Is dishwasher detergent necessary?

[Laura Corin]

We are on holiday and the kitchen in the rented house didn't have any powder or tabs. We couldn't find a rinse setting, so we just put our dishes and pans on to wash with no soap, expecting to re-wash with soap later.

 

Almost everything came out spotless, and must have been sterile from the heat. We hadn't pre-rinsed - we just scrape.

 

We are planning on only using soap for heavy soiling in the future. Comments? Am I missing something?

[Melissa in Australia]

I did this years ago. I also tried washing with soap instead of detergent. The dishes slowly developed a sort of sticky coating.

 

The reason I tried it is dh developed multiple chemical sensitivities and it took me multiple months to find a product that he wasn't sensitive to.

[G5052]

I've done this before:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/03/diy-dishwasher-soap_n_6087290.html

 

Worked fine until I could get to the store!

[mumto2]

A friend does not use tabs ever. She also only uses the fast half hour wash. She does pre rinse in sink without soap. She considers them clean and sterle. I will be honest and say they don't feel right. She has mainly plastics because stll has small children. They don't feel like my plastic tumblers right out of the washer, I have unloaded for her several times. The glass and utensils seem fine. Her dishwasher also has an odd smell which I find worrying.

 

I think a longer wash would make it fine. My problem is that takes it to close to 2 hours for my dishwasher. I suspect the tabs are a similar cost to water and electric for the extra wash time.

 

I still use tabs and the short wash and skip the pre rinse. ;)

[Soror]

It works fine at first b/c of the build up but over time dishes will get dirtier and have a weird build up.

[Laura Corin]

It works fine at first b/c of the build up but over time dishes will get dirtier and have a weird build up.

So that sounds as if only using tabs when things are really dirty might be a decent balance.

[elegantlion]

I've done this before on several occasions. I made sure to run it on the longest, hottest cycle and everything came out clean. 

[arnold]

Yuck, soap is necessary!

[FriedClams]

Probably no more so than using soap to wash your hands.

 

 

Eww. I'm a soap user.

[Laura Corin]

Probably no more so than using soap to wash your hands.

 

 

Eww. I'm a soap user.

The thing is that we use soap for a purpose. It has no special magic. It binds with the oil and dirt so that they be washed away by water. If lightly soiled dishes are cleaned just as well by friction and hot water, what is the difference?

 

I don't wash my hands in very hot water for an hour.

[Katy]

I suspect how long you can go without soap depends on how hard your water is.  But yes, soap is required.

[TranquilMind]

Tabs will clog your dishwasher over time.  Use only powder, the repairmen have told me over the years as they visited my rental properties.  I always left a box of powdered dishwasher soap and told them to buy only that. 

 

If I had nothing else on the spot, I would use a little vinegar or baking soda. 

Edited July 29, 2016 by TranquilMind

[Guest]

How do you get grease and oil off without soap?? Honestly, the idea of no soap is ewwww to me.

[Laura Corin]

How do you get grease and oil off without soap?? Honestly, the idea of no soap is ewwww to me.

No idea. The plates were squeaky though. I assume hot water plus lots of friction. I'm trying to work out if the icky response is rational or just habitual.

[Lawana]

I think it is habitual. I heard an immunologist on the radio one day talking about how he suggested skipping soap in order to provide exposure to more bacteria. Really, clean enough is clean enough. There is a cost to overcleaning.

[Lady Florida.]

I think for the occasional situation (such as yours on holiday) it would be fine, as long as the water is hot enough to sterilize the dishes. I wouldn't do it regularly or at home.

[SamanthaCarter]

I don't know, but I only use half the amount of detergent suggested and I use white vinegar in the rise aid thingy. Dishes get just as clean as when I use the full amount. (Actually better - I used to get unrinsed detergent that had pooled on the bottoms of glasses and bowls.)

[SparklyUnicorn]

In a pinch seems ok, but generally yeah I want to use soap. 

 

 

[Prairie~Phlox]

I wouldn't want to wear underwear that was only washed in hot water, I wouldn't want to eat off of dishes over time that were washed the same.

[greenbeanmama]

I think it is habitual. I heard an immunologist on the radio one day talking about how he suggested skipping soap in order to provide exposure to more bacteria. Really, clean enough is clean enough. There is a cost to overcleaning.

