Disinfect sink, dishes and flatware. Help!

[rcald2000]

I had a friend stay in my apartment for one month and I returned to a filthy kitchen sink, encompassing dirty dishes and flatware. By dirty, I mean covered in food residue. And by the smell I'm sure that bacteria is present.

I need to get the situation under control ASAP. What is the best method. Should I remove the dirty dishes and flatware from the sink, disinfect the sink, then return the dirty dishes to it in order to clean? Or clean the dishes in the sink itself. I do not own a dish washer.

Also, what is the best method to clean both the sink and dishes. I presume that I should use bleach, on the sink, but should I also use them on the dishes? Any and all help is appreciated and as soon as possible. I can't focus on unpacking until I deal with this. Thank you.

- Robert

 

[Addie]

I had a friend stay in my apartment for one month and I returned to a filthy kitchen sink, encompassing dirty dishes and flatware. By dirty, I mean covered in food residue. And by the smell I'm sure that bacteria is present.

I need to get the situation under control ASAP. What is the best method. Should I remove the dirty dishes and flatware from the sink, disinfect the sink, then return the dirty dishes to it in order to clean? Or clean the dishes in the sink itself. I do not own a dish washer.

Also, what is the best method to clean both the sink and dishes. I presume that I should use bleach, on the sink, but should I also use them on the dishes? Any and all help is appreciated and as soon as possible. I can't focus on unpacking until I deal with this. Thank you.

- Robert

Scrape the dishes, soak them in scalding hot soapy water, after about 30 minutes, drain the water and then start from scratch. The hot water will kill the bacteria as the dishes are soaking. If you want to use bleach, only about 1/4 cup will be necessary and do it for the soaking part.

Restaurants have a system whereby the bleach is mixed with the water when only the hot faucet is turned on. It is tied into the rinsing cycle.

I wouldn't worry about sterilizing the sink with bleach as a separate action. You will be doing that during the soaking cycle. After soaking the dishes, change the water and refill the sink with clean hot soapy water and wash and rinse the dishes as you would normally do. If bacteria is still a worry for you when you are washing the dishes, make sure you wipe down the area where you are going to be putting your clean, just washed dishes. Use a bowl or pan with hot soapy water and wash down the counter tops while the dishes are soaking. You can add a capful of bleach if it will make you feel more secure in having a clean kitchen.

So get busy and start cleaning. And don't let that friend stay in your apartment again. Lesson learned. Good luck!

 

[Dawgluver]

I would fill the sink with the dishes in it with hot water and a goodly amount of bleach, say maybe a quarter cup or so, and let them soak for an hour or two. Drain, then rewash the dishes with a liquid detergent like Dawn. Wash up the sides of the sink too.

 

[FoodieFanatic]

Remove ALL the dishes from the sink. Place them in a plastic bag. CLEAN, first use something like Comet and really scrub everything down. You wouldn't cook with a dirty pan, so you shouldn't clean dishes in a dirty sink.

Then, I'd fill the sink with water and a half cup of bleach. Use the bleach water to wipe down the sink, counters, faucet handles, refrigerator door/handles, anything they may have touched.

Wash the bleach around the sink as well.

Empty the sink, and fill with clean hot water and rinse everything off. Use paper towels or a very clean kitchen towel to wipe everything dry.

That should take care of initial cleaning.

Then, I'd recommend filling the sink with HOT water and maybe a tablespoon of bleach and soak the dishes for an hour.

Afterward, wash as normal, rinse and dry them.

It sounds like a lot of steps, but it should prevent you from getting sick and killing any bacteria.

Maybe others have tips for you, but this is a start.

Good luck!

FF

 

[Andy M.]

I would fill the sink with the dishes in it with hot water and a goodly amount of bleach, say maybe a quarter cup or so, and let them soak for an hour or two. Drain, then rewash the dishes with a liquid detergent like Dawn. Wash up the sides of the sink too.

This is all you need to do.

 

[rcald2000]

Hello everyone. I already feeling MUCH better. I've already begun the process...

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Do not use the dish soap and bleach together, especially if you use Dawn. Bleach and Dawn do NOT mix.

 

[rcald2000]

Do not use the dish soap and bleach together, especially if you use Dawn. Bleach and Dawn do NOT mix.

Coincidentally I do have dawn dish detergent. Is Palmolive okay? I had to step ooutside to find store that has dish washing gloves. I could pick up a alternative detergent.

 

[Dawgluver]

Sure. Any liquid detergent will work. Dawn just has a good degreasing agent. Just drain and rinse off the bleach water before washing the dishes.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Coincidentally I do have dawn dish detergent. Is Palmolive okay? I had to step ooutside to find store that has dish washing gloves. I could pick up a alternative detergent.

