The three

Wash, rinse, sanitize.

With the three-step dishwashing system, you can finish camp dishes in no time. That means you’re back to having fun faster.

Here's how to wash dishes at a campsite, courtesy of the Boy Scout Handbook (page 308).

Get your dishes as clean as you can before placing them into the wash pot. That way you won't overwhelm Pot 1 with food particles.

Note: This may involve scraping and literally licking your plate clean. At Scout camp, this is perfectly acceptable behavior.

Add a few drops of biodegradable soap to hot water. Your instinct will be to use more soap than you actually need, so use sparingly.

Fill the pot with clear, hot water.

Place a few drops of bleach or a sanitizing tablet (like Steramine) into cold water.

So that's how to wash dishes at a campsite. What tips or advice can you offer for campsite dishwashing?

This post was updated in December 2019 to reflect latest guidelines from the Boy Scout Handbook. Thank you to all the commenters for their feedback.

Photo via this site, where you can learn to make a holder for your dish tubs.