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Original poster

That hand washed dishes should be rinsed with clean water?

269 replies

Drew79 · 24/06/2025 21:42

When hand washing, interested in how many people either -

Wash dishes then rinse with clean water, then put on the drainer to dry

Or
Wash dishes and put on the drainer with soap suds and dirty water still on them?

I don't like the idea of eating and drinking from something that's got some cleaning chemicals left on it, but my partner says I'm being fussy!

OP posts:
Energywise · 25/06/2025 00:39

200skies · 24/06/2025 21:49

My DM doesn't rinse the dishes and everything I take "clean" from the cupboards is covered in a film of grease 🤢 Vile.

Why don’t you tell her how disgusting she is? That is just so beyond disgusting.

nopiesleftinthisvehicle · 25/06/2025 00:36

I can always tell if someone has forgotten to rinse.
No dishwasher, very hot water to wash then rinse each item under the cold tap as I go.
I don't leave the tap running though, so it's a stop-start process.

The cutlery gets rinsed a handful at a time

pinkdelight · 25/06/2025 00:31

Never rinsed either. Never been an issue and frankly couldn’t be arsed even if it had occurred to me. My plates aren’t soapy or dirty and life is really too short, as are resources.

AmelieSummer25 · 25/06/2025 00:14

thebluehen · 24/06/2025 22:51

No rinsing here. Aren’t we all supposed to think about wasting water? !

I don't consider washing off chemicals to be wasting wster

Magpie50 · 25/06/2025 00:12

No dishwasher, no rinsing either!
I just leave everything all soapy.

Am I worried about death by soap bubbles?
Nope......its the microplastics that'll getcha!

Calliopespa · 25/06/2025 00:05

vodkaredbullgirl · 24/06/2025 23:41

Well most the time I soak the plates, forget them. Then need to empty the water out and start again., so are clean.

Show quote history

I’m probably not the person to ask.

Before I owned a dishwasher I would boil the kettle, put stainless cutlery in washing up bowl first, pour over boiling kettle water then add cold - just enough to get the cutlery washed and out by gloved hands and so it wouldn’t crack the plates or glasses!

I like a good sanitary routine! As I’ve got older, however, I’ve come to accept we can actually handle quite a bit that falls short of sterile!

Caerulea · 24/06/2025 23:55

Drew79 · 24/06/2025 23:22

Err, I rinse with the smallest dribble of water from the tap into the plugged sink.

My car only gets washed every six months these days, I'm probably an under average water user overall.

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Never wash the car, don't have a hot tub either. Lots of ways ppl waste water & see as perfectly legitimate but get in a tizzy about rinsing plates lol.

Also don't leave the tap running when I brush my teeth cos Sesame Street told me it was draining the water out of a fish pond & that's bad.

afaloren · 24/06/2025 23:54

I’ve noticed that in the adverts sometimes they don’t rinse, because they want that shot of suds sliding down clean plates. Grim!

I have a dishwasher so scrape plates and put them in there, but I have some glasses that need handwashing and I always, always rinse.

When I wash my water bottle I am very paranoid that they aren’t rinsed enough inside!

Gabitule · 24/06/2025 23:50

Oh, this post reminds me of being at my bf’s house the other night. We shared a beer and my glass definitely smelt and tasted like fairy liquid… yuck!

I don’t want to offend anyone but when I first moved to the UK I was shocked to see that people here didn’t rinse their dishes. Shocked! I have no idea why people like eating soap!

Some people use ‘water saving’ as an excuse for not washing dishes, but it doesn’t use that much water:
step 1- get your dishes wet. Then turn the tap off (or use a bowl)
step 2 - put fairy on a sponge and wash each dish
step 3 - wirh all dishes in the sink, turn water on to rinse them (or use clean water in a dish bowl). If rinsed under the tap, it won’t need that much water as they’re all in the sink.

If you’re feeling guilty about your water usage reduce your showers by a minute or 2 (or don’t dull yours baths).

Or continue eating delicious fairy liquid

Kaamana · 24/06/2025 23:45

This is why I am wary of eating at peoples houses with dogs /cats unless I’m familiar with their hygiene practices. 🤢

OP, I rinse - everyone I know rinses as well. Growing up I had some friends who didn’t rinse and I just didn’t get it. The plates would be there on the drainer just so soapy and I’d think why?

