# Brits don't rinse soapy dishes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411 "2012-09-21T17:22:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/21 "2012-09-21T19:48:55Z")
The comments about British food are as dated as stereotypical comments on American beer. Anyhow, this is all interesting. When I worked in a restaurant in Scotland, we had one sink with hot water and soap for soaking and cleaning, and then we’d dip it onto a sink full of plain cold water to rinse. ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/22 "2012-09-21T19:49:44Z")
Personally, I wash dishes with a soapy sponge under a running tap. But yes, washing in a bowl of soapy water without rinsing is the “standard” way in the UK. The dishes don’t taste soapy – I guess towel drying wipes off the soap residue. But it doesn’t seem that hygeinic to me (sort of like bathing vs showering). ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/23 "2012-09-21T19:54:41Z")
As a prior restaurant owner, we had to have a 3 section sink by law. Soap, Rinse, Sanitize. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/24 "2012-09-21T20:07:17Z")
Moved Cafe Society --\> IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/25 "2012-09-21T20:09:18Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > I think someone brought up this question in one of the other threads about this: > > When you take a shower do you get yourself wet, soap up, and then just step out and dry off? No? Then why would you do that with your dishes? I’ve never before heard of the alleged non-dish-rinsing practices of Brits and frankly, it sounds pretty gross. But I bet if you replaced “shower” with “bath” in that question (perhaps a better analogy to dishes washed in soapy water), a lot of them would answer in the affirmative. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/26 "2012-09-21T20:12:59Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Moved Cafe Society –\> IMHO. Thanks. I wasn’t sure where to put it. I figured that it’s about plates, and food goes on plates, and food threads go in CS. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/27 "2012-09-21T20:16:36Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > Cheddar cheese is one of the British food items that is actually pretty darn good. And it was not in a can, er, tin. You can get it in a tin if you want. [http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/09/cafeteria-5.jpg](http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/09/cafeteria-5.jpg) Shipping might be expensive though if you’re in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/28 "2012-09-21T20:18:38Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > As a prior restaurant owner, we had to have a 3 section sink by law. Soap, Rinse, Sanitize. As a former pizza delivery person, I can say we had that too. And that for most of my lazy-ass colleagues, in practice this consisted of: 1. Barely wipe only the top side of each oily pan with a grungy sponge in the soapy water. 2. Dip the half-washed pan into the greasy grey rinse water. 3. Dip the still-oily pan into the greasy blue sanitizer water. And then stack each slippery, disgusting “clean” pan onto the greasy grime-covered drying rack. _Bon appétit_, pizza lovers! ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/29 "2012-09-21T21:00:20Z")
And we don’t use ‘soap’ on them either. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/30 "2012-09-21T23:31:51Z")
I an British. My American ex-wife thought I was weird for taking the trouble to rinse all the soap off dishes when I washed them. In other words, as a generalization about the difference between British and American culture, this sounds like total bullshit to me. I dare say this has been known to happen in Britain, but it is not a cultural norm. I dare say some Americans (like my ex) fail to rinse the soap (/detergent) off too, maybe even some American restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/31 "2012-09-21T23:35:51Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > As a former pizza delivery person, I can say we had that too. And that for most of my lazy-ass colleagues, in practice this consisted of: > > 1. Barely wipe only the top side of each oily pan with a grungy sponge in the soapy water. > 2. Dip the half-washed pan into the greasy grey rinse water. > 3. Dip the still-oily pan into the greasy blue sanitizer water. > > And then stack each slippery, disgusting “clean” pan onto the greasy grime-covered drying rack. > > _Bon appétit_, pizza lovers! Thank heaven for 500-degree-Fahrenheit pizza oven temperatures: at least the baking kills what the “cleaning” doesn’t remove. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/32 "2012-09-21T23:50:11Z")
> [@Brynda](#): > > Not an urban legend, I assure you. I had British in-laws, and they didn’t rinse. Saw them many a time, plus we talked about it. Like the posters above, they don’t see a reason for rinsing. I suspect it has something to do with saving water, expense of heating water, etc. However, I have to agree–no soapy taste. I’m British, and I agree that a worrying number of my countrymen have this weird habit. My wife inherited it from her family, but I’ve mostly beaten it out of her now. 😛 I have no idea why people do this, because it just screams bad hygiene. If I am using a single sink, I will wash in hot soapy water, then give each item a quick rinse under the hot tap before putting it on the draining board. What is so hard about this? Whenever I visit my in-laws and help with drying-up duty, I find the teatowel quickly gets covered in little manky food bits that were sitting there in the soapy water. Sometimes I just can’t help barging in to the sink to rinse things off! :o ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/33 "2012-09-22T01:25:46Z")
