A Clever DIY Handwashing Station Idea To Try On Your Next Camping Trip

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Part of the fun of a camping trip is embracing the DIY lifestyle for a few days: collecting wood, building your own fire, and finding novel ways to cook your favorite foods over that same campfire. Throw in some hiking, exploring, perhaps a little fishing or kayaking, and you have a nice assortment of truly hands-on activities. Hands-on anything often means hands dirty, too. And unless you camp at one of these luxurious glamping spots across the United States, the campsite at your favorite outdoor destination setup might not have a nearby restroom with a sink. Instead, build your own rinsing station using a plastic jug and a straw.

Of course, you could go all day without washing your hands, but that's not really the best idea when prepping and eating food. While wet wipes, hand sanitizer, or straight-up pouring your water bottle over your hands work in a pinch, none of these is a truly solid solution. 

But with so many genius hacks for starting a campfire, there has to be one for easily washing your hands. This simple option turns a straw and any plastic jug or bottle with a lid into a makeshift (recyclable) camp handwashing setup. A little creativity turns these items into a water vessel with a spigot you can turn on and off as desired, simply by using items you may have otherwise discarded. How's that for some camping craftiness? 

To craft a DIY handwashing station, poke a hole in one of the side walls an inch or two from the bottom of a clean plastic jug, which can be as small as a basic water bottle, or as big as the type that sits on top of a water cooler. The hole should be just barely wide enough to push a straw into it. A tool, such as the tip of a hot soldering iron or fire-heated knife tip, makes creating the hole a simple project, without cracking the plastic. Push the straw into the hole so it sticks halfway out of the jug. If desired, apply a bead of silicone sealant, such as Silco RTV 4500 food-safe silicone, to prevent leaks before filling the jug with water. 

This hand-washing station turns the straw into a spigot when you loosen the jug's screw cap, then turns the water off again when you tighten the cap. When the cap is tightened, the lack of airflow creates a vacuum, holding the water in place. When you loosen the cap, air sneaks back in, creating pressure that forces water out. Tightening the cap restores the vacuum.

Place your new hand-washing station on the edge of a picnic table or another place at your campsite that's at a convenient hand-washing height. Another version of the handwashing station uses a bendy straw that's secure in place. The straight end of the straw goes into the jug, and the bent end stays outside of it. Bend the straw up when not needing water, then bend it down when you do. When you return from your camping trip, cleaning your cooler is a breeze with the help of an unexpected product: Alka-Seltzer.