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How to Dispose of Dishwater When Camping

Camping is a relaxing and enjoyable activity for the whole family. Unfortunately, chores of everyday life do not vanish while camping, since there are still mouths to feed and dishes to wash. While "pack out what you pack-in" is the standard rule for low impact camping, dishwater is not easily transportable, so it needs to be disposed of properly. Following a few simple steps minimizes the hazards posed by the improper disposal of dishwater.

Things You'll Need

Plastic bag, fine mesh screen or pantyhose
2 bins or pots
Paper towels (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Scrape all of the food off your dishes before washing them. You can wipe the dishes with paper towels to get more of the food particles, but this may be more wasteful than it is worth. The idea is to make sure the least amount of food particles are disposed of with the water. Food particles attract animals to a camping area, posing a risk to future campers and to the animals.
- 2
  Wash your dishes in one of the two dish bins or pots.
- 3
  Take your dishwater 100 to 200 feet away from your campsite, trail or water sources. Dishwater should not be dumped into a river or lake because it will contaminate the water.
- 4
  Strain your dishwater into the second pot or bin. Use a plastic bag with small holes poked in it, a fine mesh screen, or pantyhose as your strainer. Pack out the bag, screen or hose.
- 5
  Broadcast, or throw in an arc, the filtered dishwater from the second pot or bin so that it spreads out over a larger area. Broadcasting allows the dishwater to evaporate more quickly, thereby reducing the risk of attracting animals with the scent. Some campers like to dig a small hole and pour the dishwater into the hole, but this may trap the scent for longer than broadcasting.

Nature