Is it Better to Hand Wash Dishes or Use a Dishwasher?

One can hand wash dishes as safely as if one uses a dishwasher. However, the process to safely hand wash dishes is extensive and must always include the "three-bowl" system in order to ensure that all germs have been removed from the dishes.

The three bowl system, or three sink system recommended for when you hand wash dishes is the following:

• Have three separate sinks or containers.
• The first should contain water as hot as you can stand, and detergent.
• The second container should be used to rinse the dishes.
• The third container should be a mix of water and bleach solution, normally 1.5 teaspoons bleach to a gallon (3.78 L) of water.

Unfortunately for some, adding bleach causes irritation to the skin and mucus membranes when you hand wash dishes in this way. In these cases, one can use water in all three containers that is at least 170 degrees F (76.66 C). The water must maintain this temperature throughout the process, which usually means adding additional hot water as it cools.

This second method to hand wash dishes also has its downfalls. First, this high of temperature can easily burn the hands, and will especially burn the hands of young children, within a matter of seconds. Thus children cannot help with hand washing the dishes in this manner. Second, the time it takes to heat water and monitor temperature in order to hand wash dishes safely may be extensive. For safety purposes, one should have temperature gauges for each of the containers.

Because of the difficult process involved in one being able to properly hand wash dishes, most people feel that the dishwasher is a safer and certainly easier practice. However, some are concerned about certain types of detergent residue left on dishes after they are washed. Some dishwasher detergents contain fairly toxic chemicals, and must be kept out of the reach of children. This begs the question as to whether residual chemicals on dishes could harm children or adults.

If this is a matter of concern to you, you do not necessarily have to hand wash dishes to avoid exposure to chemicals. In fact, virtually any dishwasher detergent will safely sanitize dishes because dishwashers, especially when one uses the drying cycle, employ heat to kill germs.

There are many biodegradable and non-toxic dishwashing detergents on the market. They generally perform as well as those that have more toxic ingredients. These are readily available at natural food stores and markets like Trader Joes. With a nontoxic detergent in hand, you can still employ the faster method of using the dishwasher, instead of the slower method required to hand wash dishes.

Written by Tricia Ellis-Christensen