EveSix · 24/06/2025 23:44

Don't have a dishwasher. Love washing dishes. As hot as humanly possible. Rinse in hot water before drying on drainer.

vodkaredbullgirl · 24/06/2025 23:41

Calliopespa · 24/06/2025 23:39

Me too. And the dog licking above … then no rinse… 🤢

Show quote history

Well most the time I soak the plates, forget them. Then need to empty the water out and start again., so are clean.

Calliopespa · 24/06/2025 23:40

changenameagain555 · 24/06/2025 23:32

I never rinse. To be honest I think the dishes out the dishwasher taste more of detergent than hand washed and not rinsed. When I was pregnant I couldn’t drink out of any glass washed in the dishwasher as the smell (which I could only smell whilst pregnant) made me feel sick. I was fine with my hand washed and un rinsed glasses.

My home dishwasher doesn’t do this but I often notice it with restaurant glasses and especially when pregnant.

Calliopespa · 24/06/2025 23:39

VeryStressedMum · 24/06/2025 22:06

I wash dishes under hot running water. I couldn't wash up in a bowl rinsing in dirty soapy water then leaving to dry it makes me feel ill.

Me too. And the dog licking above … then no rinse… 🤢

PizzaSophiaLoren · 24/06/2025 23:35

Wash and rinse under the hot tap. I don’t like the idea of a mucky basin of water getting dirtier and dirtier.

changenameagain555 · 24/06/2025 23:32

I never rinse. To be honest I think the dishes out the dishwasher taste more of detergent than hand washed and not rinsed. When I was pregnant I couldn’t drink out of any glass washed in the dishwasher as the smell (which I could only smell whilst pregnant) made me feel sick. I was fine with my hand washed and un rinsed glasses.

KatieDidIt · 24/06/2025 23:29

vodkaredbullgirl · 24/06/2025 22:02

Dogs clean the plates, then washing in hot soapy water, drain then dry.

waits for the onslaught

My DH does an excellent job licking the plates.

Original poster
Drew79 · 24/06/2025 23:28

PractisingMyTelekenipsis · 24/06/2025 22:53

That's how I wash up too. Things aren't "covered in suds" when I take them out of the bowl and I've never been ill from soap residue (is that a thing?)

And if people's dishes are still greasy then they aren't washing them properly. I'm not sure rinsing would help.

Show quote history

It's not soap though - it's detergents chemicals, additives, all sorts of stuff.

OP posts:
DramaAlpaca · 24/06/2025 23:22

StMarie4me · 24/06/2025 23:11

Exactly this. Hasn’t failed me in six decades plus so I’ll carry on thanks. Including the correct order!

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Oh my gosh yes! That's the way I wash up too, learned from the Brownies handbook. What a memory!

And I always rinse.

Original poster
Drew79 · 24/06/2025 23:22

thebluehen · 24/06/2025 22:51

No rinsing here. Aren’t we all supposed to think about wasting water? !

Err, I rinse with the smallest dribble of water from the tap into the plugged sink.

My car only gets washed every six months these days, I'm probably an under average water user overall.

OP posts:
StMarie4me · 24/06/2025 23:11

NotMeNoNo · 24/06/2025 21:57

I understood how detergents work is they bind the grease into the water leaving dishes clean. So I'm happy to wash in the hot soapy water and leave to drain. Obviously refresh the water if there's a lot to get through. And observe the order of washing up taught in Brownies. https://cassiefairy.com/2013/01/24/the-brownie-girl-guides-way/

Exactly this. Hasn’t failed me in six decades plus so I’ll carry on thanks. Including the correct order!

wand3rer · 24/06/2025 23:09

😮People don’t rinse?! I live in the UK but I’m not originally from here. I’ve never really had the chance to observe how British people do the dishes. It never occurred to me that rinsing wouldn’t be a universal practice 😨

vodkaredbullgirl · 24/06/2025 23:07

Too many precious poster on here 😆

Slightyamusedandsilly · 24/06/2025 23:06

Always rinse. I don't want to eat washing up liquid or taste soap.

Whatwouldnanado · 24/06/2025 22:59

Yes. Relative who is a bit self-righteous about not having a dishwasher does performance washing up with loads of bubbles “ oh I can get it all gone in the time it takes to load one of those things “ then leaves it all to drain on the side. No rinsing. Coffee at hers tastes like bath water.