# Do you wash the pot/pan handles? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 9, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388 "2011-11-09T13:59:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/1 "2011-11-09T13:59:25Z")
When you are doing the dishes, do you wash the handles of the pots and pans? And by “wash” I mean with soap and everything, not just letting the water run over them. Poll coming. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/2 "2011-11-09T14:11:04Z")
I only pay specific attention to the handles when there’s obviously something on them, but I do put most of my pots and pans in the dishwasher after each use so I figure that takes care of it. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/3 "2011-11-09T14:30:28Z")
Always. They often get gooed up from what’s on the cook’s hands. They’re right there with the soap and water, why bother inspecting them to see how clean they are? Quicker to just wash them. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/4 "2011-11-09T14:38:30Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Always. They often get gooed up from what’s on the cook’s hands. They’re right there with the soap and water, why bother inspecting them to see how clean they are? Quicker to just wash them. This is exactly what I came here to say. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/5 "2011-11-09T14:43:39Z")
Sometimes, with an explanation. Mostly, I run them through the dishwasher. When washing by hand, however, I’ve got to confess it wouldn’t even occur to me to wash the handles unless there were obvious crap on them. No, wait, come over to dinner at my place anyway! You won’t die, I promse! ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/6 "2011-11-09T14:47:27Z")
I’m going to vote ‘most of the time.’ I usually do, but not always. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/7 "2011-11-09T15:00:03Z")
Anything that has been soaking in a sink full of dirty dishes has all surfaces washed. However, if I’ve just picked it up off the counter and washed it directly, I may skip the handle unless it has slop on it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/8 "2011-11-09T15:55:35Z")
I said sometimes. But the only exception is something quickly used and then rinsed clean. Otherwise I assume it’s been sitting around other dirty stuff and needs cleaning. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/9 "2011-11-09T15:57:54Z")
My pots and pans don’t go through the dishwasher, but get washed by hand. It takes only a bit more to soap up the handle and rinse it off. Sometimes grease or other yuckies aren’t immediately visible, so why not wash them off? ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/10 "2011-11-09T16:16:26Z")
I don’t have any kind of mental checklist like “1) scrub inside bottom, 2) scrub inside sides, 3) scrub outside bottom, 4) scrub handle”, but if the pot is going into the sink to get washed, the handles get at least a once-over just as part of the whole thing. Ditto the outside (especially the bottom). Certainly if there’s visible crud I’ll make more of a conscious point to scrub that particular spot. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/11 "2011-11-09T19:02:38Z")
“Sometimes” – when washing by hand (I only had a dishwasher for the past year or so), if I needed a pan RIGHTTHEFUCKNOW, then no. If actually washing, then yes, it all gets washed. Bottoms of cast iron skillets? shit yeah. Everything gets washed. Dishwashers make people less clean. Rant over. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/12 "2011-11-09T19:20:43Z")
It something that would bother me if I didn’t do it. I always wash the handles of pots ‘n’ pans. ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/13 "2011-11-09T22:13:08Z")
I always run the soapy sponge over the handle, but I don’t wash it as carefully as the rest of the pot unless I see crud on it. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/14 "2011-11-09T22:24:56Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > When you are doing the dishes, do you wash the handles of the pots and pans? And by “wash” I mean with soap and everything, not just letting the water run over them. Poll coming. I voted sometimes. I don’t even wash all my pans with “soap and everything” every time. My cast iron pans almost never get hit with soap and water. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/15 "2011-11-09T23:48:01Z")
I always give it at least a cursory wash. I figure there’s usually at least a little spray from the food while cooking. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/16 "2011-11-10T00:49:24Z")
The same spray that gets on the stove top, which I always wipe off if it was used for cooking. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/17 "2011-11-10T01:20:10Z")
I like to wash everything that food has come into contact with, especially if I’m cooking from raw. You chop some chicken or pork, throw it in the pan and then\* pick up the pan with the live bacteria on your hands. Handles tend to be slightly more porous than the actual metal so I can imagine they’d be great for germs to get into and multiply. \*I wash my hands immediately after handling raw food, especially chicken and pork, but sometimes you’re going to miss a bit. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/18 "2011-11-10T01:31:10Z")
Related: I have the spatula/spoon/slotted spoon set, for years. the backs of these plastic things are indented and stuff collects in them. I could get a toothbrush and scrub them clean, I guess, but I bought new ones with solid round handles and threw the old grubby ones away. ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/19 "2011-11-10T13:51:01Z")
I wash by hand and some, like cast iron, I usually don’t wash at all. I also reuse pans if cooking for multiple meals in one sitting, so sometimes I don’t wash them at all between use. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388/20 "2011-11-10T13:59:49Z")
They get the exact same treatment as the rest of the pot or pan. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-the-pot-pan-handles/602388.md?page=2)