How Can Handwashing Dishes Increase Your Chances of Getting Sick?

[sudsmaster]

How Can Handwashing Dishes Increase Your Chances of Getting Sick?

Quoted article:

By Tyler Wells Lynch

Interviewed in the Richard Linklater film Waking Life, late American philosopher Louis H. Mackey posited that the most universal human characteristic is either fear or laziness. Whether or not this is true is subject to long, inflammatory debate—not a matter for an appliance forum—but one thing is clear: These two traits are what sell dishwashers, and as long as you’re human, you should have one.
Fear

If you clean plates by hand, you should be afraid. Very afraid. Deep within the microscopic chasms of your filthy, grime-infested kitchen sink are tiny little monsters with ghastly superpowers. They are legion, and there’s little you can do to stop them (cue the Super Friends theme).

One of these creatures is called Escherichia coli (you may know it better as E. coli ) and it’s really good at finding its way from the end of the digestive process to the beginning, if you know what I mean. It also loves to bathe in your sink. In fact, according to a University of Arizona study, sinks often host larger cultures of E. coli and other fecal bacteria than toilet seats.

And then there’s Salmonella, good for an all-expenses paid seven-day, six-night trip straight to the bathroom. Public health bulletins have done a good job of warning us about this nasty little bugger, particularly its presence in raw chicken, eggs and tainted fruits and veggies. But you probably didn’t know that it can survive for weeks in a dry environment and even longer in water. If you’ve handled raw chicken or made an omelet lately, there’s a chance it’s still lurking, just waiting to give you days of gastrointestinal distress.

All fear-mongering aside, there are innumerable species of bacteria that are currently squatting in that Jenga pile of dishware in your kitchen sink. Most of them are harmless, but some of them aren’t—and if you aren’t using a dishwasher, you continue to feed all of them. Like Ambrosia bearing garlands of food-borne immortality to the Greeks, you satiate them with your reliance on archaic sanitation methods.

This is where dishwashers come into play—or more importantly, good dishwashers. Most consumers assume that dish-washing is merely about scrubbing dishes and removing food soils. Wrong! Water inside that dishwasher must reach and stay at 155 degrees before dishes, pots and pans are sanitized and all those pathogens get swept off to a watery grave.
Laziness

That’s the practical, hygienic reason why you need a dishwasher, but if Mackey’s theory is to be believed, there’s also a more ignoble reason: laziness. Let’s face it, washing dishes by hand sucks. It wastes hours that you could spend doing other things like working, cooking, or going to the store and buying a dishwasher. If you’ve got plenty of time on your dishpan hands, perhaps you’ll be swayed by a recent study from the University of Bonn in Germany that shows that automatic dishwashers use less water and energy than handwashing.
Dishwashing

So what are you waiting for? If you’ve got space for a built-in dishwasher, your options are numerous. Just look for a machine that promises water temperatures over 155 degrees. It’ll usually advertise a “sanitize” feature, which super-heats water to kill bacteria. It doesn’t matter if the sanitize feature is a standalone cycle, as on the relatively inexpensive GE GLDT696TSS, or a simple add-on, like in the higher-end Electrolux EIDW5905JS.. The Fagor LFA-65 IT X even lists on its control panel the precise temperatures reached by each of its respective wash cycles.

If you’re an apartment dweller, even cheap, portable, counter-top machines are capable of heating water to levels that kill most bacteria. So if your landlord won’t install a built-in, these compact machines work with just a sink and an electrical outlet.

We all know dishwashers are expensive. I cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis myself. But I’ve also had strep throat nine times, which is caused by Streptococcus pyogenes—a species of bacteria that can thrive in (surprise surprise!) moist environments. Of course, I can’t prove I caught strep so many times simply because I opted to wash my dishes by hand. But the fact remains: Manual dish-washing is extremely unsanitary. Not only does it increase your own chances of transmission, but anyone who eats off your squalid dinnerware is also more likely to catch a nasty bug or two, which probably explains why I had so few second dates.

If a legitimate fear of contaminated dishware doesn’t motivate you to get a dishwasher, just let laziness take over. It may confirm Mackey’s worst nightmares about humanity, but at least it might keep you, your friends and family from getting food poisoning.

This Edgestar counter-top dishwasher gets hot enough to kill bacteria on dirty dishes.

http://www.dishwashersinfo.com/News...g.htm?utm_source=outbrain_paid&utm_medium=cpc

 

[kenmoreguy89]

How Can Handwashing Dishes Increase Your Chances of Getting

By not doing them as it should be done.

