Add just a small amount of bleach to your dishwater. It's a great germ killer and it helps remove stubborn stains from your Tupperware and the like. Removes stains from your hands too if you're a gardener.
Source: Old family tradition.
By Linda from Lebanon, PA
Editor's Note: Be cautious about mixing bleach with other detergents, especially ones that contain ammonia as it can react with bleach to cause a caustic gas. Check your ingredients first to be safe. Clorox recommends using a bleach solution as a final sanitizing rinse in a clean sink.
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Years ago, when I was a camp counselor, we used to make a batch of sanitizer as a final rinse for all dishes. The sanitizer was just very dilute bleach solution. I think this is very common for commercial restaurants and food service in general. But maybe they don't use detergent, counting on hot water and sanitizer to remove stains.
I would use a very mild, non ammonia detergent if you want to go this route. I just checked my generic "Joy" dish soap and it clearly states not to mix with bleach.
I am letting those of you who think bleach won't be harmful (whether mixed with another chemical or not) need to take note! I have lung disease because of chemicals and chlorine bleach is one of the chemicals that aided in the disease! Please, do not have such a 'I haven't seen it happen so it won't happen to me or my loved ones' attitude! If you want to well okay and so-be-it but it just might come back and bite you in the behind one day for not taking this seriously :-(
By the way, my local health department recommends for restaurants and even doctors offices to not use more than 'one teaspoon' of chlorine bleach to 'one gallon' of cool water and 'no' other cleansing agents added to this mix and they give leeway for alternative sanitizers as long as they are pre-approved for those who want to be on the safe side when it comes to chemicals.
I think that's a great idea, about once a week I try to remember to do it. I don't like to do it too often unless I've done something I know needs bleaching because constant bleach gives me contact dermatitis: another name for rough red hands.
The Clorox site says you need to wash your dishes and rinse them first and then put your Clorox in water and soak your dishes for two minutes
No, that's not a great idea and could be dangerous, for several reasons. Porosity of your dishes, mainly. There's probably a safe amount of bleach in your water already. You don't know a safe amount to add.
Try wearing gloves; I have a pair of PolyVinylChloride (PVC) forearm height gloves, which are the only ones I have found to be sufficient in completely protecting the skin from all chemicals. You can handle almost anything with these babies. Super hot pan that you want to clean right away but don't want to burn yourself? I used to use these when I worked as a dishwasher for a restaurant. I've handled Bleach, Soap, Grease and Pans at 400+ degrees fahrenheit.
Here is some information from Clorox about using bleach to sanitize dishes. They recommend adding it to a sanitizing rinse after the soap is rinsed off normally. This is a common practice in restaurants around the world. I wouldn't add it right to the wash or rinse water though as some detergents can interact with the bleach, causing toxic gases to form.
Yikes! Please read the dish soap ingredients before doing this :-o And laundry soap, too, for that matter!
wiki.answers.com/
Plus chlorine bleach is toxic to the environment and is highly toxic to living beings. It is known to cause respiratory illnesses, nerve damage, liver problems, cancer, birth defects and developmental and reproductive problems :-(
I know about the bleach being full of chlorine and allegedly being harmful to the environment, but this practice will also help keep spots from forming on glassware if you put a tablespoon in the rinse water.
I thought this was only practiced in Japan, but then my aunt who worked in the hospital said that this was done in the cafeteria. IN A HOSPITAL! Another Aunt said they did it in the diners where she worked also. IN A PUBLIC EATING PLACE!
So I guess the bleach hasn't killed anyone or anybody yet.
I've been doing this for years. I keep a small bottle of bleach under the sink and use only a scant capful.
Same here. My mother was an assistant nurse/cna and this is how I was taught to keep down all jerms/harmful bacteria depending on the dishload size, one or two caps of bleach and dish liquid will clean and rid everything(rinse all dishes before putting them in the dishwater/ dishwasher.
I also keep a bottle of 50% bleach and 50% water under my sink and use a small amount each time I wash dishes. No one has gotten sick in the many years that I have been doing this.
Like a lot of other things, bleach is only toxic in large amounts and when used the wrong way. Health departments insist that cloths used to wipe tables and bars are kept in bleach water.
I've been doing it for years, with no adverse effects on anyone in my family. I started it when all six kids were still at home,and it immediately stopped the "One kid is sick, now they will all be at the doctors" episodes.
As far as the potential damaging effects of using it,think about the number of mold spores and bacteria in towels and underwear which have not been bleached. Add all that water that doesn't completely drain from under your washer's tub and lingers in the hoses and research all the damage They can do! Now go stick your facecloth in the washer behind your baby's soiled sleepers, and let the load sit overnight, or even a few hours. That sour smell is from the clothes being full of bacteria.The bleach is safer than those mold and fungus and germs!
This is an excellent way of doing your dishes but take note when doing your silverware Please make sure its stainless steel. If you literally put your silverware in it will take the silver plate right off it.
We used a weak bleach-water solution to sanitize the counter tops at the doctor's office I used to work at; their lab used it also. So did the dentist's office I worked at, along with the vet's office I take my pets to.
Doing this practice also ensures that your dish cloths or sponges are always clean as well and you will also notice less stains on them. My mother-in-law has been doing this for years, and got me started too.
Just wanted to let you know that my family had used bleach int he dishwater for years. However, bleach is harmful to your hands, dries them out and if you use too much can burn the skin on your hands. I have found that if you use a little vinegar in your water, it disinfects as well as bleach, helps clean them better and the odor does not linger on anything. It is also easier on your hands and makes your dish washing detergent go further as you need to use less of the stuff.
I like using bleach after a big breakfast, pancake and eggs especially!
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