# How clean are your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2019, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736 "2019-08-16T13:26:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/41 "2019-08-17T13:39:17Z")
Anyone else begin cleaning their dishes while eating? Maybe it’s because I usually do the dishes, but I only put what I’m going to eat on my plate, and I sop up any sauce/dressing/etc with bread. My dishes are usually pretty clean before approaching the sink. It carries over to restaurants, where I’ve had servers comment on my clean plate. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/42 "2019-08-17T15:15:53Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Anyone else begin cleaning their dishes while eating? Maybe it’s because I usually do the dishes, but I only put what I’m going to eat on my plate, and I sop up any sauce/dressing/etc with bread. My dishes are usually pretty clean before approaching the sink. It carries over to restaurants, where I’ve had servers comment on my clean plate. I definitely do that, I was raised in a house where a clean plate at the end of dinner was an empty plate. I am also eat ANYTHING (foodwise) that is served to me. We also grew up with dogs and the dogs always got to lick the plates. My brother had a girlfriend that would not eat at our house because of that, silly girl, we did put them in the dishwasher after the canine licking. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/43 "2019-08-17T15:24:55Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > [Here’s one of many articles I had read](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/a33322/stop-prerinsing-dishes/) after getting my dishwasher suggesting that pre-rinsing is not necessary and even counterproductive. Like I said above, with my dishwasher, all I need to do is scrape off the food and the dishes comes out sparkling like new. > > And here’s the enzyme thing I was vaguely remembering above: Yep. I finally got us a dishwasher, and the user manual says explicitly NOT to rinse first, just scrape. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/44 "2019-08-17T19:52:09Z")
I scrape, then rinse lightly. I’ve found that, despite the admonitions against pre-rinsing, things get cleaner if there’s less crud sloshing around in the dishwasher. Occasionally I think, “Bah! I don’t need to rinse this stuff—I’ll let the dishwasher do its job,” but I always regret it. If there’s anything with egg residue (like breakfast dishes), I’ll hand-wash it because my dishwasher can’t deal with that. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/45 "2019-08-17T20:54:15Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Anyone else begin cleaning their dishes while eating? Maybe it’s because I usually do the dishes, but I only put what I’m going to eat on my plate, and I sop up any sauce/dressing/etc with bread. My dishes are usually pretty clean before approaching the sink. It carries over to restaurants, where I’ve had servers comment on my clean plate. Yes, but not all my kids are totally with the program… ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/46 "2019-08-18T12:21:35Z")
Depends on whether my wife is watching. She pre-cleans them so thoroughly I can’t tell whether the machine has run its cycle. I’ve actually unloaded an entire dishwasher into the cabinets not realizing it hadn’t run yet. If she’s there, I clean them dutifully but have no need to worry about placement. She’s going to rearrange them all anyway, so I can toss 'em in any old way. If she’s out, I scrape, load and start. It’s just as clean as her way, but less trouble. If it’s finished before she gets home, no one’s the wiser. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/47 "2019-08-18T12:54:33Z")
I rinse them off. Lightly rub off any stuck bits with my finger. I’m not nearly as fussy anymore. The new dishwasher pods are very effective and I don’t worry about getting the dishes clean. I can’t quite bring myself to put food encrusted dishes in the dishwasher. I don’t want that debris floating in the wash water. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/48 "2019-08-18T13:06:18Z")
Rinse unless it’s obviously unnecessary (often there’s only been a sandwich on the plate). ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/49 "2019-08-18T23:55:48Z")
Rinse with hot water and a brush, no soap. Dishwasher is just to remove any greasy film. Any left on crud gets baked into the finish, requiring scouring pad to remove. It’s also only 18 inches wide, so you really can’t put pots and pans in it. Plates, bowls, glasses, mugs, flatware and utensils.Yes, it is an old, shitty dishwasher. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/50 "2019-08-19T00:43:20Z")