Not sure as I do not use anything but Dawn Dish Soap and it says right on the back do not use with bleach. Dawn has ammonia and it is the chlorine/Ammonia mixture you want to avoid, read the ingredient list on the back of the bottle. No ammonia, no problem. But, I do love the superior clean of Dawn. It's just your use of bleach in the soak soak and rinse cycle in which you would not use the Dawn. When you actually wash, use the Dawn then.

Also, one cap full of bleach to a gallon of water gives you plenty of disinfectant power. It is all that is needed according to kitchen safety rules from the Health department.

 

[Addie]

Not sure as I do not use anything but Dawn Dish Soap and it says right on the back do not use with bleach. Dawn has ammonia and it is the chlorine/Ammonia mixture you want to avoid, read the ingredient list on the back of the bottle. No ammonia, no problem. But, I do love the superior clean of Dawn. It's just your use of bleach in the soak soak and rinse cycle in which you would not use the Dawn. When you actually wash, use the Dawn then.

Also, one cap full of bleach to a gallon of water gives you plenty of disinfectant power. It is all that is needed according to kitchen safety rules from the Health department.

And she is a nurse. So I would listen to her advice.

I never knew Dawn had ammonia in it. Yet it is used when there is an oil spill. Wouldn't the ammonia be harmful to the animals as they wash them off?

Yup! Just checked my unopened bottle of Dawn.

 

[Cheryl J]

I'm with princess here - 1/4 cup bleach is overkill, it won't kill any more nasties than a capful will. I have a quart sized spray bottle I keep under the sink with a tsp of bleach per quart of water. I use it to spritz and wipe the counter tops and areas when I've been cutting up raw chicken.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

And she is a nurse. So I would listen to her advice.

I never knew Dawn had ammonia in it. Yet it is used when there is an oil spill. Wouldn't the ammonia be harmful to the animals as they wash them off?

There is not enough ammonia to be harmful on it's own. It is the chlorine/ammonia mixture that is harmful. Mixing Chlorine and Ammonia

 

[Andy M.]

A cap full to a gallon is OK but if you are filling a sink, you'll need more. I would use just bleach and water. It doesn't have to be hot water, that will just make the bleach oxidize faster.

So bleach and water to sanitize then drain and wash dishes as usual.

 

[FoodieFanatic]

Ok, so you all don't agree with me, which is fine, your opinion, but that's how I do it.

I'm a fanatic when it comes to cleaning. I clean my kitchen every day after I use it, stove, counter tops, everything...refrigerator handle, microwave handle, etc.

Doesn't take long because I keep it clean. I want to wake up and find everything in it's place and cleaned up. Coffee is made and on the timer, dishes never sit in the sink, counters never have clutter on them, that's just me and I realize everyone isn't like this. We all have our thing and that's how I do it. Yes, I'm a bit anal about cleaning. Don't get me started about vacuuming, LOVE IT!

Enjoy the evening!

FF

 

[GotGarlic]

Ok, so you all don't agree with me, which is fine, your opinion, but that's how I do it.

There are opinions and there are facts. I think opinions should be based on facts and logic, but not everyone agrees It's a fact that, chemically, a capful of bleach per gallon of water will sanitize the kitchen. Using more than that is unnecessary and wasteful.

 

[Dawgluver]

Not sure I would let that friend stay at your house again! If he can't even wash his own dishes, I'm not sure I'd let him take care of my dog, cat, or gerbil.

 

[Addie]

Not sure I would let that friend stay at your house again! If he can't even wash his own dishes, I'm not sure I'd let him take care of my dog, cat, or gerbil.

Yeah, some friend.

 

[Caslon]

If your sink has a disposal, it's probably pretty putrid by now too. You can buy disposal cleaner packets that you drop in, have a trickle of hot water running, then run the disposal for about 4-5 minutes.

 

[FoodieFanatic]

There are opinions and there are facts. I think opinions should be based on facts and logic, but not everyone agrees It's a fact that, chemically, a capful of bleach per gallon of water will sanitize the kitchen. Using more than that is unnecessary and wasteful.

Probably but my sink holds a lot more than a gallon of water and I fill the sink. Maybe one half is too much but I definitely use a quarter cup and let the water sit for a good half hour. It sparkles. I don't do the bleach very often, no need to as I use disinfectant spray a couple times a day. i also clean my garbage disposal with baking soda and vinegar followed by hot water and lemons. I've bought the disposal cleaners packs but found the baking soda and vinegar work just as well.