Mine get rinsed in cold water in the sink and then put in the HOT water in the dishwasher. I'd rinse in warm but.. it takes for ever for the water to heat up in the kitchen and I hate waiting. If dishes are not going to going into the dishwasher I use hot in the sink.
Washing dishes with COLD water?
- Thread starter Callisto in NC
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Soap/detergents disperse more evenly in hot water than in cold - thus increasing their efficiency. Plus, hot/warm water helps to dissolve oils/fats - that's why we wash out hands with warm water - to break down the natural oils on our skin which can harbor germs.
Anyway - that's what I remember about the "logic" of washing up in hot/warm water.
Anyway - that's what I remember about the "logic" of washing up in hot/warm water.
mozart
Senior Cook
Septic systems are not harmed by bacterial hand soaps. Most septic tanks are at least 750 gallons with 1000 gallons being normal. The small amount of anti-bacterial agent that survives the hand washing process is quickly neutralized in the tank.
Even loads and loads of washing with bleach will not normally harm the functioning of a septic tank.
Since we continually add bacteria to the tank, it would quickly recover from any disruption in any event.
Even loads and loads of washing with bleach will not normally harm the functioning of a septic tank.
Since we continually add bacteria to the tank, it would quickly recover from any disruption in any event.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
How likely is it that there are nasties on dishes that one has just eaten from? If they are on the dishes, they were in the food, so the method used for washing is moot.
mozart
Senior Cook
Not really, GG.
Mostly what you would find is bacteria that is common to the mouth, nose, and throat. You transfer it to the dishes by direct contact (silverware in your mouth) and by coughing, sneezing, dripping, drooling and so on.
Staph aureus is a common inhabitant of this region as well as your skin.
OP
OP
Callisto in NC
Washing Up
We're talking EVERY dish. I know I mixed an egg wash into a bowl into a container to wash my raw fish in yesterday. That was three containers the raw egg hit. Then I dredged my raw, egg washed fish in another pan. Raw, raw, raw. This person is washing containers where raw food has touched in cold water. I think that's extremely different than the plates our food is on.
My issue with utensils is I beat a lot eggs and speer raw food with a lot of my forks.
That was my thought for the septic system, too. And I regularly have chlorinated water entering a septic system and it still tests good.
But the anti-bacterial soap has me baffled. I had no idea that you can superficially, or aerobically, build up a resistence. Interesting.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
I see what you mean. Still, as so many said above, it's the detergent and washing itself that clean the dishes, not the water temperature.
At the club I belong to we also have a dishwasher with a 190 setting along with heated drying. With the strong dishwasher soap.. those dishes come out sparkling!!!
As to the hot water from the tap. If it isn't hot enough to burn your hands, it isn't hot enough to sanitize anything.
Actually, I can see where warm water could be worse since it provides, at least for a short time the ideal situation for bacterial growth--warmth and moisture.... Perhaps cold is safer??????
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Would not the natural oils in our body serve more as a natural barrier to germs? (I don't know what the answer is, just seems that the oils our body produces is part of our defense, maybe the reason we are so suseptible to germs is that we scrub off our natural barrier.) Sorry, I'm typing aloud... just my questioning mind!
Rob Babcock
Head Chef
Hot tap water won't do any better job sanitizing than cold tap water. In fact, very hot water shouldn't be used if you're using bleach. Most surfactants don't work that well in cold water; thus hot water will be more effective in getting stuff clean. Although not necessarily sanitized.
CeliacFamilyCook
Cook
You can always add vinegar to the wash water. It is a natural disinfectant and it helps remove food and grease from dishes.
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
That's the best advice yet! And if you accidentally fall in your sink and suck in a bunch of water - it'll be good for you too! 
Maverick2272
Washing Up
The only reason we use hot water to wash dishes is because I just cant bring myself to stick my hands in cold water. But, we don't go out of our way to heat it up either, I know it will never get hot enough to sanitize and even if it did I wouldn't want to stick my hand into that either! We get it just hot enough to be comfortable, so maybe a nice warm water would be a better description there.
We don't use anti bacterial anything. The dish soap we do use has grease cutters in it, and DW has been known to add vinegar as well. I thought at first, "man, rinse those dishes cause I don't want any vinegar taste or smell left over!'. But that never happened so I don't bother her.
She even makes a lot of our household cleaners herself, saves money! People tell us we are not being safe because we don't buy fancy anti-bacterial washes and soaps and hand sanitizers all the time. But then when you ask them, they use tons of the stuff and yet their kids have all these allergies and illnesses the parents don't while my kids are healthy on every Dr. checkup. Our Dr. even remarked that the only time she has seen my 10 year old daughter in the last 8 years that she has been their Dr. is for her regular checkups and school physicals (well that and a couple of minor injuries).
