How to Wash Dishes While Camping

Washing dishes while camping doesn’t have to be a chore — with the right setup, it takes just a few minutes and keeps your campsite clean, fresh, and free of unwanted critters.

Even if your teardrop trailer or small camper has a sink, chances are it’s too small for anything beyond washing your hands or brushing your teeth. That’s why setting up a simple outdoor dish washing station is the way to go.

Why Washing Dishes While Camping Actually Matters

It’s tempting to let dishes sit until morning, but leftover food smells attract bugs and animals to your campsite — and nobody wants a raccoon rummaging through their gear at 2am. Washing up after each meal keeps your site tidy and your food storage safe.

How to Set Up a Camping Dish Washing Station

Set up your dish washing station on the picnic table at your site, or bring a small portable table. If your camper has an outside water sprayer or shower, position your station right next to it so you have easy access to water.

What you’ll need:

• Biodegradable dish soap (Dr. Bronner’s or Campsuds work great)
• 1–2 Collapsible sinks or wash basins
• Pot or kettle to heat water
• Scrubbing sponge or brush
• Pot Scraper
• Collapsible drying rack
• Quick-dry microfiber towels
• Trash bags

As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

How to Wash Dishes While Camping: Step by Step

1. Scrape and Wash Before anything hits the water, scrape off as much food as possible with a pot scraper and toss it in the trash. Then heat water on your camp stove or fire, pour it into your wash basin with a squirt of biodegradable soap, and add a little cool water if it’s too hot to handle. Scrub dishes thoroughly with your sponge or brush.

2. Rinse Use a second basin filled with clean warm water to rinse off any soap residue. No second basin? No problem — a spray bottle works great, or simply empty and refill your wash basin with clean water once you’re done scrubbing.

3. Dry I usually let dishes air dry on a collapsible rack — easy and hands-free. If you’re in a hurry, a quick-dry microfiber towel speeds things up, or hang dishes in a mesh bag to drip dry.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

Gray water disposal: Be aware of your campground’s rules for disposing of dish water (called “gray water”). Many campgrounds have a designated gray water dump station — don’t just toss it on the ground.

Pro tip: While you’re cleaning up, wipe down your camp stove too. There is nothing worse than opening up a stove that’s caked in old bacon grease. Clean up time is also a great moment to walk your trash to the campground disposal site so it’s not sitting at your site overnight.

Quick Camping Dish Washing Checklist

✅ Scrape food scraps into trash before washing

✅ Use biodegradable soap only

✅ Wash → Rinse → Dry

✅ Dispose of gray water properly

✅ Wipe down the camp stove

✅ Take trash to disposal site

Dish Washing Supplies for Camping

As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.