I have always insisted on having a dishwasher. Similarly I would have thought that almost all restuarants have a dishwasher. Now I will say that a lot of my contemporaries wash dishes, even when they do have a dishwasher - but when they are washing up they use fairy liquid usually so I dunno what all this “soap” is about. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/34 "2012-09-22T01:54:28Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I an British. My American ex-wife thought I was weird for taking the trouble to rinse all the soap off dishes when I washed them. > > In other words, as a generalization about the difference between British and American culture, this sounds like total bullshit to me. I dare say this has been known to happen in Britain, but it is not a cultural norm. I dare say some Americans (like my ex) fail to rinse the soap (/detergent) off too, maybe even some American restaurants. Try googling “British not rinsing dishes.” ---
**Author:** ![tadtooornamental](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tadtooornamental](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tadtooornamental)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/35 "2012-09-22T02:13:39Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > Now I will say that a lot of my contemporaries wash dishes, even when they do have a dishwasher - but when they are washing up they use fairy liquid usually so I dunno what all this “soap” is about. It’s just a colloquialism: what you call fairy liquid or washing up liquid is usually referred to as dish soap (or some similar) in the US. ---
**Author:** ![\_Olive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/4af34b/32.png) [@\_Olive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Olive)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/36 "2012-09-22T03:25:37Z")
I noticed older Australians didn’t rinse either. ---
**Author:** ![bathsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bathsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bathsheba)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/37 "2012-09-22T07:59:10Z")
My parents are English but I am Australian. I have never heard of the no-rinse thing until now. In fact, I have been meaning to ask Dad whether English soap of yore was carcinogenic or something because he is madly obseeeeeesssiiiiiive over every last bubble of soap being rinsed off in several gallons of water. My parents have always had a split sink and use the second sink for rinsing method. But now I am intrigued! The only place I wash up is at work. We only have a single sink and my workmates are mainly of Australian background (I think). Roll on Monday because I will be observing with keen interest who the rinsers and non-rinsers are. (FTR, at work I put the plug in, soap items, then rinse them under the still-running water). eta: AND I work in a nursing home so I have a ready supply of older Australians to quiz about their dishwashing practices. Only two more sleeps til Monday! ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/38 "2012-09-22T09:00:03Z")
I’m from a Commonwealth country, and I’m going to step in and admit that there is truth to the notion. My mother washed the dishes in a sink filled with mildly soapy water and then dried them off with a tea-towel without rinsing. I never tasted any soapy flavor on the dishes though. I don’t know where she learned to wash dishes, but ever since I had my own place I _always_ rinsed my dishes after washing - it just makes sense to me even though I learned how to wash dishes from my mum. On a related note, Japanese people by and large think that westerners who wash themselves in a soapy bath without rinsing themselves off in the shower later, must be covered in horrible soap scum. Food for thought. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/39 "2012-09-22T09:57:43Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I’ve never before heard of the alleged non-dish-rinsing practices of Brits and frankly, it sounds pretty gross. But I bet if you replaced “shower” with “bath” in that question (perhaps a better analogy to dishes washed in soapy water), a lot of them would answer in the affirmative. An accurate analogy. Those of us who use a bath don’t get out, stand shivering, and run a second bath within to rinse. Ok, maybe I’m an anachronism here in NZ. Its never occurred to me to rinse dishes after washing them in the sink. But really, soapy dishes have never been a problem. You only need a little dishwashing liquid and if there are copious bubbles then you’ve overdone it. To be fair, glasses are an exception: if there are soap bubbles then a quick rinse under the tap is normal. I can perceive the mental picture some of you have regarding dried bubbles but for me its infinitesimal - the cutlery plates and pots are cleansed of food, wiped with a tea towel, and clean for the next meal. If it were otherwise entire generations would have expired before we reached this enlightened age. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411/40 "2012-09-22T10:33:17Z")
The point of soap, is that it makes the germs slide off of the surface and onto the soap. When you use a towel, you are leaving a film of germ covered soap on the utencils and plates, that wouldn’t be there on a rinsed plate or utensil. Thus the method might be more water saving but less hygenic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-dont-rinse-soapy-dishes/635411.md?page=3)