Does dish detergent kill germs on drinking cups?

[Andrew J. Luck]

I know they sterilize beer mugs in bars but at home does the dish detergent in hand washed glasses kill the bacteria from people's filthy mouths?

[Ed Pawlowski]

Hot water (140 degrees) does more than the soap, but the detergent will wash some away. Dishwashers do a better job as they can sanitize.

[Rod Speed]

Andrew J. Luck [e-mail] wrote

No they don't, they put them in specialise dishwashers.

Nope, but the dishwasher does.

[micky]

I don't think it kills anything. I think it washes away most of the germs, all or almost all if you do a good job.

Heat would kill them. I doubt a dishwasher's hot water is hot enough to kill t hem and I'm not sure if the dry cycle, which I never use, is hot enough either. But dishwashers usually do a great job of washing so I doubt there are any germs left by the time the dry cycle would start.

But I don't worry about it. I'll drink from someone else's canteen, water bottle, glass. I wipe the place where I put my mouth, but only so they will think I'm civilized. Everytime I get sick and then get well again, I figure I'm teaching my body how to make a different kind of antibody.

[Rod Speed]

micky [e-mail] wrote

Yes it is.

That's normally as hot.

< I figure I'm teaching my body how to make a different kind of antibody.

[trader_4]

Depends on the detergent too. If it's regular detergent, it's not going to kill most of the germs. There are antibacterial detergents that will kill most germs, but not all and they are controversial. Unless you have some medical condition with a compromised immune system, I don't see it being an issue. Just do a reasonable job washing the glasses.

[Cindy Hamilton]

Why do you care? Do you have diseased people visit your house?

Cindy Hamilton

[Hawk]

The dishwashers job is to kill germs and bacteria. That's why it has separate heating elements to increase water temp. The drying cycle is also hot enough to kill germs.

But dishwashers usually do a great job of washing so I

It's not about you.

[Hawk]

No, detergent will loosen the grime and food but the hot water is what kills the germs and bacteria.

[Ed Pawlowski]

At least you removed any doubts about your refinement.

[micky]

I think it is.

[Bob F]

If he's really worried about it, there's always the standard trick of a spoon of bleach in a gallon of water as a final rinse, followed by air drying. That's what we did on extended river trips using suspect river water to do the dishes.

[Hawk]

That's where your problem lies.