Is It Better To Wash Dishes With Hot Water?
Question:I've gotten into plenty of arguments when it comes to washing dishes in the kitchen, so I wanted to put an end to it once and for all:
Does it really matter if you wash dishes with boiling hot water, instead of, say just warm water. What I mean by boiling hot is water that entails usage of gloves in order to have your hands survive under its heat, and in regards to warm water, just water that I can take--it's hot, but bearable.
So tell me. Which one is better? Or does it matter at all...
Answers:
YOU WANT HOT AS OPPOSED TO WARM BECAUSE IT HELPS WITH CLEANING OFF THE GREASE. I would think that very warm to hot water would help spread the soap better throughout the water.
The higher grades of dish soap don't require you to put in much at all. The leading brands are very concentrated so you don't need to over saturate the water with it.
The real cheap store brands that are pink and watery don't seem like good economy because you have to use more.
What people are confusing is the temperatures required in a commercial dishwasher in a restaurant. They are concerned with large scale food poisoning and passing along sickness so they have higher requirements for water temperature for doing the dishes.
At home the temperature doesn't have to be that hot. Commercial kitchens are required to use three sinks to wash dishes if the don't have a machine, a wash sink, a rinse sink, a final rinse sink with sanitizer.
104 degree water is very hot. If you've ever been in a hot tub that is 104 then you know what I am talking about. 120 degree water will burn you instantly.
The water for the dishes only needs to be about 102 to 110 degrees depending if you are using gloves or not. Just bearable almost sounds too hot.
If you have gloves on the water can be hotter of course but it isn't necessary. At home we are careful to store and use food properly so food poisoning isn't a problem. Normally we aren't leaving dishes out for hours either, but it wouldn't matter if we did. At home we know if somebody has a contagious illness so we can take the precaution of carefully washing their dishes. In a restaurant we don't know who is healthy and who is not that is the reason they are so concerned about the higher temps.
If the water is too hot than you won't take the time to wash the dishes properly. A good dish soap will get rid of all the grease and germs along with a good rinse.
Water heaters are only set at 120 degrees now. If somebody is worried about germs than just buy a sanitizer to put in the rinse water.
Maybe it's more mental than factual- but washing my dishes in hot water makes me think the bacteria is being washed away. Why else would dishwashers wash with hot water, as opposed to cold?
which ever gives you the hottest wash, rinse and dry.
air drying is not real good--bacteria and all.
---and dishwaher will save your hands also from drying and cracking.
good luck
Boiling hot is not necessary, someone told me the big difference is how fast the dishes dry. I love using hot water for different things but can't stand it on my hands so I usually use warm. Just use as hot as you can stand it. It doesn't make a difference as far germs or anything as some people believe. Just use what you're comfortable with and as long as it's clean there won't be any harm.
Yep, recent scientific research shows that hot water and soap is more effective then cold water. Hot water is equal to cold water and Luke warm water in chlorine and other substances. It is only the temperature that help "delete" bacteria.
If you are using a good dish soap, it doesn't matter how hot the water is! You can even use COLD water! It is the soap that is going to kill the "bugs".
If you are washing the dishes in a basin or tub, the water will NATURALLY get colder as you wash! I personally like to use hot-as-I-can-stand-without-glo... water to rinse as the dishes dry faster and usually without streaks.
Good Luck!
Our hot water heater is set at about 135. You don't want to use boiling water, because even if you wear gloves, it's still too hot. 135 or 140 is good for electric dishwashers. Using hot water kills germs and is better for breaking up any grease on cooking utensils, pots and pans, etc.
Yes it is. And if you let your dishes soak for about 5 or 10 minutes before you wash them...the food comes off easier!
As hot a water as you can stand, but not boiling, as that will weaken glass over time.
Hot water does kill bacteria, but, so does bleach. 10:1 solution is a good bactericidal (10 parts water to 1 part bleach). So add a little bleach to your hot water, rinse VERY well with hot water to get off all the bleach, then air dry, which is better than wiping down with a possibly bacteria-laden dishtowel. If you have rinsed with hot water, the dishes will dry relatively quickly.
I know what the "right" or "wrong" answer is but what I do is use the hottest water I can get out from the faucet. I think that is the best thing to do (except for using the dishwasher-which is what I do MOST of the time!). Does this settle your argument!?
it is best to use the hottest water you can to best kill the germs on your dishes to help prevent sickness and i tend to use a little bit of bleach to the water to help clean and disinfect
The hot water 'melts' the old food off and it is generally more hygenic!
i would think so do you shower with cold water?
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