# Years old dirty dishes : safe or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 29, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181 "2015-01-29T01:43:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sciency](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Sciency](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sciency)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/1 "2015-01-29T01:43:48Z")
I was doing some cleaning recently, something I never do, and I encountered a bag full dirty dishes that must have been there for at least 2 years. I know they had a mix of meat, fat and sugar on them, but they don’t smell. I plan to wash them and use them. Will it be possible to clean them completely after all this time, or are they forever doomed? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/2 "2015-01-29T01:54:45Z")
Are they made out of ceramic? There should be no problem. Nothing detrimental should have been able to penetrate the surface. Clean them well and they should be fine. ---
**Author:** ![vomit\_comet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/73ab20/32.png) [@vomit\_comet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vomit_comet)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/3 "2015-01-29T02:33:39Z")
I wouldn’t be concerned unless they are paper. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/4 "2015-01-29T03:39:07Z")
Some plastics I also wouldn’t trust. Any sort of ceramic or porcelain, though? Wash them like you’d wash any other dish, and they’ll be fine. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/5 "2015-01-29T03:57:54Z")
Hell, I cruise Goodwill stores looking for cool old dishes and platters. I recently scored some awesome oval plates for a buck apiece very similar to the ones I saw at Target for $12 a pop. ---
**Author:** ![vomit\_comet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/73ab20/32.png) [@vomit\_comet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vomit_comet)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/6 "2015-01-29T04:03:49Z")
Hail the Goodwill store. I scored some sweet Corian plates that are 50% heavier than the last set of glass plates I had in nearly the same design. I bought 4 but they had a bunch more, great place. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/7 "2015-01-29T04:18:15Z")
Once the old food on them has dried out, it’s not going to get significantly worse. Bacteria need water to reproduce, so years-old dishes aren’t going to be worse than week-old. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/8 "2015-01-29T04:21:59Z")
as long as you eat quickly you will be OK. likely OK as long as you wash them. ---
**Author:** ![gracefulfatsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@gracefulfatsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracefulfatsheba)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/9 "2015-01-29T20:45:31Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > as long as you eat quickly you will be OK. Best advice ever! ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/10 "2015-01-29T21:47:34Z")
5 second rule! ---
**Author:** ![Sciency](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Sciency](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sciency)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/11 "2015-01-30T14:19:03Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Once the old food on them has dried out, it’s not going to get significantly worse. Bacteria need water to reproduce, so years-old dishes aren’t going to be worse than week-old. That makes sense. I’ll test that theory and if I don’t get back alive next week you’ll know you were wrong. ---
**Author:** ![digitalskeeza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@digitalskeeza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digitalskeeza)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/12 "2015-01-30T15:00:36Z")
> [@Sciency](#): > > I encountered a bag full dirty dishes that must have been there for at least 2 years. A BAG full of dirty dishes? What? How? I am at a loss… ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/13 "2015-01-30T15:14:34Z")
> [@digitalskeeza](#): > > A BAG full of dirty dishes? What? How? I am at a loss… Why? We bring dirty dishes home from picnics and the like stacked in grocery bags all the time. As long as you don’t sling the bag over your shoulder like Santa’s toy sack it’s no big deal. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/14 "2015-01-30T15:25:58Z")
You could always just resell them as authentic Obama re-election commemorative plates. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/15 "2015-01-30T15:33:39Z")
Wash in very hot water with lots of detergent – use a dishwasher instead of hand-washing if possible. Use diluted bleach as part of the final rinse (then rinse the bleachy water off with clean water) if you’re really worried. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/16 "2015-01-30T16:29:07Z")
If you boiled the dishes in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes, I’d imagine that any germs would die. Boiling might also loosen/soften the encrusted food and make it easier to scrub off. Assuming the dishes are ceramic or some safe-to-boil material, of course; don’t boil plastic. ---
**Author:** ![Apollon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@Apollon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollon)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/17 "2015-01-31T23:34:58Z")
I suspect that it would be OK for you to eat out of them even if you **don’t** wash them at all. After 2 years of desiccation, any bacteria that once grew on them will most probably be dead. Being the slob that I am, I only wash my frying pan about once or twice per year. Have been doing that for more than 10 years, and I’m perfectly healthy. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/18 "2015-02-01T06:17:41Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@lieu](#): > > You could always just resell them as authentic Obama re-election commemorative plates. Let’s keep the political jabs out of GQ, please. No warning issued. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/19 "2015-02-01T06:18:34Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > You could always just resell them as authentic Obama re-election commemorative plates. **Moderator Note** Whether intended as a political jab or not, this is not appropriate for General Questions. No warning issued. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![kbasar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6bbea6/32.png) [@kbasar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbasar)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181/20 "2015-02-02T23:30:50Z")
If the dishes in question are newer dishes (not old lead based painted ceramic dishes) then a good soaking then scrubbing in HOT soapy clorox (add a 1/2 C to the sink) water should disinfect them. RINSE WELL. I collect old glass ware and have used this, along with brillo pads (nylon scouring pad on more delicate items) to clean up old glass that sat for decades with a myriad of unknown substances on them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/years-old-dirty-dishes-safe-or-not/711181.md?page=2)