I really think there is something in this theory that using all these things is putting us in danger and would love to see a long term study on the subject. Then again I would love it if they took the 'foaming' agents out of the soaps as well, they serve no purpose other than to give us visual 'proof' that the soap is there and working.
Ever seen a river where this stuff runs off into? Filled with the foam... yick. I also worry about the effect of all these chemicals on the environment. I remember growing up we had to start treating our well water because it had become undrinkable due to the enormous amount of chemicals the farmers where pumping into the soil and onto the crops. And yet, no laws passed to reduce this despite the fact that all ground water out there now has to be treated to be drinkable. Smokers even had a standing joke that water would get them long before the smoking did.
They were probably wrong, but still...
We don't use anti bacterial anything. The dish soap we do use has grease cutters in it, and DW has been known to add vinegar as well. I thought at first, "man, rinse those dishes cause I don't want any vinegar taste or smell left over!'. But that never happened so I don't bother her.
She even makes a lot of our household cleaners herself, saves money! People tell us we are not being safe because we don't buy fancy anti-bacterial washes and soaps and hand sanitizers all the time. But then when you ask them, they use tons of the stuff and yet their kids have all these allergies and illnesses the parents don't while my kids are healthy on every Dr. checkup. Our Dr. even remarked that the only time she has seen my 10 year old daughter in the last 8 years that she has been their Dr. is for her regular checkups and school physicals (well that and a couple of minor injuries).
I really think there is something in this theory that using all these things is putting us in danger and would love to see a long term study on the subject. Then again I would love it if they took the 'foaming' agents out of the soaps as well, they serve no purpose other than to give us visual 'proof' that the soap is there and working.
Ever seen a river where this stuff runs off into? Filled with the foam... yick. I also worry about the effect of all these chemicals on the environment. I remember growing up we had to start treating our well water because it had become undrinkable due to the enormous amount of chemicals the farmers where pumping into the soil and onto the crops. And yet, no laws passed to reduce this despite the fact that all ground water out there now has to be treated to be drinkable. Smokers even had a standing joke that water would get them long before the smoking did.
They were probably wrong, but still...
CeliacFamilyCook
Cook
I use Seventh Generation Free and Clear dish soap, it doesn't foam. It's one of the few cleaning products I actually buy. I actually have a spray bottle with 50/50 white vinegar and water and I use that clean almost everything in my house. It does smell slightly like a salad afterwards, but you get used to that and it does go away.
Maverick2272
Washing Up
One of DW's clients recently opened a 'green' store in Oak Park and she sells a lot of Seventh Generation stuff.
And we get the same smell after DW has cleaned the house as she mixes her own cleaners as well. I don't even use store bought cleaners on the toilet. I just scrub it real good and use a mix of hers that she adds bleach to. Works fine and all the porcelain is nice and white, LOL.
I just think the foaming agents should be banned altogether...
And we get the same smell after DW has cleaned the house as she mixes her own cleaners as well. I don't even use store bought cleaners on the toilet. I just scrub it real good and use a mix of hers that she adds bleach to. Works fine and all the porcelain is nice and white, LOL.
I just think the foaming agents should be banned altogether...
CeliacFamilyCook
Cook
I must admit that I use a green TB cleaner by Ecover. That is the other cleaner that I buy instead of make. I'm too clutzy to clean the toilet without the special bottle that sprays under the rim. If I used something else I'd probably end up making a mess.
Barbara L
Traveling Welcome Wagon
I don't have a dishwasher, so I have to wash my dishes by hand, then I let them air dry in the dish drainer. One reason I like to give mine a good hot rinse is that they seem to dry a little faster. Whether or not it is appreciably faster, I don't really know, but it works for me.
On a related note, it used to drive me nuts that James often uses cold water to wash his hands (well, it still does!). Then I realized the same thing someone else said here, that we couldn't possibly get the water hot enough to make a difference, so I let it go.
Barbara
On a related note, it used to drive me nuts that James often uses cold water to wash his hands (well, it still does!). Then I realized the same thing someone else said here, that we couldn't possibly get the water hot enough to make a difference, so I let it go.
Barbara
Maverick2272
Washing Up
I must admit that I use a green TB cleaner by Ecover. That is the other cleaner that I buy instead of make. I'm too clutzy to clean the toilet without the special bottle that sprays under the rim. If I used something else I'd probably end up making a mess.
DW took the cap off an old bottle of TB cleaner and re-filled it, that is what I use now. Otherwise getting under the rim would drive me nuts as well! She did the same with the rest of her mixes keeping the spray bottles and labeling them with a black magic marker.
