How do you wash food bowls?

[PotassiumPermanganate]

For those who hand wash their dishes rather than using a dishwasher, do you wash your cat's food bowls in the same dish as the rest of the washing up? Do you use the same cloth or scrubby thing? I wait til all the dishes are done and then wash out the food bowls separately with a sponge that is only for use with cat food bowls. But my husband just chucks it all in together, same dish, same cloth. Is he being disgusting? Or am I being too fussy?

But they do lick their bums and can transfer I presume?

I think the hot soapy water would wash any traces like that off.

It's more from soil and litter trays. I mean I was paranoid when pregnant, but more than I think I needed to be. I wouldn't even touch a cat! But that's pregnancy brain.

Use the same sponge but only after our dishes are done. Then I heat the sponge in the microwave after to kill any germs 😆

But they do lick their rear ends continuously....so it would likely be in their saliva.
Plus the germs they get from mouthing dead mice/rats/birds etc.

Yes I suppose so. I think in a hot dishwasher it is genuinely probably ok, but yes, you can't be too careful when pregnant. I nearly went round the twist from worry about those things so now enjoy being a little more relaxed.

I still struggle a little with the idea of a washing up bowl with only hand hot water even for non animal items, but I know plenty of people did it that way for generations and were fine - and still do and still are.

We wash them last, after everything else, and rinse the bubbles off as well.

Our washing up is done in a washing up bowl. The animal bowls are done in the actual sink. Hot water and washing up liquid and their own brush. I always keep animal bowls separate from human stuff.

Yeah, the point was washing away from human crockery? I think water too carries toxo.
And totally get being paranoid while pregnant, far better to be safe too. Glad all good in the end.

Microwaves heat in hotspots, so prob not killing off all the bacteria? I just donate the one I used for our dishes to the cat, and repeat every day (I use a new sponge every day).

I remember my mum saying how much food poisoning declined when washing up liquid was brought out, so the soap does help muchly!

Before dishwasher usually the last in the sink before draining.

Oh that's interesting. I also think the higher heat of a dishwasher is helpful.

Ours are done in a separate skin and we have a separate bin for the scrapings

A new sponge every day? I thought we were extravagant with a new sponge every week! Like you ours are downgraded to cat sponges but only every week.

I do buy the really cheap ones that prob fall apart if used for longer than a day anyway, ha ha. I used to use fabric cloths but got fed up with bleaching them every day, so the sponge was my lazy alternative.

Germs! I don't want the dog's germy bowls mixed up with mine!

What’s the purpose of using a separate bin?

They lick their rear ends and then the rest of their bodies - so I’m assuming you never touch or fuss or stroke your cats? Otherwise I’m not sure I understand why you think sharing bowls etc. is filthy but stroking where they’ve licked isn’t.

It's much smaller meaning we empty it sooner. When we were putting it in the main bin, it would smell really fast.

Same sponge for me, hot water with empty bowls. TBH I’m pretty sure all the humans on this thread have had their mouth in worse places than any of the pets have 😂

Well speak for yourself! Mine has been nowhere near the things I've seen some cats and dogs do!

Isn't that why it's recommended that we wash our hands after handling pets, esp if about to sort out food?

This.

Mine get done with a quick hot rinse and a squirt of washing up liquid then a good scrub with the wire wool I use for all the dishes.
They are cleaned daily, it either gets done in the morning if I’m not working that day, or around 6pm if I am working that day.
I used to be fussy about using the same scourer that we use to scrub dishes, but now I’m not fussed!

I rinse the bowls then wash them with everything else in the sink. Nothing bad has happened.