Myeightkiddies Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Usually my children take turns washing dishes in the dishwasher. Lately they have been working hard with packing and painting that I don't want them to have to do that too. Because of that I am doing the dishes. Since we have 11 people living here, it's a full-time chore. I cannot use the dishwasher because I cannot bend that much (chronic illness), so I wash by hand. There is an illness going around the house. My grandsons brought it home from school (they go to PS), and now my little guy (4) is sneezing and has a running nose. The grandsons are coughing and will probably go to the doctor tomorrow. My nineteen year old is also feeling poorly. I use very hot water, plenty of soap, and rinse well. I am wondering if I should do something different to help reduce the germs. Should I add bleach to the rinse water? I make my own liquid dish soap and use Dawn periodically for really greasy things. I know that Dawn and Bleach don't mix. I'm wondering if I should wash, rinse, then put them in a wash tub with water bleach to sterilize. What do you all think? I'm not keen on the extra work as I am wore out with all that I have to do plus all the dishes, but I don't want everyone to get ill. It's probably already spreading just from the coughing and them touching everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I would think the wash would be plenty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) Double post. Edited January 8, 2012 by Pretty in Pink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Usually my children take turns washing dishes in the dishwasher. Lately they have been working hard with packing and painting that I don't want them to have to do that too. Because of that I am doing the dishes. Since we have 11 people living here, it's a full-time chore. I cannot use the dishwasher because I cannot bend that much (chronic illness), so I wash by hand. There is an illness going around the house. My grandsons brought it home from school (they go to PS), and now my little guy (4) is sneezing and has a running nose. The grandsons are coughing and will probably go to the doctor tomorrow. My nineteen year old is also feeling poorly. I use very hot water, plenty of soap, and rinse well. I am wondering if I should do something different to help reduce the germs. Should I add bleach to the rinse water? I make my own liquid dish soap and use Dawn periodically for really greasy things. I know that Dawn and Bleach don't mix. I'm wondering if I should wash, rinse, then put them in a wash tub with water bleach to sterilize. What do you all think? I'm not keen on the extra work as I am wore out with all that I have to do plus all the dishes, but I don't want everyone to get ill. It's probably already spreading just from the coughing and them touching everything. When I worked fast food we washed in hot soapy water, rinsed in hot bleach water, and then rinsed again in clear, hot water. I don't think it will hurt to do this. I don't know if it's necessary or not though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Honestly, I would just have the kids use the dishwasher. It's a VERY quick job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Not all germs are bad. Hand washing dishes in warm/hot soapy water and rinsing in hot/warm or cold water is fine. Let dishes dry with air circulating, i.e. a drying rack and you're good to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I would think the wash would be plenty. :iagree: I handwash everything here. I would wash doorknobs, handles, and wipe down remotes instead. If you are using soap and hot water I wouldn't be concerned with germs spreading from dishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Soap is plenty. It kills germs just fine. I would not use bleach - for health and environmental reasons. Why can't your kids use the dishwasher? It only takes a few minutes to put the stuff in and take it back out.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassoonaroo Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 After you do the normal wash and rinse, fill the sink with a small dilution of freshly-opened (no more than a month old) bleach and water. I think it's one Tbsp per gallon of water, but you could check. Then dip all the just-washed dishes in bleach and let them air dry at least 10 minutes. Then you can rinse, but you don't need to, but be sure to wait 10 mins. This should kill all the goobers, but honestly I think a good scrub in hot, sudsy water should do the trick without the bleach. Anyway, don't only concentrate on the handwashing, but also be sure that you are killing germs elsewhere. Use freshly-mixed bleach water to wipe down handles, countertops, table tops, door handles, etc. Sterilize your sponge (or whatever you use to wash dishes) out quite often. You can microwave it (google how, I don't do this) since you are not using your dishwasher right now (I send my sponge through nearly daily). I guess you could dip it in bleach water and do fine too. Wash your kitchen linens in hot bleachy water quite often too. A rag or sponge shouldn't get that funky smell. When we are dealing with really nasty goobers in the house, we go very un-green, and use paper plates, paper cups (or juice boxes -- the kids tend to think these are fun and we avoid dehydration), and even cheap (Dollar Tree) flatware. I make jello in paper cups and I break out the cheery paper plates (leftover from our birthday parties). This is rare, but we'll do it for pukeys and strep. If we have a really sick kid, we isolate him or her, giving him or her an isolate bathroom if possible. We let the child use my laptp to play games or watch movies. Of course that means cleaning the laptop when done. Don't allow a sick or recovering child in the kitchen. The chef should be healthy and should be recoverd for 72 hours if possible. Keep those nails short too. Germs live under nails! Remember that colds are airborne (tummy bugs are not). So, even great dishwashing might not prevent the spread of colds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 My vote goes for having a kid load the dishwasher anyway and then run it on hot. It doesn't take that long, and will likely do a better wash job anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Thank you for all the advice. I use washcloths to wash dishes. During the day, my laundry is constantly running, so I am frequently (about four times a day) replacing my dish cloth with a new one. My towels and dish cloths are washed with bleach. I'm a real stickler about using dirty cloths to wash anything. If they use the dishwasher it is about four full loads a day. I've been trying to reduce that amount by packing away extra cups and such. Then I wash up the cups that they use frequently. I'm doing it to give them a break since they are doing other things, not feeling well, or just need some down time. Getting the house ready and preparing to move is a lot of work. This move was unexpected, so all these years here we never thought we'd move. Now we have to play catch-up on projects, painting, purging items, etc. Using the dishwasher would be great if I could; I'm exhausted. I'm only on here so often because I can only stand for 15 minutes then have to sit for 5 due to RA in my spine. A house full of sick people is not going to be fun, and it is probably not avoidable. I just want to try. Thank you again! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 My vote goes for having a kid load the dishwasher anyway and then run it on hot. It doesn't take that long, and will likely do a better wash job anyway. :iagree: Your bigger issue, OP, are the germs on the doorknobs, light switches, tv remote, or toilet handles. Simply go on sick day protocol and have one of the (older) kids use a paper towel with Lysol and periodically wipe the offenders down. Don't forget the refrigerator door handle too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 We recently lived in a house for over two years that had no dishwasher. During that time, we had all manner of illness pass through from stomach bugs to the flu. Regular dishwashing (hot soapy water, rinse with water and air dry) worked just fine. If possible, you may want to look into paper plates/cups and plasticware for a few days. I realize that with a family your size it would be pricey - but if you needed a break for just a few days it might be worth it. We switch to disposable when stress is high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 :iagree:Your bigger issue, OP, are the germs on the doorknobs, light switches, tv remote, or toilet handles. Simply go on sick day protocol and have one of the (older) kids use a paper towel with Lysol and periodically wipe the offenders down. Don't forget the refrigerator door handle too! You're right. I did the doorknobs and lightswitches yesterday but will do them again now. The refrigerator was done a bit ago. I need to hit keyboards and mice. Off to get all that done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 You're right. I did the doorknobs and lightswitches yesterday but will do them again now. The refrigerator was done a bit ago. I need to hit keyboards and mice. Off to get all that done. Sounds good! Let us know how the move goes! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 either give the kids back teh taks of the dishwasher or continue what you are doing. You do not need bleach but the dishes should be air dried. Drying with a rag can spread germs back on dishes even if they were jsut bleached. Air drying is the best thing for them. With 11 people though that is a lot of dishes and waiting between loads to dry is a pita so I go back to my first suggestion which is to make the kids take back on their chore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butterflymommy Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 The real concern with doing dishes by hand is food borne pathogens... so if you are washing anything that came into contact with raw eggs or chicken you need to be very careful about cross contamination. In those cases I would soak the dishes in diluted bleach before rinsing. The "cold" germs are more likely to be air borne or on things communally touched like phones and doorknobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msk Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I keep seeing people mention washing dishes with bleach; please be careful, as that can easily make people sick too! I had a horrible GI reaction from dishes washed in bleach this way in a group kitchen setting a few years ago-- to an extent that would be dangerous for a young child. I don't know whether the bleach was too concentrated or not rinsed well enough, but just the smell of bleach makes me nauseous now, years later. If anyone out there decides to wash dishes this way for some reason, please make sure to check on *exactly* what concentration is safe and to rinse really, really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 I haven't been using bleach. It's been tempting. At this point I think it is futile, as another has already fallen ill. With all the coughing it is really just airborne. I have been wiping almost everything that can be touched. It's nearly impossible to keep it sanitized as there are so many people. Wipe it down one minute and by the next, 3 people have already touched it with their snotty hands. I do put a splash of vinegar in the rinse just to help keep hard water from plaguing on the glasses. I don't know if that really helps but it makes me think that it does. I'm really cautious about cross-contamination with poultry, when it comes to countertops and stuff while cooking and preparing. However, I've probably not been careful enough when it comes to washing them with other dishes. From now on I will make a sink with just poultry stuff and let it soak in really soapy, extremely hot water. Then empty that water, wash the sink with bleach, rinse, and refill with fresh, soapy water for the non-poultry dishes. Thank you all for the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herkey6 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 You really don't need to go to the extra trouble of changing the water for the 'raw meat' utensils - unless the water is already really dirty and you want to. The soap and water affect the cell wall of the bacteria. The bacteria can no longer hold its 'shape'. It absorbs water, and bursts. It will die in soapy water. Just keep the towels/washcloths that you are drying and wiping surfaces with clean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Sorry you are dealing with all this right now. :grouphug: To be honest, if I were in your situation, I wouldn't concern myself with cleaning the dishes any better than you are already going. :) There's no need for bleach as hot soapy water and air drying is just fine. Since it's a cold and these things are airborne, I'd focus instead on building up everyone's immune system. The germies have already found their way into your home :( and with little kids coughing and sneezing, then touching everything, your best hope would be to build up immune systems rather than sanitizing everything. Cold can be contagious for so long, you'll be tired and worn out from all the cleaning- which can lead to sickness. ;) Get some vitamins C, probiotics, and perhaps some elderberry syrup. Then, focus on drinking lots of fluids, reducing stress, and getting enough rest. IMO, these would be more beneficial than constantly wiping things down. :grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I have no dishwasher and I hand wash dishes also with a clean, washed dishcloth every time. I am able to keep illness down in my house by spraying common surfaces like door handles, phone receivers, keyboards, ect with a germicidal spray up to three or four times a day. I feel like I need a holster for the darn thing on my hip, but it does seem to work. I have littles around and they just don't always cough or sneeze into a tissue and they touch everything without washing their hands. The spray kills off a good bit of the germs they spread around. I am a bit OCD also and the thought of the germs on the cupboard handles and what not makes me nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.