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?

What?? No, of course not. A plate on the floor is obviously for the dog and going through the dishwasher will kill any bugs. No animals licking or walking on surfaces in my house. Not the same at all.

Just looked and you're right. 71 deg C is the temperature reached.

Ugh ugh! This is so vile 🤢🤢🤢

Reminds me of the time my friend’s 8yo son got caught short in the woods so he did a nature poo which their dog gobbled up before anyone could stop her.

oh dear lord. I am never eating at anyones house again.

I don't know if the dishwasher temp makes ok hygiene wise or not, but it's definitely a weird thing to do.

The dishwasher will kill any germs but honestly it’s a bit socially inept of you to do this in front of guests. Some things should remain private.

I’m fine with dogs licking the plates. Free pre-wash 😎 Useful to know that other people don’t feel the same though so that I can avoid anyone else seeing make sure they don’t do it before people come round.

Yes, it's a weird thing to do, and I guess we all have them (I don't think it would actually harm anyone unless you were extremely unlucky and had an immune problem). But what makes it unreasonable is expecting other people to be ok with it, especially when you're doing it in front of their kids. We all know dogs have extremely questionable habits, we don't want to be teaching kids this sort of thing is ok.

Ok, fair enough.

It's basic manners to pretend not to be a complete slattern whilst in company 😂 (this is coming from a woman who secretly chews on apples with her rabbit)

Temperatures are not typically high enough for complete sterilisation (source AI web summary)

Plus, if you put your washer on a lower heat cycle like economy then even more bacteria will survive.

Some dishwashers have higher temps than others.

So it's not just about "dishwashers" but about what cycle you use, what dishwasher type you use, and probably also about what detergent type you use.

That’s disgusting, I wouldn’t want to eat from a plate that a dog had previously used. I’d also question your general cleanliness when it came to food preparation 🤢 🤮

Firstly, 90 C does not sterilise a plate. Plates might be clean after being in a dishwasher but they are definitely not sterile. I know that plates are clean when they come out of a dishwasher but I still find it a disgusting habit to let dogs lick them before washing.

No, a dishwasher is not a steriliser but it will do a pretty good job, and realistically, the risk of becoming infected from stroking a dog or letting them lick you or picking up poo is far higher than from eating from a plate that a dog has licked that has then been washed in a dishwasher 🤷‍♀️

Bacteria need the right conditions to replicate, a food source, the right temperature, humidity etc They are going to go forth and multiply on a lovely moist piece of steak left at room temperature, not so much on a dry, clean plate that has been washed at a high temperature, especially if it has no food source. Actually, the infective dose for different bacteria varies eg (for things you might catch from a dog) it is about 10,000 for salmonella spp. but less than 50 for E. coli, although E.Coli can’t survive for more than a few hours on hard surfaces, if it survives the dishwasher. Hands are a far more hospitable environment for bacteria…

Dogs and humans have about the same number of different pathogens in their mouths. All of the pathogens in human mouths have evolved to infect humans. Only about 16% of those found in dog’s mouths can infect humans. If you are worried about your dishwasher not killing pathogens from dog plates, why aren’t you concerned about pathogens from humans? There are more of those that can make you unwell in human saliva despite not licking our own arses 🙄 What about pathogens from utensils used for raw food?

TBF it’s pretty grim to let your dog lick plates in front of guests.

Dishwashers are not relying on just the heat of the water to kill bacteria though, most of us also use detergent.

Bacteria need something to live on, a dog licking a plate broadly removes that - then you put that plate into a dishwasher washing at over 65c, the spraying of the water, the heat and the detergent will remove the bacteria and kill it.

A dog-licked plate thats been through a dishwasher at over 65c, with suitable detergent is going to be much safer than a food encrusted plate that was not licked by a dog, but was washed by hand in a sink.

It’s a shame dishwashers only reach 65ish then isn’t it ;)

Yeah, was wrong and said so.

Absolutely disgusting, I’m with your DIL.

This wouldn't bother me at all.

For all the people fine with dogs licking their plates would you be ok with it if you know those dogs regularly eat dog and cat poo? My cousin had a young dog that does this. He’s working hard to try and stop it happening but the dog’s breath frequently smells shitty.

The thought of that dog’s tongue licking human cups plates and spoons makes me nauseous!

Even if they are washed surely this is crossing a basic taboo?

I know “not all dogs” and only a minority have this disgusting habit but I couldn’t take the risk I was a guest and my host let her dogs lick the plates!

Sorry…I missed that. My mistake x

Yabu. Yuk and disgusting. Can't believe you allow the dog to do that. Scrap the left overs into the dog bowl.

Letting a dog lick plates before putting them in a high-temperature dishwasher is not inherently unhygienic from a microbiological standpoint, assuming proper dishwasher protocols are followed.

No dog here but a cat.
Every morning DH brings me a cup of tea to drink in bed.
A little later he brings me coffee and a pikelet, spread with butter and Marmite.
Some of the butter and Marmate soaks through into the plate. Our cat follows DH, comes onto the bed and licks the plate clean. A highlight of her day, and I enjoy it too.

That's fine - do you let her lick your guests' plates too? Even if you know they would find it yucky?

I agree, but I'm wondering if it makes a difference that's she's doing it routinely?

I mean, the odd plate licked once in a while I'm sure is harmless. But if you're doing it everyday, surely there will be dog bacteria building up in places in the dishwasher, especially if you're not running a regular cleaning cycle?

We need kim and aggie to do some swabs!