This also is for dishwasher washing.....

 

 

[arbilab]

What is the most highly-sanitized place you can be? A hospital. Where do people acquire more diseases than they came in with, and often the worst possible ones like MRSA? A hospital.

Why is this? Microbes fight each other more effectively than chemicals and temperature can. Not possible to kill them ALL, leaving the most opportunistic behind unchallenged.

Yeah, sequester raw meat and poultry. But from the evidence above, it would appear that the strongest sanitation measures enable the worst problems. IOW, obsessing over sanitation may be worse for your health than just common sense. After all, how many people come down with MRSA in their homes?

 

[tomturbomatic]

I would imagine that the high alkalinity and in come cases the chlorine enables the work to be done at around 140F. As for the germ-harboring crevices in the sink, we always used a dishpan for washing dishes and we never rinsed in a sink full of water, but rather under the faucet and the water heater was kept at 160F. In spite of that, my parents did think that the transmission of colds declined after we got the DW, but we never had food poisoning type illnesses from hand washed dishes. Then colds went up when they got an electric toothbrush and the rest of the family's brushes were stored together and they all used the power handle thing. I brushed by hand and stayed well.

Having a dishwasher is much nicer than having to wash by hand any way you figure it. I was not too impressed by the reliability reports of the little countertop machines when I was looking for a DW for mom's retirement apt so we went with the KA top load portable.

 

[mixfinder]

Faster Yet

A lady at our church is lovable, funny and a bit more than messy. She said she can do her dishes in under 5 seconds with the flip of a switch. Light Switch

 

[frigilux]

We didn't have a dishwasher between the years 1966-1974 when I was growing up. We washed dishes by hand and no one was any worse for it. We followed some sensible rules---no washing things that touched raw meat with other items---and never had a problem.

And now, a nightmare story: I have a friend whose Mom washes the kitchen floor, then dumps the water from the pail into the sink and washes the dishes with it. I kid you not. Don't eat there, EVER.

I never wash a dish by hand in my house. Everything goes in the dishwasher. I bought a bottle of dishwashing liquid when Smokey The Maytag was awaiting recall repairs four years ago and only recently threw the remainder out.

 

[lordkenmore]

Another approach

Old joke, but one I like:

A guy has dinner with a friend. The dishes don't seem very clean. But the friend assures him that the dishes are "as clean as Soap and Water can get them!"

After dinner, the friend sets the dishes on the floor, and yells: "Here Soap! Here Water!"

 

[lordkenmore]

" I bought a bottle of dishwashing liquid when Smokey The Maytag was awaiting recall repairs four years ago and only recently threw the remainder out."

We'll just hope there isn't some sort of Murphy's type law that says something like: toss your hand wash dish detergent out, and the dishwasher will soon break!

 

[frigilux]

Don't jinx me, John! Remember that I own a four year-old LG, so the inevitable breakdown may happen at any moment, LOL!

 

[lordkenmore]

Eugene, maybe you should do a pagan style ceremony with a sacrifice of a box Cascade!

Seriously, though, I think in my dream kitchen I'd have at least two dish washers. (Although, at present, I'd be happy if I had one!) That way, there is a backup. And two dishwashers would be handy for huge cooking sprees.

 

[wayupnorth]

I know that the hotter the water, the better dishes are cleaned. My mother would say you need to have have scaulding hot water at least to rinse them in and kill germs. I have a dishwasher and use it for my everyday Melmac and everything else,I hate hand washing. My oil hot water boiler is set at 150 and the dishes are cleaned just fine with the cheapest Walmart detergent. But dont try to use Melmac in the microwave. It gets very hot and the food is still cold!

 

[wringingwet]

I have to say when it comes to dishes and laundry

That my partner and I are HIV poz for many many many years 22 plus that. A lot of our longitude in life has been a great dishwasher and a washer that gets up to 205 degrees ... we have to be careful of where we eat since we can sense disturbances in our health balance. we do have very soiled Landry. We are the remnants of the time they threw darts at a wall to figure out what the hell would help us. Now with DNA Identification we are able to target the drugs better but damage we have done to our bodies will last the rest of our natural life

 

[whirlykenmore78]

NSF Minimum Dishwashing Temp requirements.

