Safe Soaps for Campers and Boaters

Why should campers and boaters be concerned about using safe soap?  Well, soaps and detergents can be harmful to the environment and if used improperly or in the wrong places may contaminate drinking water sources.   If you only use the sanitation facilities with holding tanks on your RV, camper, or boat, you can probably use the same favorite products you use at home.  Do consider whether any products will adversely affect hold tank chemical performance.  However, if you use outdoor facilities you need be careful so that what you use doesn't pollute the environment unnecessarily.

Your choice of soaps and detergents may be limited if you or anyone in your immediate group has allergies or sensitive skin.   If possible, test any options at home before you head out on your adventures.  You don't want to be out and about with no access to remedies or alternatives when you discover a product that causes someone problems.

Personal hygiene is just as important, perhaps even more important, when we are out camping or boating than it is at home.  However, at home the waste from washing dishes. clothes or our bodies usually goes into appropriate sewer or septic systems so it doesn't harm the environment.  When we are out on the water or in the wild we must take precautions to ensure waste water doesn't contaminate drinking water sources or do other damage to the environment.  Never dump any waste water within 200' of wells, springs, streams, or other bodies of water.  Developed campgrounds often have a designated, gravel area to dump wash water.  Indiscriminately dumping it elsewhere on the landscape can create serious environmental problems.  If you drink water from the campground, you might even be polluting the water your drink!

When you are camping in an fully self-contained RV or boat with holding tanks you can generally treat the sinks and basins much like you would the ones at home and can usually use the same favorite products you use at home.  You will usually find it beneficial to avoid putting too much organic waste down the drain as it tends to build up in drain pipes and holding tanks and can cause unpleasant odors, clog sensors, and even blockages.  Consider wiping dishes with a wad of newspaper before washing them, then burn the newspaper in your campfire.   But, if you are bathing or washing dishes or dumping waste water outside you need to make sure the products you use are environmentally safe.  Excess soaps may introduce over sudsing into your grey water tank, making it fill quicker than usual, result in backflow, and perhaps interfere with proper dumping.  You might want to cut back a bit on how much shampoo you use on your hair.  Along that line, I like to use a combination shampoo and conditioner to minimize both chemicals and the amount of water used washing hair.

Some commonly used soaps, such as Dawn dish washing detergent, are reportedly safe to use when camping.  BTW, Dawn is a good solution if you should happen to get sprayed with bear spray or mace.  The usual recomnended treatment is Baby Shampoo, but it often isn't strong enough to neutralize the powerful oils in pepper sprays.  Always look for biodegradable soaps for use when camping.  However, you must always consider where your waste water is going.  If you are on or near a lake or stream that is a source of drinking water you should avoid allowing any waste to enter the water.  You should never dump waste water within 200 feet of a water source.  Some campgrounds have special dish washing sumps where you can safely dump dish water or water from washing clothes.  They are usually a small depression with gravel on top.  Beneath that is typically a pit or barrel with several feet of sand and gravel that filters the water before allowing it so seep out into the ground.  Lacking any designated place to dump soapy water, dump it well away (at least 200 feet) from any lake, stream, pond, or well and far enough away from camp that it doesn't make a smelly, muddy mess anywhere you will be walking.  I have seen RVs run a drain hose from there gray water tanks out into the desert to avoid filling the holding tank too quickly.   Thirsty desert plants may appreciate the extra hydration.  In some places that may be illegal so be sure to check local rules before doing that.  Then, remember to keep waste water away from any ground water and out of trails, pathways, roads, and camp sites.  I have seen people route their grey water dump hoses into existing holes in the ground.  But, remember, those holes are probably home to desert creatures you might harm and it could create a dangerous situation if it drives a rattlesnake out of its hole and into your camp!

If you are not sure if your soap is environmentally safe, don't use it where it can contaminate the environment!  There are biodegradable soaps available for almost all needs.  They come in liquid, bar, and powder form and Coleman even offers biodegradable soap sheets that are convenient for all kinds of outdoor activities, even back packing.   Do a quick Internet search for "safe soap for campers" to get a list of products and brands that are suitable for camping and boating.

Liquid soaps are convenient for use at home and often in RVs and boats, but bar soap is usually easier to deal with when tent camping and hiking.  You can even find shampoo in bar form if you look around.  Bar soap should be kept in a plastic soap container or sealable plastic bag to prevent it from getting all over the things around it and protect it from becoming contaminated.  Lacking a soap container, tuck it into a zip lock style bag.  Some camp friendly soap comes in tubes like toothpaste which makes it clean, compact, and easy to carry and convenient to dispense of when it is empty.

Wet wipes are a convenient alternative for lots of small cleanup jobs.  They are light weight, compact, don't spill, and can be easily disposed of in regular trash or even burned in a campfire.

Just because your boat has a sink or basin doesn't mean you can dump your soapy waste down  there.   The sinks and basins on many small boats drain directly out through the hull into the water.  Even just the soapy water from washing your hands could contaminate the water around your boat.  If your boat sink drains into a holding tank, it may be safe for soapy water, but if it drains directly out through the hull, it definitely is not. 

Some community water sources, likes lakes and rivers, may even prohibit bathing, swimming, or any bodily contact with the water.  Be especially careful to avoid allowing waste water to enter the water in such places.

With just a little common sense and obeying reasonable rules we can enjoy good outdoor hygiene and protect the environment!  Failure to comply could result in closure of popular venues.

Clean up!