The Best Way To Wash Your Dishes When You Don't Have Running Water

Although many people may acknowledge that washing dishes is an important daily chore, the task takes up a bigger part of our lives than most probably realize. In a survey conducted by Mulberrys Garment Care, Americans revealed that every week they spend almost 6 hours washing away at pots and pans. And, thanks to having to rinse dishes before washing and then scrubbing off what the machine can't clean from plates and bowls, that number includes those who own a dishwasher.

So, it is easy to complain about having to spend so much time keeping our usual dishes and more tedious-to-clean cooking items (like can openers and blenders) tidy. But we can often forget that it's a luxury to have access to the tools we need to make sure that our plates are safe to eat from. Until we get into a situation that reminds us, that is.

And if you're setting out on a camping trip or packing up to go travel the U.S. in a van, you may find yourself staring down the open road (and its lack of running water). Luckily, there is still a way you can keep your dishes clean without it.

According to Apartment Therapy, to successfully wash dishes without running water you'll need three large tubs, dish soap, and rags. You'll use one tub to wash your dishes in and the other two tubs to remove the soap from your pots and pans.

To start, Apartment Therapy explains that you will need to thoroughly soak your plates in the first tub before washing them with dish soap and a rag. After you're sure you've scrubbed your dishes properly, you'll need to move them to the next tub to get the soap off. And then you will place them in the last tub to make certain the dishes are completely soap-free. After that, you can dry your now-clean cutlery and plates and put them away for future use.

To make sure you don't harm the environment while trying to wash your dishes, Fresh Off the Grid suggests bringing along a mesh strainer and using biodegradable soap. The outlet states you need to run your dirty water through the mesh strainer before dumping it to get rid of any excess food leftover from your dishes. Then, because biodegradable soap only breaks down in dirt, toss your dishwater at least 200 feet away from any local rivers or lakes. That way, you'll be able to eat tasty camping meals off of clean plates without polluting any water sources.