Why we should keep up with the washing up
Most of us at some stage have been guilty of putting off washing the dishes or even stacking the dishwasher, putting the task in the ‘to hard’ basket for the day or night. Perth health psychologist Professor Barbara Mullan from Curtin University however has spent years studying our kitchen behaviour and found that leaving the dirty dishes is one of the most common ways to spread germs. Bacteria from dirty dishes can stay alive on our kitchen surfaces for up to four days with the likelihood that these sneaky germs will be spread around quite a bit, increasing our chance of developing gastrointestinal problems.
Most studies show that dishes cleaned in a dishwasher come out the cleanest and even leaving dirty dishes in a dishwasher causes less of an issue. This is due to any bacteria being contained within the washer itself. If you do hand wash however, Professor Mullan has the following advice:
- Use the hottest water you possibly can (use washing up gloves).
- Use detergent and a scrubber/scrubbing brush so that you are actually removing any stuck food particles.
- Use a clean dish cloth as the dishcloth is usually the dirtiest thing in the kitchen.
The best way to keep your dishcloths clean, other then regular replacing, is to microwave them each night after rinsing off any leftover food. This zaps any bacteria living within the fabric. And the best solution? Keep on top of your dishes and do them daily!
Are you a regular washer or do you let your dishes soak for a couple of days?
Related links:
How to stop crying when chopping onions
16 kitchen tricks foodies will love
5 foods you should never reheat