The one thing I hate about camping (we're talking real camping...not camping in an RV with water/power) is that there is no dishwasher (I love my dishwasher) and no sink for washing hands and general cleanliness. I always feel like I'm dirty and that nothing really gets cleaned when you're camping so here's my take on camping cleanliness - cleaning for dishes, dirty hands, and general cleanliness when there's no comforts of home!
For keeping the dishes and food prep clean and healthy, I've got two basins (Rubbermaid) that I keep on the picnic table and an expanding dish rack (IKEA) for washing dishes. They all fit nicely together and go in the bottom of my Camping Essentials Bin. Hot water from the kettle and some dish soap help to kill germs on dishes. Don't forget food safety even when camping!
I use one of those Rubbermaid bins for hand washing before & after meals and any time during the day. It just stays on the table the whole day. Hand soap and a towel are close by! I also keep hand sanitizer for those times when water isn't available or when you've just changed a messy diaper in the middle of making dinner and water & soap just don't seem like enough!! Those little kiddies can get mighty dirty playing outside too - that water is usually black before dinner! Just keep a kettle on the camp stove and quickly warm it up every once in a while if you want warm wash water.
I also have a toilet kit for bathroom cleanliness as I find a lot of our more rustic camp grounds do not have a water supply conveniently near toilets or are lacking in toilet paper. I've used an idea I saw on Pinterest (can't find the original idea, but there is the link to the post I saw) and added my own little touches...
...some hand sanitizer and a flash light for those late night trips to the toilet. The lid fits on nicely over everything to keep it together & dry.
Then there's general body cleanliness - get rid of the body stink when there's no showers (or no lake to wash it off!). Easily solved by a rub down with baby wipes or a basin of warm soapy water. My mother used to call them little "bird baths" when I was a kid - almost as good as a shower in the morning! Especially great for those longer camping trips. For little ones, I usually fill the basin (or fill one of my camping storage bins for the bigger kids) and give them a sitting bath to keep them smelling a little better and keep the diaper/sweat/heat rash at bay! And don't forget to wash feet at the end of the day - nothing worse than a tent full of foot stink while you're trying to sleep!
Remember to refill your little camping soap containers with biodegradable soap (I like Dr. Bronner's) to keep nature happy & healthy!
If you want to know what else I pack for a camping trip with kids - here's my Camping with Kids Packing List.
You really can be clean while you camp (if you want to be)!
Thanks
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