# Clean cooking and eating gear

Part of the Tenderfoot guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/tenderfoot/guide/index.md)

*2. Cooking and Meal Preparation*

> **2b.** While on a campout, demonstrate an appropriate method of safely cleaning items used to prepare, serve, and eat a meal.

Backcountry dishwashing is a vital health and sanitation skill. Leftover grease, food particles, and bacteria on mess kits can quickly cause gastrointestinal illness across an entire patrol. This requirement requires you to demonstrate an approved camp dishwashing system in the field.

## The Standard Three-Pot Dishwashing Method

Before sitting down to eat, place a large pot of water on your camp stove or fire grate. By the time your patrol finishes eating, hot water is ready for washing, saving significant time.

![Diagram of the three-pot dishwashing method: wash, rinse, and sanitize pots in a row](https://ik.imagekit.io/doulacoop/tr:w-1376/su-assets/scouts-bsa/ranks/tenderfoot/guide/three-pot-dishwashing-method?v=47eb54fb)

### Pre-Wash Preparation

1. **Scrape thoroughly:** Use a rubber spatula or paper napkin to scrape every scrap of leftover food into the patrol garbage bag. Never dump solid food into the wash water.
2. **Soak stubborn pots:** If oatmeal, rice, or cheese is stuck to the bottom of cooking pots, add a small amount of warm water and let it soak while setting up the wash line.

### The Three-Pot Wash Station

| Station | Water Temperature & Contents | Purpose |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Pot 1: Wash Pot** | Hot water (100°–120°F) + a few drops of biodegradable camp soap | Cuts grease and cleans all food contact surfaces with a sponge or scrubber. |
| **Pot 2: Hot-Rinse Pot** | Clear, clean hot water | Rinses away soap film, suds, and loosened particles. |
| **Pot 3: Sanitizing Pot** | Cold or warm water + sanitizing agent (sanitizing tablet or 1–2 drops of unscented household bleach) | Kills microscopic bacteria and viruses that survive hot water. Dishes should remain submerged for at least 30 seconds. |

### Drying & Storage: The Air-Dry Rule

- **Never use a dish towel:** Drying dishes with a shared camp towel rapidly spreads bacteria between mess kits.
- **Mesh Dunk Bag:** Place cleaned plates, bowls, and silverware into a clean mesh dunk bag and hang it from a camp tree or dining fly line to air-dry completely in the breeze and sunshine.

> **Tip**
>
> **Soot Prevention Pro-Tip:** Before cooking over a wood campfire or charcoal grate, smear a thin film of biodegradable liquid soap on the *outside* and *bottom* of your metal cook pots. When washing up, the black campfire soot wipes right off with the soap film, leaving your pots sparkling clean.

## Disposing of Greywater Safely

Once all dishes are clean, dispose of the wastewater following Leave No Trace guidelines:

1. **Strain out food particles:** Pour all three pots through a mesh strainer, bandana, or screen over a sump pit or bucket.
2. **Pack out solids:** Shake the strained food solids directly into the patrol trash bag.
3. **Disperse greywater:** Broadcast the strained wastewater over a wide area or pour it into a designated campsite sump hole at least **200 feet (75 paces)** away from sleeping tents, trails, streams, and lakes.

> **Tip**
>
> Never wash dishes or dump soapy greywater directly into a river, lake, or natural spring, even when using biodegradable soap. Biodegradable soap requires soil microbes to break down safely.

To complete this requirement, take the lead at the wash station during a patrol outing and demonstrate the entire setup, wash sequence, and greywater disposal process for your leader.

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- Previous: [Help cook a meal](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/tenderfoot/guide/req2a/index.md)
- Next: [Explain patrol meal importance](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/tenderfoot/guide/req2c/index.md)