Rinse. No soap, just to get the stuff off. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/51 "2019-08-19T01:12:28Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > My wife has always insisted that dishes be clean (as in washed with soap and water) before putting them in the dishwasher and that the dishwasher just sterilizes the dishes. Dishwashers do not sterilize dishes, they sanitize them. You would have to put your dishes in an autoclave to sterilize them (exaggerating but most dishwashers do not get hot enough to sterilize.). If she is washing with soap and water first, they are already as “sterile” as they are going to get. If she insists on putting them in the dishwasher, then there is no point to washing with soap first. Just rinse of the heavy food and let the dishwasher do its job. Also, if all you do with dishes is eat food from them, where does she think the dangerous bacteria on the dishes came from? You’ve already eaten the source of the bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/52 "2019-08-19T01:44:25Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Dishwashers do not sterilize dishes, they sanitize them. You would have to put your dishes in an autoclave to sterilize them (exaggerating but most dishwashers do not get hot enough to sterilize.). If she is washing with soap and water first, they are already as “sterile” as they are going to get. If she insists on putting them in the dishwasher, then there is no point to washing with soap first. Just rinse of the heavy food and let the dishwasher do its job. > > Also, if all you do with dishes is eat food from them, where does she think the dangerous bacteria on the dishes came from? You’ve already eaten the source of the bacteria. In casual conversation, I could probably be accused of using sterilize and sanitize interchangeably. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/53 "2019-08-19T01:46:36Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Dishwashers do not sterilize dishes, they sanitize them. You would have to put your dishes in an autoclave to sterilize them (exaggerating but most dishwashers do not get hot enough to sterilize.). If she is washing with soap and water first, they are already as “sterile” as they are going to get. If she insists on putting them in the dishwasher, then there is no point to washing with soap first. Just rinse of the heavy food and let the dishwasher do its job. Agree. > [@](#): > > Also, if all you do with dishes is eat food from them, where does she think the dangerous bacteria on the dishes came from? You’ve already eaten the source of the bacteria. If you leave a dirty dish sitting on the counter, it will eventually start to grow bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/54 "2019-08-19T06:34:22Z")
In general, scraped. They get a rinse if there’s some sort of juice/sauce that’s going to be a bitch if it dries _and_ it will have time to dry. Those same sauces don’t get rinsed if the wash will be set straightaway. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/55 "2019-08-19T13:39:37Z")
At least scraped. Usually rinsed. Probably unnecessary, but I still do it. Also, I also have the additional step of having to rearrange everything my wife has put in the machine. I’ve given up trying to explain to her that if the water can’t spray it, it can’t be cleaned. Countless times I’ve told her that what does NOT happen when you turn on the machine is a crew of little gnomes runs out and carefully hand-scrubs everything she’s put in there, no matter _how_ she’s put it in there. She thinks that as long as it’s _inside_ the machine, it should come out clean, so she nests cups and bowls and just stuffs whatever in there anywhere it will fit. I’d think she’s just fucking with me, but she doesn’t really have a devious mind like that, she’s primarily just lazy. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/56 "2019-08-19T15:41:42Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Dishwashers do not sterilize dishes, they sanitize them. Most dishwashers and/or cycles don’t even manage that. Newer-ish dishwashers frequently have a Sanitize/Sani-Rinse cycle where they raise the temperature of the rinse water to a specified level, and extend the rinse cycle for a specified time, the combination of which meets the NSF/ANSI 184 standard. They’ll also NOT turn the sanitized indicator light on if you open the dishwasher or otherwise interrupt things during that cycle, as the time/temp regulations won’t have been met. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736/57 "2019-09-07T18:44:32Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > There isn’t an option for “Scoured clean save for a lavish coat of dog spit from Leet the Helpful Pre-rinse Cycle Dog[sup]TM[/sup]” so I didn’t vote. > > Regards, > Shodan As an experiment, today I let my wonder mutt eat the leftovers off of my steak plate. This is something I’ve never done before. It seriously looks like I could put it in the cupboard. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-clean-are-your-dishes-before-you-put-them-in-the-dishwasher/838736.md?page=2)