Dig licking plates before going into dishwasher - ick or not

[Happyspendingthedayinthegarden]

Have have hosted a lovely Easter BH Monday for all 7 GC, 3 step children, partners & children. We had an Easter egg hunt in garden, had breakfast in local farm shop & walked my lovely little dog around, petted animals etc.

For context I need to say that DSS & DIL are both British, but live in USA.

After a roast dinner I put the plates & general pots & pans down for the dog to lick. My DIL lost the plot saying that was so unhygienic I assured her that they would be going into the dishwasher on a high temperature - about 90c so would be sterilised. I always let the dog pre-wash my plates as consider it's going into the dishwasher at high temp to be sterilised so no problem.

DIL saying she will never let her children eat at my house again & gone-taken her DH & DC off in an huff.

DH has had a text from his son apologising but saying what can he do as has to support his wife. I totally get that. But....

My question is - is it OK to let dog lick out the plates etc when they are going into dishwasher at a high temp? WWUD?

Sorry but dog licking a plate is disgusting

Admit it OP, you wanted to see if you could set a Mumsnet record for the use of the words grim, vile and disgusting, didn't you? 😅

I wouldn't be particularly bothered by it. I've had illnesses passed to me plenty of times via other humans, although not necessarily by dishes, but never via a dog.

Oh, and I'm American. Once a week is fine for sheet changing (linen and ironed is my preference), but it is true that hanging them out can exacerbate pollen allergies/hay fever as pollen blows around and lands on the sheets. If you have allergies in the family, you're best off drying indoors.

I bet you pee your bed too - it'll get washed, right?

Absolutely love my dog, but…no

For those with pets who don’t put the pet bowls in the dishwasher, how are you cleaning them?

The op's family saw what was going on. Similarly if I went to a friend's house who said 'here please use the fork I used after giving my dh a bj' <tmi surely> I'd say no thanks.

We of course will all be unknowingly exposed to the poor hygiene practises of others. However the op and those supporting her should not be surprised when others are repelled by their poor habits when we see them.

Even if the dishwasher is guaranteed to wash properly and kill all microbes 100% of the time, the thought of a dog licking the plates first is, at best, highly unpleasant for many people, and reduces or even completely kills enjoyment of the food. The fact that this never occurred to you, is a little troubling. If you are determined to continue this practice, it isn’t something you should do when you have guests.

I am surprised that your dishwasher washes at 90 degrees in these days of EU regulations to cut carbon emissions. The highest setting on mine is 65 degrees. Moreover, appliances can malfunction and I know that washing machines have been found to often not reach the temperatures claimed by manufacturers, or not to stay at microbe-killing temperatures for long enough to do the job. These were washing machines that were working as intended, not even faulty ones.

Also, many people load dishwashers poorly. I say to my family, ‘It’s a dishwasher, not a magic washer!’. If it isn’t loaded with sufficient spacing, but everything is crammed in, there’s only so much those jets of water can do.

People dying, or even getting ill, is low standard. If you want your guests to be happy taking refreshment at your home without thinking of the dog licking the plate after eating the cat’s poo, don’t do this.

My husband does that occasionally and I turn a blind eye to it.

However, I wouldn't do it or allow him to do it in front of other people - it does feel unhygienic even if it actually isn't due to temperature of the dishwasher.

ooo cool! wish i had known this YEARS ago!

We lick them. Obviously.

I’m a dog owner, and I have an dishwasher, and I think that’s grim. I don’t care that temperature wise they should be clean and hygienic enough to eat off, just the thought of it makes me feel ill.

Our dog bowls get washed in the sink with their own separate scrubber and are dried with paper towels.

I haven’t been to stay with my in-laws since we got up in the morning and they opened the dishwasher to get plates out for breakfast, and also took the dog bowls out, as they’d washed them with the human dishes. Other in-laws put a plate on the floor for the dog to lick after dinner and said ‘we wouldn’t normally do this’ which left me thinking ‘so why do it now then?’. Never ate there again.

I don’t use the silly word “ick” but it is very yuck. 🤮

Good grief, I wish there was a 'disgust' react emoji for some MN comments 🤣🤢

I have a big hairy, slobbery GSD and there is no way I would let him lick the plates. Not only is it gross but I would be teaching him awful manners.

😅

No, but that's why you then put the dishes in the dishwasher!

This 100%! I can’t believe you have to ask 🤢

I mean surely the pet lick cleans them.

no it doesn't......you can say its gross but don't talk nonsense about the effect it has on dogs' manners

I prefer my dishes without shit, thank you - before OR after the dishwasher.

Urghhhhh (and we have a dog)

Your Dil is probably one of those very anal people who thinks dogs are disgusting and thinks the kids will die from slober or dog hair . Basically paranoid people ! Ignore her . Tell her you will order them pizza and paper plates next time 🙄

@Happyspendingthedayinthegarden That's absolutely disgusting OP.

My DIL lost the plot saying that was so unhygienic I assured her that they would be going into the dishwasher on a high temperature - about 90c so would be sterilised.

You cannot "sterilise" cutlery in a dishwasher.

Further reading for the poorly informed: https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20180816/qa-bacteria-in-dog-and-cat-saliva-can-makes-humans-sick

Before I had a dog I found the whole idea disgusting, then we got a dog and I started letting him eat the leftovers from them because in all of our eyes he is another member of the family. He licks our faces anyway so it makes no difference to us!

I don’t think I would do it with guests plates though because I’m aware a lot of people wouldn’t like it.

No because I can’t wash my mattress? Ridiculous comparison 😂

I wouldn't share it

Like I wouldn't say "oh BTW I use old pants and socks as cleaning cloths" or "guess what? I've just let out a silent non-smelly fart so you're breathing in literal shit clouds right now, just thought you should know" or "just to advise you, i once vomited on that cushion you're leaning on"