Dishwashing Station Setup

How to Safely Wash Dishes in Field Conditions

1. Scrape off your dishes into the trash can. This helps keep the wash water from getting full of food particles.
2. Wash your dishes in the soapy water bucket. There should be just enough dish soap 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 your dishes in the rinse bucket. Rinse water should look clear and clean. When the rinse water gets soapy, it's time to replace it.
4. Dip your dishes in the sanitizer bucket for 30 seconds. Be careful not to splash it on your clothes or in your eyes. If the sanitizer looks soapy, it's time to replace both the sanitizer and rinse water.
5. Stack your clean dishes and utensils on/in the drying rack 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.

FSA thanks CPC for the illustration and the source text for this page.

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