# Dishwasher detergent harmful/not harmful to our health



## polo9n (18 Jan 2007)

Just having an argument to buy/not to buy a dishwasher as many of my friends and family reckon the detergent used in dishwasher is harmful to our health, especially the dishes came out sparkling from the dishwasher..

anyone got any comments on that?


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## Barley (18 Jan 2007)

Surely the dishwasher's rinse cycle would get rid of any "harmful" chemicals from your dishes? And if there is any residue then it would, imo, be way too miniscule to cause any harm to your health. Any chemical that could cause health problems in such minute doses would have been flagged before now.

Do your friends/family have anything to back up their belief?


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## polo9n (18 Jan 2007)

Barley said:


> Surely the dishwasher's rinse cycle would get rid of any "harmful" chemicals from your dishes? And if there is any residue then it would, imo, be way too miniscule to cause any harm to your health. Any chemical that could cause health problems in such minute doses would have been flagged before now.
> 
> Do your friends/family have anything to back up their belief?


 
those opt for the dishwasher would certainly agree the benefit it brings would weight out the negative effect it might have.


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## pernickety (18 Jan 2007)

perhaps in a more environmental sense they could be harmful, waste water full of chemicals etc.

Reminds me of years ago when we used to wash the dishes by hand and the sight of the FAIRY bubbles on the clean dishes on the draining board. The shock of a German visitor to our house when she realised we didn't rince them!


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## Barley (18 Jan 2007)

polo9n said:


> those opt for the dishwasher would certainly agree the benefit it brings would weight out the negative effect it might have.


 
I just haven't heard anything about this before. 

If you're still worried about chemicals, perhaps investigate something like this:

http://www.worldwideshoppingmall.co.uk/body-soul/ecover-dishwasher-tablets.asp

I think they're available from Tesco.

And yes - a few more minutes spare time to myself in the evening outweighs any risk of dying from dishwasher-tablet related illnesses!


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## addob (18 Jan 2007)

From what I know I think the dishwasher washes the items to sanitize them, like in hospitals sterilize things. I don't think there's anything harmful in the detergents themselves as chemicals like chlorine and phosphates are either washed away or have since been removed from the ingredients. I think your family should be more concerned about what the chemicals that are in the detergents are doing to the environment not to ones health.
ad


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## annR (18 Jan 2007)

You could an environmentally friendly / less harsh detergent in it for instance Ecover tablets and rinse aid.

I agree about handwashing - nobody rinses them and there must be chemicals on them.


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## z107 (18 Jan 2007)

> And yes - a few more minutes spare time to myself in the evening outweighs any risk of dying from dishwasher-tablet related illnesses!


I too like to live life in the fast lane and use a dishwasher.

We were washing our dishes a few weeks ago with 'calgon' - that stuff for getting rid of limescale from washing machines. Picked up the wrong box in the supermarket, but it seemed to work fine.

Maybe you could just squirt some washing up liquid in the place where you put the dishwasher tablets. (foam might be a problem though)


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## Buddyboy (18 Jan 2007)

Also, dishwashers use a substantial amount less water than handwashing. Water, especially potable water, is a finite resource.
http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/dishwashers.htm

As for the detergent, we us ecover tablets. You can buy them in Tescos.


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## ClubMan (18 Jan 2007)

Buddyboy said:


> Water, especially potable water, is a finite resource.


Yes - but using water does not destroy it!


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## polo9n (18 Jan 2007)

i disagree dishwasher will use less water than dish washing by hand.


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## polo9n (18 Jan 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Yes - but using water does not destroy it!


clubman so u wreckon dishwaher is bad for health?


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## ClubMan (18 Jan 2007)

I don't know.


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## Buddyboy (18 Jan 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Yes - but using water does not destroy it!


 
No, but getting the water back to a state that is drinkable out of the tap costs

(One of my pet hates, water from the tap has been filtered and purified to a drinkable state, and then we wash our cars and water our lawns with it - how long before water metering becomes a reality?)


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## annR (19 Jan 2007)

If you think it's bad here spare a thought for the west Australian.  They live in a desert and still want to wash their cars and sprinkle their lawns with potable water.  They have been metered in Perth I think due to drought.


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## greenfield (19 Jan 2007)

Hi polo9n
The University of Bonn actually studied dishwasher V handwashing and concluded that dishwashers save more time, energy and water ([broken link removed]) - I was so delighted when I read about this a while ago, no eco-guilt about using the dishwasher - as long as you use normal or economy setting.


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## polo9n (19 Jan 2007)

thanks...but this study is from a consumer point of view..not from a health perspective.


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## greenfield (19 Jan 2007)

Hi
my response was in answer to your post that "i disagree dishwasher will use less water than dish washing by hand", on the health side, only my opinion but I doubt if there is any more risk from a dishwasher than handwashing, especially if the handwashing is not rinsed.   As an aside, it really must be Friday afternoon to be debating this!


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## Buddyboy (19 Jan 2007)

polo9n said:


> Just having an argument to buy/not to buy a dishwasher as many of my friends and family reckon the detergent used in dishwasher is harmful to our health, especially the dishes came out sparkling from the dishwasher..
> 
> anyone got any comments on that?


 
Sorry Polo9n, got sidetracked from your original question.

Dishwasher tablets/powder is probably one of the most caustic items in your kitchen (I hope - unless you have a barrel of acid in the cupboard). Think about it, they have to get all the crud off the dishes without actually wiping or touching  them. 

But I would guess that the rinse cycles in a dishwasher actually wash all the residue from the dishes, hence they come out sparkling. The sparkling is also a product of the rinse agent whose job is to break down the surface tension of the water so that it doesn't cling to the delph etc. 

 I would guess thet there is a lot more residue left on dishes that are hand washed as they are not normally rinsed in running clean water after they are washed in the sink.

I also remember reading that there is a large bacteria content on teatowels due to its constant contact with your hands, damp dishes etc. and this should be taken into account when considering the effects of hand washing, and drying, verses a dishwasher.


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## polo9n (19 Jan 2007)

thanks for ur expert answer...
somehow i do rinse all the dishes at the end...bacteria wise maybe...


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## Buddyboy (19 Jan 2007)

polo9n said:


> thanks for ur expert answer...
> somehow i do rinse all the dishes at the end...bacteria wise maybe...


 
Polo9n,
I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not....
I am no expert (as can be seen by my use of the word "guess" twice in my post).

We have a dishwasher, as I believe it is more efficient and uses less water.  I do know that when I hand washed dishes, I didn't rinse them under clean water before putting them on the draining board, hence my comment about them not normally being rinsed. I was not casting aspersions on anyone else.

I did suggest that the use of a tea towel in the process should be considered when comparing the two methods.

After all, your original post asked for comments, which is what I gave.

If you were not being sarcastic, then please do not infer any on my part. 

Quick google of Tea towels bacteria 
*Tea towels - UK research - use when wet*

According to Bloomfield and Scott (1997), wet cleaning cloths can harbour potentially harmful organisms and become breeding grounds for bacteria and the need for disinfection before and during use is critical.
Scott and Bloomfield (1990) found that when contaminated cloths are applied to surfaces such as those in the kitchen, organisms can be transferred to the hands in numbers high enough to cause infection.
Harmful organisms can not only survive, but continue to grow in contaminated cloths, which remain damp. Bloomfield and Scott (1997).


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