When you hear the word sanitizer, all your fears regarding hygiene eliminate instantly. But why is it so?
Things have drastically changed since the COVID-19 outbreak sanitization has become an integral part of our lives. We need everything clean and free of germs. Do you remember the early days of COVID when people started sanitizing their groceries?
It sounds hilarious now, but fear of life makes us do crazy things. It is, therefore, that people reach heights to ensure they don’t get contaminated. But what about getting sick from dirty dishes?
Dishwasher users admit that their unit cleans dishes thoroughly, eliminating risks of any diseases. But have you heard about a dishwasher that uses hot water as a sanitizer?
We do, so let’s not waste time and start this exciting discovery!
Key Takeaways
- Dishwashers help clean and sanitize dishes and cutlery
- Hot water is essential to thoroughly clean dishes.
- Cold water won’t help with cleaning and sanitizing dishes
- Hot water helps to activate and dissolve the detergent in the dishwasher
- Dishwashers can’t sterilize dishes
Does a dishwasher use hot water?
Yes, a dishwasher uses hot water for cleaning purposes. You can’t possibly expect dishwashers to clean dishes properly with cold water.
See for yourself, when you’re handwashing utensils, and they happen to be extremely dirty with sticky leftovers, cold water won’t help with proper cleaning. Food residue will stick on the plate along with germs and bacteria.
As water temperature turns hotter, it ensures thorough cleaning of dishes. Your hands can’t touch even 100-degree boiling water. Therefore, we need dishwashers to set the temperature to clean the cutlery.
Dishwashers have a heating element that heats the water. You don’t have to pour hot water into the dishwasher by yourself. Within sixty seconds, the water inside the appliance turns hot.
Note: Dishwashers don’t have any cold or warm cycle, so if your dishwasher is acting up, get it checked by a professional.
What is the minimum temperature of the final disinfecting rinse on a high-temperature dishwasher?
Manufacturers have fixed temperatures for dishwashing; honestly, they know what works best for customers. Nonetheless, if you’re unsure or your teenager made silly changes, here’s what you need to know.
An average dishwasher cycle runs at 130-140 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot temperature helps dissolve and activate detergent to dislodge grease and food particles.
Dishwashers have to make sure dishes are safe for regular use. And it can’t be done without heating the water slightly up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. High heat produces vapors that further help to dry dishes.
Can you sanitize dishes in the dishwasher?
Dishwashers can sanitize dishes if the water reaches the optimum temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit during the final rinse.
If you’re buying a dishwasher, go for the ones dedicated to sanitizing with an NSF-certified sanitization cycle.
It’s good to be conscious of cleanliness, but turning it into an obsession won’t work. Yes, it’s good to protect our babies and ourselves but keep everything germ-free. You can wash and sanitize baby bottles in the dishwasher if they’re safe.
Can a dishwasher sanitize without soap?
No, a dishwasher cannot sanitize dishes without soap.
Yes, dishwashers work without detergents, and they may clean the dishes to an extent by using hot water during the rinse cycle, but your words won’t be germ-free.
Detergents have enzymes activated by hot water that help kill germs and bacteria on dishes and further sanitize them. Hot water isn’t enough to clean or sanitize dishes. Please don’t make it a habit to wash dishes without detergent.
Can dishwashers sterilize dishes and baby bottles?
No, dishwashers can’t sterilize dishes and baby bottles. There’s a difference between sanitizing and sterilizing.
Dishwashers clean the dishes by removing visible dirt and residue. Then, they sanitize the dishes by reducing the number of microorganisms but sterilizing is different. Sterilizing removes ALL microorganisms, which can’t be performed in commercial kitchens. It’s only applicable in hospital operating rooms.
How to tell the dishwasher water isn’t hot?
You can tell the dishwasher water isn’t hot by checking the dishes. Please don’t try checking the water temperature with your hands. You’ll injure yourself.
Check untidy dishes or undissolved detergent tablets that would let you know dishwasher water is lower than 122 degrees Fahrenheit. In case of problems, consult the heater manual or call a service technician to adjust the setting accordingly.
Can high water temperature damage dishes in the dishwasher?
High water temperatures ensure sparkling clean dishes, but temperatures exceeding 140 degrees Fahrenheit could be dangerous for dishes. It causes various issues, including killing the enzymes in detergents that cancel out its functionality.
Have a look at some other problems associated with high water temperature in dishwashers:
Hot water and limescale
Extremely high heat can cause natural calcium and magnesium in water to accumulate inside the dishwasher, which builds up and impacts dishwasher efficiency.
Hot water and cloudy glasses
High temperatures can turn glass cloudy as it agitates the glass molecules. The cloudiness is caused when light doesn’t pass appropriately from the glass but don’t worry; it only happens with hot soft water.
How much hot water does a dishwasher use?
A dishwasher uses 3-5 gallons of hot water per cycle. Effective dishwasher use around 9 gallons, and compact dishwashers use less than 2.7 gallons per cycle.
Final thoughts | A Dishwasher That Uses Hot Water As A Sanitizer!
Next time when you clean dishes, you’ll know they’re life savers. Check the temperature, and if your dishes aren’t cleaned properly, check your nearest technician. Avoid tackling the situation yourself to avoid major problems.