For commercial Dishmachines are as follows.
Stationary rack machine (Door or hood type) wash-150F, final rinse-180F
Single tank rack conveyor machine: wash-160F, final rinse-180F.
Multiple tank rack conveyor or flight machines: prewash-120F, wash-150F, power rinse-170F, final rinse-180F.
This will heat the dishware up to a surface temp of 160F or hotter for a minimum of 10 seconds to achieve bacteria kill.

These temps are extremely critical and a kitchen will be shut down immediately if a health inspector finds a noncompliant dishwasher. The only exception to this rule is if the machine uses a chemical sanitizing agent the temps can be lowered. Manual warewashing in the 3 compartment sink is frowned upon even when a sanitizer is used in may healt jurisdictions as it is not generally as effective as a dishmachine.

All that being said there is overwhelming evidence in favor of using a dishwasher for sanitary reasons. This would apply to the home as well as commercial/institutional kitchens.
WK78

 

[danemodsandy]

Not All Bad:

One of the problems with hand-washing dishes is that most people have no earthly idea how to do it. They commit four major sins:

- Not scraping or pre-rinsing dishes. Their dishwater ends up full of food particles, which are bacteria-laden, and can lodge in crevices.

- Not using hot enough water, claiming that their dainty hands can't handle it - and this plaint comes every bit as often from guys as it does women. Maybe oftener.

- Not using enough dishwashing liquid, and using a cheap brand. Good brands cut grease effectively, and grease is one of bacteria's best friends.

- Using dishwater too long. Oh, it starts out all hot 'n sudsy, but by the time Milady has drudged her way through eight place settings, the silver and some pots and pans, it's stone cold with a greasy scum on top.

No, no, NO.

SCRAPE the dishes with a rubber spatula. Use the HOTTEST water your hands can take. Use PLENTY of GOOD dishwashing liquid. And fa goodnitz sakes - CHANGE the water when it begins to cool off noticeably.

If someone in the house is sick, a little pre-soak in hot sudsy water to which you've added some liquid chlorine bleach is a great idea.

A dishwasher is a great thing to have, but you can have sanitary dishes without one.

 

[verizonbear]

180 degree rinse Kitchenaid

If memory serves me, Kitchenaid had that as the rinse temp for their sani cycle correct?

 

[twintubdexter]

watch me get bopped over the head for this...

I'm not disputing the fact that machine dishwashing does do a great job of killing germs, and bacteria. But I do think "How Using a Dishwasher Can Decrease Your Chances of Getting Sick" is a better title. I suppose if you piled dirty dishes directly in the sink you could end up with germ-laden plates that no amount of rinsing would take care of, especially with the drain right there. I live alone and although my kitchen originally had 2 built-in dishwashers, I find it easier and more practical to do dishes in a big dishpan with hot anti-bacterial soap. My normal daily load consists of a coffee cup, 2 parts of the coffee maker, a glass or two and a plate and a fork and knife. If I waited for a full load in the dishwasher it would take a week or more. Even with rinse & hold I'd probably have a mold forest by the time I pushed the wash button. I do have the dog's dishes but I'd never put them in the dishwasher...I like to keep people and dog stuff seperate.

My mom always had a dishpan full of hot soapy water whenever she cooked and I am the same way...the last of a dying breed. I like having my hands always clean when cooking, so in a way the dishpan keeps me from getting sick in a way the dishwasher can't.

One thing's certain, one of the main ways to prevent sickness is to wash, wash, wash your hands. My doctor says using hand sanitizers is good, and that you shouuld avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth when you're out and about. He said using those grocery cart wipes is a good idea too. A few months ago I contracted conjunctivitis...a fancy name for "pink eye." I thought I was gonna die. The expensive medicine was worse than the infection itself, like pouring sand and gravel in your eyes (and yes, I'm a big baby.) The eye doctor said I probably contacted the conjunctivitis by putting my fingers in my eyes.

I still use my dishwasher when I have company. If you saw some of my dinner guests you'd understand why.

 

[danemodsandy]

Handwashing, AND....

....Good sanitary measures for countertops, sink and towels.

Countertops need to be washed down with a cleaning agent (soap and water is fine), not just dry-wiped with paper towels.

ANYTHING that has been contacted by raw meat, fish, poultry or eggs needs to be sanitized.

Towels need to be used for only one meal's prep, then washed. They belong on a rack when they're not being used, and they should never be laid on the counter (also, not slung over your shoulder).

Sponges can be sanitized in the dishwasher or microwave.