 

I have heard of studies that compared "dishwasher families" to those who do dishes by hand, with the results that the hand washers are slightly more robust, due to the fact that their dishes aren't sanitized.

 

I don't buy antibacterial soap, and I'm not a germaphobe at all.  (I do believe that in the human-vs-bacteria fight, that the bacteria will eventually win...).  BUT!  I would use some kind of soap or detergent to wash dishes.  It all has to do with polar and non-polar ends of molecules, which helps oils and grease dissolve in water.  Without that little boost from a cleaning agent, I would think that a dirty pan may *look* clean, but there would still be a film of nastiness that just plain water, no matter how hot and forceful, isn't going to rinse away.

 

When I wash clothes, I use less than half of what the bottle recommends, and our clothes still come out clean.  I use less dishwashing detergent than they say to with our dishes, but I wouldn't use none-at-all for good long-term results.  Less, sure, but not none.

[mamiof5]

I have heard of studies that compared "dishwasher families" to those who do dishes by hand, with the results that the hand washers are slightly more robust, due to the fact that their dishes aren't sanitized.

 

I sometimes wonder about this. We do our dishes by hand (by choice. We do own a dishwasher), and we've been fine not "sanitizing"

[greenbeanmama]

I sometimes wonder about this. We do our dishes by hand (by choice. We do own a dishwasher), and we've been fine not "sanitizing"

 

We're about half and half with using the dishwasher and hand washing.  My mom never uses her dishwasher, but as a single person, it'd take her forever to make enough dishes to fill it up.

 

[ktgrok]

Depends what kind of food was on the dishes I imagine. Anything with fat or grease will come clean better with soap. If it's just carbs, probably not an issue. 

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Tabs will clog your dishwasher over time.  Use only powder, the repairmen have told me over the years as they visited my rental properties.  I always left a box of powdered dishwasher soap and told them to buy only that. 

 

If I had nothing else on the spot, I would use a little vinegar or baking soda. 

 

 

Now, the only time I had a repairman look at a dishwasher for us, he told us the exact opposite.  Said that powder tends to clock more than tabs because people tend to use too much, when means that sometimes it doesn't get all properly dissolved.  He said the tabs provide the right measured amount each time. 

 

 

 

Yup, same here.  I called in a repairman because I was getting a white film on my dishes.  He recommended that I only use the tabs that contain the rinse agent, never just the powder alone because it clogs up and doesn't handle the hard water well enough.  

 

I'm guessing there might be a problem with the tabs if the water isn't hot enough to melt the plastic cover, but I don't have that problem.  My dishwasher super heats the water.  

[wapiti]

In a pinch, I'd do it if it works.  However, in the long run, grease/oil would be my issue with not using soap, particularly if there are plastic or metal items.

[foxbridgeacademy]

The thing is that we use soap for a purpose. It has no special magic. It binds with the oil and dirt so that they be washed away by water. If lightly soiled dishes are cleaned just as well by friction and hot water, what is the difference?

 

I don't wash my hands in very hot water for an hour.

:iagree:  I took an early childhood education class over 20 years ago and our book said the most important thing when washing hands is to rub vigorously since all the soap did was encapsulate the dirt to carry it away.  I was floored.  So soap itself doesn't make things "clean"?  I've used anti-bacterial soap ever since, lol. I'm kind of a nut about germs and such..... although less as I age.  

 

I would think since it's short term you should be fine, I wouldn't be fine but I have a mental block when it comes to clean dishes (I grew up with a mother who'd wash the greasy pans and plastic cups in the same water  :ack2:  :ack2:  :ack2: ). Good luck and Have fun!

[kesmom]

You can use less detergent, but I wouldn't recommend no soap for the reasons already mentioned. I used to cut Finish tabs in half after reading on someone's blog that they did it as a way to save money. It worked fine though I eventually quit doing it because of the hassle. (It's kind of difficult to cut and you can't cut a bunch at once without a mess. Maybe I will start doing it again)

 

Another thing that will help your dishwasher run better is, before starting it, to run the water in the kitchen sink until it is hot.

[eternalsummer]

My dad did dishes like this: he filled one half of the double sink with soapy water, and the other half with clean water.  Then he dipped the dishes in the soapy half, swished off any food reside, dipped in the clean half, and put on the dish rack.  Repeat with next dish.

