Yes, washing dishes with bleach is fine. Clorox, the big (expensive) brand of sodium hypochlorite bleach, is commonly added to the wash or rinse water for hand dishwashing in restaurants, etc. It’s also a useful treatment additive for drinking water in the field when microbial contamination is suspected.
It’s no secret that bleach is extremely effective at removing stains and disease-causing microorganisms like bacteria and viruses. As a result, you may be wondering if you can use bleach on a regular basis to keep your dishes sparkling clean and your loved ones healthy.
Dishes can be soaked in a bleach-water solution for about two minutes before being rinsed. Two teaspoons of bleach per gallon of water are the bleach-to-water ratio. Bleach should never be mixed with dish soap when cleaning and disinfecting dishes.
While there is no denying that bleach is the answer to those stubborn stains and invisible microbes on your dishes, using the household chemical incorrectly can cause more harm than good.
Why Can’t You Mix Bleach And Dish Soap?
Ammonia is commonly found in dish soap. When ammonia and bleach are mixed, a chain reaction occurs, producing a gas that can burn the eyes.
When inhaled, the toxic fume can also irritate the respiratory tract. More importantly, it can enter the bloodstream through the lungs and cause organ damage.
Nothing makes your culinary creations more enjoyable than serving them on spotless dishes.
Think again if you believe that using dish soap and bleach at the same time is the best way to remove dish stains and germs. You might end up rushing to the ER rather than hearing your family and friends compliment your cooking.
When bleach and ammonia in dish soap come into contact with each other, chloramine gas is produced. Inhaling it is a no-no because it can irritate your eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Chloramine gas can cause tissue damage, which is why inhaling it can be dangerous to your health.
How Do You Clean Dishes With Bleach?
Using bleach before or after cleaning dishes with dish soap and water is an option. Soaking dirty dishes in a solution of water and bleach makes removing stubborn grime and stains easier. Soaking clean dishes in a mixture of water and bleach, on the other hand, aids in the killing of harmful microbes.
There are two very important things to remember when using bleach to clean dishes:
- Never use bleach and dish soap together.
- Never use pure bleach without first diluting it with water.
Dish soap is extremely effective at removing bacteria, viruses, and other disease-causing microorganisms that are invisible to the naked eye. Dish soap, on the other hand, will not kill them.
In other words, dish soap keeps you and your loved ones healthy by lifting germs from the surface of dishes and allowing them to be flushed down the drain with water.
Because of this, some homeowners believe that using bleach every time or once in a while is a good idea to ensure that any microbes that dish soap was unable to eliminate are zapped.
Unlike dish soap, bleach kills germs on contact as well as removing them from your dishes.
However, if used incorrectly, such as combining it with dish soap or other ammonia-containing household products, bleach can harm rather than help the health.
This is why you should dilute bleach with a lot of water before using it to clean dishes. Don’t worry, even when diluted, bleach is still effective against microbes.
How To Use Bleach For Cleaning Dishes?
Bleach is excellent for removing anything visible and invisible on the surface of dishes. However, combining it with anything containing ammonia is not a good idea.
This is why you should only use bleach to clean dishes after washing them with your favorite dish soap and rinsing them with water. Also, before disinfecting dishes, dilute every two teaspoons of bleach with one gallon of room temperature water.
Here’s how to use bleach to keep your dishes stain- and germ-free:
- Dish soap is used to clean dishes.
- Dishes should be thoroughly rinsed with clean water.
- Dishes should be soaked in a gallon of water with two teaspoons of bleach.
- Allow two minutes.
- After that, let the dishes drain or air dry, no need to rinse!
Aside from killing bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that can harm one’s health, bleach can also be used to remove unsightly stains, including stubborn ones that can easily ruin the appearance of your prized dishes!
As a result, if your dishes are extremely stained, soak them in a solution of water and bleach before cleaning them as usual with dish soap and water. This will not only remove stains but will also soften grime, making it easier to clean your dishes with dish soap and water afterward.
It’s common knowledge that hot water is excellent for cutting oils and grease.
When diluting bleach, however, use room temperature water rather than hot water. This is since high temperatures can deactivate the active ingredients in bleach, rendering it ineffective.
Related Questions
Can bleach be used to clean baby bottles?
If no other options are available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends cleaning baby bottles with bleach. There is no need to rinse baby bottles after soaking them for a few minutes in a gallon of water with two teaspoons of bleach in it.
Can bleach be used to purify water before drinking it?
Bleach can be used to purify water in an emergency. The majority of health officials and emergency personnel recommend adding eight drops of bleach to a gallon of water. If the water is cloudy or murky, add up to 16 drops of bleach before drinking.
Conclusion
It is critical to understand something before using it, especially if it will be used in a household. Bleach, for example, is beneficial to the household and essential for properly cleaning dishes.
You must understand the essentials of using bleach to wash dishes and the proper ways to use bleach on dishes.