And PLEASE wash your sink when you're done - I use a little dishwashing detergent and one of those blue Scotchbrite scrubbing sponges. Most people's sinks have a brown glaze of nasties that haven't been properly cleaned away since Gerald Ford was in the White House.

 

[lordkenmore]

Even with rinse & hold I'd probably have a mold forest b

Not necessarily. A former roommate ran the dishwasher once a week, max before I moved in. Then, it was maybe 2-3 times a week. There never was a mold problem. But then, the rule was that to fight mold, the dishwasher door was always left slightly open. (Well, except when being washed--although leaving it open then, too, might help wash the kitchen! As we discovered the day the latch broke.)

 

[maytagbear]

"Sanitizing" the sponge

in the dishwasher can be problematic, particularly, if the heated dry feature is turned off, or does not exist, and the sponge remains wet and warm for several hours. The hard wares are fine, because they are hard, not porous, and dry relatively quickly, even if the element is off.

Cooks Illustrated says that the best way is to hold the sponge (with tongs!) in rapidly boiling water for a full minute.

If one really wants to sterilize the sponge in the microwave, the sponge needs to be thoroughly wet, or it may well catch fire.

I almost NEVER use a sponge in the kitchen any more. I use dish cloths and brushes on a regular basis. My dish brush gets a bath in either 91% rubbing alcohol, or chlorine bleach weekly.

I am germ wary, but not germophobic, unless I am cooking to serve other people.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[lordkenmore]

Anti-bacterial soap

does pose one problem that is worth mentioning. Some suggest that the use of it (and all the other anti-bacterial treatments) leads to "super bugs." The decision of what products to use is personal, but I, myself, refuse to use it.

 

[maytagbear]

Plus,

Triclosan and Triclocaraban (active ingredients in "antibacterial" soaps) are possible endocrine disruptors, and my endocrinology nurse practitioner said that I should avoid them as much as possible.

He said that "regular" soap/handwash, lots of water, vigorous rubbing, and a clean towel were sufficient in every day use.

L/Mb

 

[whirlcool]

You know, this thread reminds me of something.

When I was growing up from the time I was 14 until I was 18 I had a serious strep throat every winter. Two times ended up in the hospital. When I moved away to college and then off by myself I have never had it again.

Sometimes my sister would wash dishes instead of using the DW. Her trademark was any Tupperware glasses she washed(and we had a TON of them!) would be just as greasy as the sauce on the roast served the night before when done. It's just wonderful to grab a Tupperware glass out of the cupboard and have it slip out of your hands because it was so greasy. My parents didn't seem to think that there was anything wrong with this.

I wonder if there was a connection between my streph throat and my sisters wash methods?

 

[arbilab]

Tupperware's porous surface and affinity for grease is why I never liked it. But sure, slimy glasses of any material presents inadequate washing technique.

 

[stan]

germs

humm
Well do you want to kill them, or do you want to get rid of them? There is a difference!

It seems to me there are a few methods that are being discussed to achieve the same desired results!

Extreme heat ( sometimes heat and hold ) Disinfectants (chemical) Soap and water, I'll call that the (slippery method)

Plain old soap and water, I can tell you, germs are not going to like very much! The alkalinity of the soap, and the fact that the surface tension has been reduced so greatly, that it's extremely difficult for the germ, or microbe to hang on!! Therefor "sliding" down the drain! Screaming "NO NO"

The kitchen sponge is a little different, in that it is not a smooth surface, and a germ could hang on for dear life! Wetting the sponge, and putting in the microwave for 2 min should do the trick.

Plates, glassware, flatware, kitchen countertops, are pretty smooth surfaces for the most part. Same for bathroom surfaces.
(there is is reason for that!) The smooth surface and the use of hot soap and water is generally enough to remove, and rinse away the bad guys!

Now if you turn around a dry with a dirty towel, or wipe the floor, ect then you caused a cross contamination situation to occur! Most people
( that have enough sense to pour piss out of a boot) would not do that! Or wash the dishes with the same water that was used to scrub the kitchen floor! (whoever did that needed to be slapped there her mother!)

The dishwasher is not the all end all!
If someone dose not wash there hands before taking the clean stuff out...or reaches into the cupboard, where the clean dishes are with dirty hands, or into the sliver ware drawer, or sets their purse on ect ect ect
Most communicable diseases are caused from cross contamination, not because you don't have a dishwasher!

Common sense, hand washing, sanitizing sponges, dishclothes, and dishtowels, will serve well in the fight!