 

We didn't get sick all that often as kids.

 

I still use a dishwasher, and soap in it :)  

[hornblower]

Yes, I think it is. The point of detergent is to lift and dissolve grease, carbohydrate and protein residues.  Rinsing with just water wouldn't get them clean, unless you use a very hot and long setting. 

Sure, if your dishes are just lightly soiled and you haven't had a huge rare steak and gravy congealing on it, it will probably be fine a few times but honestly, I don't want to eat from a fork or spoon that's been in someone's mouth and hasn't had a scrub in water with detergent. 

 

[TranquilMind]

Yup, same here. I called in a repairman because I was getting a white film on my dishes. He recommended that I only use the tabs that contain the rinse agent, never just the powder alone because it clogs up and doesn't handle the hard water well enough.

 

I'm guessing there might be a problem with the tabs if the water isn't hot enough to melt the plastic cover, but I don't have that problem. My dishwasher super heats the water.

Interesting. Maybe it is because our water is super hard. Since I instituted the powder-only rule, there have been no dishwasher problems.

[AHASRADA]

Personally, I get build-up in the detergent drawer with both tabs and powder. I always use liquid.

[kbutton]

Hard and soft water makes a BIG difference. We have had at times the same brand (and similar models) of dishwashers as my parents. Both our washers do better with some pre-fab tabs or gel pacs (but older dishwashers had been fine with powder measured out!). We have hard water, and the gel works. If we use the powder tabs, our dishes are etched over time. They have soft water and find the tabs to be the best.

 

It's not a one-size fits all thing, IMO.

 

If we accidentally run the dishwasher without soap, we'll use whatever dishes look, FEEL, and smell clean, but we won't do it all the time. I also don't consider hand-washed dishes clean if they aren't actually scrubbed with a rag/something that makes persistent contact with the surface of the dish or if the water they are washed in looks disgusting. So, YMMV. I believe a certain amount of soap/friction is needed to get something really clean (most people not using soap won't scrub that hard, some people using soap don't scrub at all), but you might not be able to see that until you've not used those things several times.  

 

We are somewhere between "Bleach everything" and "Ah, it's good for the immune system." DH brings lots of beyond disgusting germs home, so we can't be too fancy free. We don't get sick. 

 

Also, I get the impression that stomach bug germs are different that colds/viruses...do you really get immune to "That's half-rotten food that didn't get cleaned (which is true for anything that's been food and is now sitting, not in a fridge)?" I mean, that's way different to me than "My kid had a cold and ate off that dish." That's like the dishes equivalent of wearing socks repeatedly--socks went on clean feet, into clean shoes, so I should theoretically be able to keep wearing them, right? Yeah, no. No soap on things used for food is like re-wearing dirty socks. Yuck. (By the same reasoning as non-refrigerated, germy from my saliva food on plates is rotting, I would not eat out of the bucket I use to take compost to the garden. No how, no way. It's disgusting even when it's washed frequently. Shiver.)

 

 

[meena]

I would be afraid that residue would build up inside the machine and its inner workings, reducing its lifespan. We have very hard water so along with the powdered detergent I always use a good rinse agent and a couple teaspoons of Lemishine.

[maize]

I wouldn't worry about it from a health standpoint, if the stuff in my food was going to kill me it would do so from eating the food not from some tiny residue left behind after the dishes have been washed, detergent or no. Our bodies and homes are teaming with bacteria and nearly all of it is not harmful to us.

 

I do think you might get some greasy residues building up in the machine over time, depending on how often you went without detergent vs. with.

[mathnerd]

The detergent breaks down grease as well as contains enzymes that "digest" protein based residue - so, I will always use detergent in the dishwasher. I have in the past washed dishes without soap accidentally because I forgot to add detergent - and I could always tell when it happened because of some stickiness to tupperware in the wash as well as a faint odor in the dishwasher when I open it up.

[8circles]

I have done it before when out of detergent without any problems. I've also done it with just vinegar. It works.

 

I still use detergent but I don't find it unsanitary to skip it for your average soiled dishes. Probably dishes that are really greasy would need some detergent. If I could remember to skip the detergent I probably would, but I'm a creature of habit.

 

I think your plan is sound. Let us know if it works!