Ok, here’s the deal…my friend came over my house yesterday and asked why I use my dishwasher so often (I was dishes in it about every other day). I told him because I use a lot of dishes. He says, to save on his water bill, he washes his dishes by hand.
First, I think he uses just as much water doing it that way, but beyond that point…
Don’t germs/bacteria only die at a high temp that would require a dishwasher?
I just need some info to send to him, it seems he is sick much more often then I am and i wonder if this could be part of the cause. All I know is I don’t plan to eat off his plates anytime soon :shock:
Erik, what planet do u live on :D One can safely say that more dishes on this planet are washed by hand then by machine in a given 24 hour period. now, it’s true, places on this planet that don’t use machines, ie. nepal, the incidence of intestinal maladies is higher, but i am NOT sure there is a direct scientific connection there. personally, i handwash all dishes and consider it safer then machine, more eco - friendly (I use less soap then what’s in those condensed cubes) and never use a glass de-spotter or decalcifier, which can’t be good for anything but anal-retentives who hate harmless spots on glasses and calcium on the guts of thier machines. Think about it…as a human being u can control the flow of water, the temperature, the amount of soap, etc. much more precisely then on a machine, which most people just turn the switch and press on, with little regard to the dozens of settings found. Compare this to walking to the store vs. driving ur car. Which is scientifically more efficient? Which mode has more benifits to yourself and the planet? Well, this is actually being written tongue in cheek, as i am not a hard core anti-technology extremist (why would i be here if i was?) but i do think there are many appliances in the world that could use a T2 or T3 approach to extermination. Take my 2ndg 30 gig ipod for example. :D
jigs
yeah but doesnt bacteria and germs die at like 135 degrees or something like that? You’d never hand wash at that temperature…
I realize there was a time without dish washers, but there was a time before refrigerators as well, it doesn’t mean it was better or safer or even safe before, it’s just what technology/money could provide.
erik, refrigerators are of a different class, and in my mind cannot be compared. food not yet cooked contains more germs then the food u ultimatly cook / eat / and leave on the plate. but here is a good link on how germs die:
drying plates/glasses in the sun is something done here all the time. cleaning plates immediatly after using is also a practice. well, good luck!
jigs
Erik, tell your friend to use plastic cutlery, paper plates and plastic glasses…that way he should be able to save some money and time washing his dishes, atleast that’s what I did (not to save money…water and electricity was included) because I had a very small kitchen and the only place I could wash my dishes was the basin in the bathroom.
Its true that boiled water kills germs, ofcourse, so using dishwashers really is the best option. Unless you cant afford it, its still a luxury and as a student i couldnt ever afford it. Whenever i go back home to my parents house i realize how important diswashers really are, i think they’re well worth the steep water bills.
I think one major point is being missed here: bacteria cannot survive on a dry surface for a very long time. So if your plate sits dry for 12 hours after having been washed, whether in the cupboard or out, then germs cannot be a factor in any illnesses. Also, using soap as opposed to just rinsing with water gets dislodges the fat in which bacteria (germs) settle. Warm water will do, since the water just has to be warm enough to make the fat liquid enough to move.
Erik, see if you buddy gets enough sleep, as that is usually the main reason for a low immune system.
According to the California Energy Commission, dishwashers use 37% less water than handwashing, no surprise to me.
...and ofcourse more germs are likely killed in the dishwasher as well with the higher water temp. It’s probably worth pointing out, however, that the germs on plates are most likely harmless since you were eating what’s being washed off… unless ofcourse you let the dishes sit for days while bateria multiply exponentially.
[quote author=“Mr. B”]According to the California Energy Commission, dishwashers use 37% less water than handwashing, no surprise to me.
...and ofcourse more germs are likely killed in the dishwasher as well with the higher water temp. It’s probably worth pointing out, however, that the germs on plates are most likely harmless since you were eating what’s being washed off… unless ofcourse you let the dishes sit for days while bateria multiply exponentially.
The other advantage to machine washing is that you don’t have a sponge or cloth for grease and bacteria to build up in. The 140 F (some are less) machines should be enough to kill most bacteria, but you’re not going to kill everything below about 170 F. That’s why you should bring water to a boil to sterilize.
Thanks for reminding me that I need to buy more machine soap today. 8)
[quote author=“Anonymous”]Ok, here’s the deal…my friend came over my house yesterday and asked why I use my dishwasher so often (I was dishes in it about every other day). I told him because I use a lot of dishes. He says, to save on his water bill, he washes his dishes by hand
Do you get out of the bath for a piss?
Do you do your teeth when in the shower?
Do you really give a shit if you have a dishwasher and your mate doesn’t?
Well, yes. He has one, just never uses it. And I eat there all the time, so I’d like to know the stuff I eat off of is clean.
I usually pee before the shower and I brush my teeth when I first wake up.
I think your friend is Asian..
Well, I’ve been in this dilemma before
What I do if it’s my “Really” close friends,
I just go and wash it again.. But if it’s a friend
of a friend and just visiting, I just ask
for a small plate, usually they will tell
me help myself to get it in the cabinet.
Case closed.. :wink:
[quote author=“Mr. B”]According to the California Energy Commission…[/url]
THE CALIFRONIA ENERGY COMMISSION? The same ones who almost bankrupted the state with crooked energy deals with those suppliers!?! Right. Of course they would encourage u to use an electric toothbrush and electric nosehair trimmer if they were petro-based, and would endorse any other gadget that will eventually deplete the earth’s resources while at the same time making lots of people rich.
Okay, i know from past expierence that trying to [prove/encourage/convince/whatever] people that manual labor is indeed the cheapest most economical way to go re: in the daily life of the adverage person - is just a hopeless case in the developed world. The only people who get the point are those who can’t do it any other way (anti-developed world), and 99% of them would love automation (while ignoring the waste) if they could.
