How To Wash Dishes By Hand Correctly, So You Don't Just Make Them Look Clean But Also Kill Germs?

Are you still washing the dishes by hand? Chances are that you rarely think deeply about this chore, unless, of course, you're nagging your partner or kids to actually get the job done. That's a shame, because you're probably doing it all wrong — and that matters, because half-hearted manual dishwashing efforts can leave your dishes crawling with pathogens. 

Dishwashing by hand: Why we could all do with a refresher course

One fascinating study — or at least as interesting as it gets, when we're talking about a mundane topic like washing the dishes — revealed that most people consider "visual cleanliness" their number one priority when they do the dishes. Hygiene only claimed second place on the "most important factors when washing up" list. In short — many people think it's more important that their dishes look clean than that they actually are.  

Even those people who actually believe hygiene to be most important may simply assume that a plate, fork, glass, or any other dish is clean when it looks that way. That's not true. Studies have shown that bacteria, fungi, and viruses can survive even after washing the dishes by hand, including nasty ones like E. Coli. 

If you're still washing the dishes by hand, you're stuck with the inferior option. If you value your health and safety, and that of anyone else who may be eating from your plates and drinking from your glasses, that means it makes sense to go the extra mile to get it done properly. 

So, how do you hand wash the dishes correctly — killing all germs dead?

This guide is based on research studies and health and safety recommendations made to restaurants who still wash dishes by hand — and whether you're a teen who's just started their dishwashing career or a seasoned manual dishwashing veteran, I bet you can learn something. 

The most hygienic dishwashing process has five steps:

• First, scrape any leftovers into the bin, and pre-rinse your dishes. If you want to preserve water, you'll rinse your dishes in a sink filled with warm water. If not, you might do it under a running tap. If you have a one-compartment sink, you will want to drain the water, and clean and disinfect the sink, after you are finished with this step. 
• Next, fill your sink with warm water — ideally warm enough that you'd feel more comfortable wearing gloves. Have a clean sponge ready (you can disinfect it in the microwave afterwards), and use the amount of dishwashing liquid the manufacturer recommends. Working your way from least dirty-looking to nastiest, scrub your dishes for at least 20 seconds each, just the way we've all learned to wash our hands since the dubious dawn of COVID-19. Pay extra attention to forks and knives, which have hard-to-reach ridges that may get left out if you're not careful. 
• Rinse all your dishes in clean warm water to remove any detergent residue. Change the water if it looks dirty. 
• Now for the step that most people probably neglect or don't know about — disinfect your dishes. If you don't want to give germs a chance, don't skip this portion! People washing dishes by hand have several options at their disposal when it comes to disinfecting. You could use simple bleach in hot water at 50 pmm (or roughly one tablespoon per gallon of water). If you're afraid to use a chemical like bleach on the dishes you'll later eat from, soaking them in very hot water — 171°F or higher — for 30 seconds will also kill most bacteria. 
• Perhaps your mom or dad had you dry the dishes with a dish towel when you were a kid, but science suggests that air drying dishes is more hygienic. If you must use a dish towel, make it a fresh and clean one, but also know you'll still introduce dust particles. As long as you have a self-draining sink or nice (and cleaned!) drying rack, air drying hand-washed dishes is ideal. The key is to let them dry all the way out and not touch them before your dishes get to that point. Note that you create a good environment for bacterial and fungal growth if the water can't drain away properly. 

Restaurants at which hand-washing dishes is common practice may have three-compartment sinks and self-draining systems in place to ensure their practice meets health and safety standards. At home, you can still up your game even if you just have the one sink. By properly rinsing, disinfecting, and drying your dishes, you won't give pathogens a chance.