a muddy mess in places where people walk. You may want to pour the wash bucket through a strainer to remove the larger, more visible solids. Do not pour out your buckets near open water. There should be a buffer of at least 100 yards of wooded or grass-covered land between your dumping area and open water.

Bear in mind that insects and small animals will be attracted to the food residue left by your wash water. Is it far enough away for your fellow campers to feel comfortable?

Chlorine bleach, the same stuff you buy at the supermarket for laundry, is the best sanitizer for washing dishes with warm or room temperature water (75 to 120 degrees fahrenheit). Most laundry bleaches contain a solution of three to six percent sodium hypochlorite, providing a chlorine concentration of about 200 parts per million when a tablespoon of bleach is mixed with a gallon of water.