 

[whirlykenmore78]

@ Whirlcool, Slimy or gritty glasses or dishware

Holy shit. Was sis going to be the cross-contamination Queen? Improper warewashing procedure in the home can be just as devastating as in the professional kitchen. Proper warewashing procedure is key to they avoidance of foodborne illness. If the machine is keeping temp and being used properly in both domestic and institutional settings most risk can be eliminated.
WK78

 

[twintubdexter]

I've read all about those super-strains of bugs and germs that can develope from using antibacterial soap, but if it says antibacterial on the label, I'll buy it. I'm a rebel.

 

[alr2903]

"We do the best we can"

The 10 nastiest things in the kitchen are your fingers,  wash wash wash your hands sinks and countertops need wiped down before and after use.  Twin tub dexter is right, it's your hands that put the dishes away from the dishwasher or a sink wash and hot rinse under a running faucet.  I prefer to wipe down with dishwashing liquid and a capful of LCB after preparing  raw poultry or pork.  Make very sure you use pesticide under the kitchen sink especially around the pipes.  Are your cabinets free of all pests?  1 ant or a single roach can crawl through the worst of muck under a house then track every microrganism listed in this thread across your "sanitary dishes".  Wash your hands thoroughly before you put dishes away.  Automatic dishwashers excel at difficult to wash items like dish "brushes", have you ever attempted to wash a "splatter screen" by hand? This is a project an automatic dishwasher, makes effortless.  Last of all look at stainless steel flatware,  where the name or pattern is stamped on the back of the handle of most forks and spoons, especially teaspoons the tiny writing will have a bronze cast in some homes that handwash, doubtful  you will see this "bronzing" in homes that use a dishwasher. The nastiest thing in many homes and most hotel rooms is the remote control for the TV.  Most cell phones would be in the top 10 for pathogens. Just my opinions.  alr

 
 

 

[tolivac]

Can DISHWASHERS be a problem,too? I used to eat at a freinds house-they had a WP dishwasher-they didn't scrape or rinse dishes-the kids did the "KP" dish duty.As the washer was loaded by them-dishes not put in the way you normally would.and their pets,2 cats and a dog-were LICKING food residue out of the dishwasher door.and the machine smelled.Probably should be buried at the hazardous waste fill.And when the dishes were done-they were NOT clean-had to ask several times while eating there for truely clean dishes and glasses without food "specks" on them -surprized they all didn't get sick.and they liked that blue speckeled enamelware dishes-most of the enamal was worn off-leaving a RUSTY dish.Asked to eat off a regular plate.didn't want rust or whatever elese was in it in my food.Honestly I would have taken that worn enamalware out for target practice!

 

[sudsmaster]

A malfunctioning dishwasher is probably far worse than the average hand dishwashing technique.

I remember I once picked up a semi-non-operational Bosch dishwasher, free off Craigslist. The owners only said it took a long time to wash. When I got it home and tested it, it became obvious the internal water heater wasn't working any more. And the whole thing had this awful mold smell. Like a old mushrooms left in the fridge too long.

I put it back on Craigslist with an explicit warning that it didn't work right, but some guy swung by and snapped it up. Apparently all he needed it for was for some cosmetic purpose, although I didn't pry.

That said, I really loathe hand washing dishes. Like as was said here, I found I had to keep on dumping the lukewarm greased out dishwater. Wearing rubber gloves could allow the water to be hotter, but then the gloves make handling smaller items problematic. And basically it's a drag. I was a renter until I was 47 and hence had to hand dish wash until then. I was in 7th heaven when I bought my own house and installed a new dishwasher. Even though it was a POS Frigidaire, it seemed like magic to me. It's since been replaced by a working Bosch. Although the Bosch is making groaning noises during drains so it might be on its last legs and get bumped sooner than later by a Hobart KA...

 

[frigilux]

While most of us have dishwashers that heat to 140 degrees in the Normal cycle, the newest models only heat to around 110-120. You have to use a Heavy cycle or opt for the Sanitize rinse to get that number from 140-160 degrees. I suppose the strength of dishwashing detergents will still get rid of germs/bacteria in the cooler temps...right?

Choosing the 160 degree rinse adds only about 8 minutes to a cycle on my LG, so I use it quite often--more to speed drying than any concerns about sanitization, really.

Kitchen Sinks: Notorious for being as germ/bacteria-laden as toilet seats. I buy industrial yellow disinfecting cleaner and pink sanitizing fluid from Sam's Club and use them on countertops and sinks, as they do in bars and restaurants.