Why do plastic containers always come out wet from the dishwasher?

theconversation.com

36 points·amichail··6 comments

I've read that rinse aids like finish might do unexpected things to your digestive tract, so I don't use them anymore.

EDIT: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36464527/

They do (best to avoid, including pods which have a rinse aid element), but note in the conclusion it's only significant in professional applications.. so probably OK at home, but never eat out :|

> The expression of genes involved in cell survival, epithelial barrier, cytokine signaling, and metabolism was altered by rinse aid in concentrations used in professional dishwashers

It could be they only tested on professional dishwashers.

Could be, but they tested both:

> We sought to investigate the effects of professional and household dishwashers(..)

> Accordingly, we investigated the health hazard of exposure to professional and household dishwasher detergent and rinse aid, and its individual components.

The professional dishwashers are more of a problem because they have a 2 minute cycle (so rely on higher chemical concentrations)

Interesting link! I've become quite sensitive to the smell and taste of rinse aid residues, so I end up having to rinse out all my dishes again after washing.

I wonder what the long-term effects of ingesting these are?

My theory is this: the washing machine uses residual heat in the washed items to get them to dry. Plastic cools down too quickly to dry them completely. Mugs, plates or metal items stay hot longer.

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