How do you wash dishes in camp?

[Hillmann]

I think the title says it all "How do you wash dishes in camp?"

This is the way I grew up doing it but would like to hear/read other options.

After the meal was cooked we would put a full teapot on the stove to boil. Once it was boiling we would pour half of it into a dishpan with a few drops of soap. Then we would pour cold/room temp water into the teapot to fill it back up and pour enough cold/room temp water into the dishpan to cool it down enough not to get burned when doing the dishes. So the dishpan would only have about two inches of hot soapy water in it.

Then we would wash one dish at a time in the dishpan. Once they were scrubbed off we would hold the dish above the dish pan with one hand and then pour water from the teapot over the dish to rinse the soap off with the rinse water falling into the dishpan. By doing it that way once you got to the bigger dishes like the pots and pans there was enough water in the dishpan to clean them without too much difficulty. After the dishes were clean they would be placed on a towel to dry. And the used wash water would be thrown out into the yard, if camping in a campground you would probably dump the water into a gray water tank or a 5 gallon bucket and haul it out with you when you break camp.

So that's how I wash dishes and find it quick and easy and not requiring much equipment, how do you wash your dishes?

[indycamper]

I have adopted bobhenry's "hillbilly hot water heater", so don't have to heat water in the pot (unless I'm camping without electricity, which I try not to do!) I put the dishes into the wash basin throughout the day (it's only me in camp, so I do not usually do dishes each meal) and add hot water / soap after dinner. After washing the dishes I set them in a little dish drainer I have and make certian the drain hole is over the funnel into my Jerry Can. Then I pour hot water over them all to rinse them off / scald the bugs off them. THEN I cover them with a nice dry towel so that they can air dry without having buggies land I do NOT like buggies on my dishes!!

[pete42]

Can you say plastic and paper?

[48Rob]

As a young man, I washed them at the hydrant, or when I got home.
These days, as my "camping" experience is closer to touring, I wash them in the sink.
Thats pot and pans and cooking utensils, plates and cups are paper.

Rob

[SarahMcDermott]

I piled everything neatly and handed my husband the soap and a towel. They sparkled.

[bc toys]

I have a pvc stand that holds 3 dish pans 14x18 and use a instant hot by coleman to heat my water wash reanse and dry will wife enjoys the camping.

[Mukilteo]

This has to be a trick question.
All I'll say is "With my hands."

[nevadatear]

Use the two dish pan method. Kind of the same but wash, then rinse. Just built a new pvc sink sink holder looking forward to sing next season. Also either heat up on the camp stove or use my weed spray can water heater

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1353977230.388802.jpg (129.64 KiB) Viewed 2219 times

[GuitarPhotog]

I heat water in an 8-qt pot and wash in that and rinse in cold water in a plastic basin. I dislike using disposables but carry only 2 place settings of tableware so I have to wash every day, generally after eating dinner.

I generally run everything through the dishwasher after returning home from a trip.

<Chas>

[Bear_Rider]

I wash dishes in a manner similar to your method, Hillman, except that I put the large coffee pot on the cooking fire as soon as possible, and I rinse a little differently. My washing station is always on an closed side of the camp, so that no foot traffic comes through there, and I simply hold the item out in the air outside of the camp circle and rinse it off, letting the water fall on the ground. The soapy/dirty dish water is disposed of more carefully when I am finished.

When I get my gear trailer finished, I will haul a second, larger pan to contain even that rinse water. However, since I currently only take one pot, one skillet, two plates, a camp knife, one cutlery set, and a cup, my needs are minimal.

[eamarquardt]

I use a fairly good sized SS Bowl. It has a semicircular cross section. I heat it on a burner to get the soapy water hot. When it cools down, I just put it back on the burner. I hate doing dishes in cold water. Light spray with water from fine nozzle to rinse.

Gus

[Dale M.]

Basically use two dish pan (on picnic table bench) method, and heat water in metal bucket on camp stove.....

Dale

[atahoekid]

While I'm cooking, I heat 2 buckets of water on the campfire that I started at the same time I started cooking. By the end of dinner, those buckets are at a full rolling boil. One gets taken to the sink in the galley and poured in with a bit of soap. Rinse water is cold water out of the galley faucet, then back to the other boiling water bucket for a quick dip for sanitation. That bucket on the fire is also the standby water bucket that I always keep next to a campfire in case it ever gets out of hand. Just kick it over into the fire, problem solved...

[droid_ca]

I wonder how well this would work
http://www.simplesolarhomesteading.com/ ... dishwasher
There is also a link to pictures

[Shadow Catcher]

One of the goals with Compass Rose was that vacations for Nancy would be, well, vacations. That meal prep and cleanup be as easy as at home. With a six gallon water heater and sprayer faucet and three burner cook top that was achieved. It was a struggle back in the, 'in tents' days heating water on the three burner Preway camp stove took time and there are much better things to do.