The answer to this question is a big yes! Yes you can use bleach in washing dishes. In fact many are using bleach specially in the restaurants to sanitize dishes. But for home purposes, I do not highly recommend to use it regularly nor very often because of health reasons.
I only use bleach to remove heavy stains that cannot be cured by my known natural method, Let me tell you the steps I do when I use bleach to remove heavy stains on our cups and plates.
First Step is that I remove the food scraps from the utensils, cups, bowls and plates using a brush. If the sauce is too thick or sticky I wipe it first with used paper or table napkin, Reusing paper bags from the groceries to wipe sauces from the dishes prolongs the life of your sponge or brush which can add few coins to your savings.
To avoid clogging our sink I brush food scraps into a filter then throw it to the trash together with the paper I used to wipe sauces and sticky stains.
Second Step is that I rinse everything with water using a sprinkler. if you don’t have a sprinkler you can use a basin with water to rinse your dishes. By doing this you help in conserving water.
Third Step is that I wash everything with dishwashing liquid and sponge, I usually use a basin where I mix water with dishwashing liquid and stir it by my hand to create a lather. I rub each utensils with sponge and ensure that all the dirt and stains are removed. I separate those bowls, plates and utensils blemished with stubborn stains that I cannot remove with just soap and sponge.
I soak the blemished ones in a basin containing water and bleach solution. This solution contains 1 cap of bleach and 5 cups of water. The cap I use is the lid cover of my bleach bottle. That is my own solution and I am satisfied with it. You may check the internet for the recommended ratio of bleach to water for washing dishes.
I let it sit while I continue washing other dishes.
Fourth Step is that I rinse those without stains, wipe it dry and return them to the cabinet.
Fifth Step is that I go back to the plates and utensils I soaked and check if stains are removed. In cases where stain is not yet removed. I give it a few drops of pure bleach and let it sit for 2-3 minutes.
Sixth Step is that I wash again the dishes I soaked in bleach and water solution using the liquid soap and sponge.
Seventh Step is to rinse thoroughly, dry and return them to the cabinet.
Done. Those are the steps I follow when I use bleach for washing dishes.
Using bleach for removing stains in our dishes is my last resort due to health reasons. I have Allergic Rhinitis and it is being triggered every time I inhale much scent of bleach. I experience shortness of breath, sneezing, coughing and itching of my eyes.
I am very careful not to inhale bleach’s scent or have a skin contact with it to avoid getting sick.
When using bleach in washing dishes and in laundry, I ensure to wear a face mask and hand gloves.
Because of my Allergic Rhinitis, I first apply the natural methods of removing dish stains that I know before I jump to that bottle of bleach. There are different alternative to bleach that I have used in washing dishes and I am sharing it with you.
5 Tips In Washing Dishes
- Baking Soda. This is a very good whitener of plates whether it is made of plastic or ceramic. What I do is that I sprinkle some baking soda to plates, spread it using my hands, let it sit for a few minutes then I wash them with soap and rinse thoroughly.
There were also times when I added a teaspoon or two of baking soda in a basin full of water and soaked the plates in that solution. I let it sat for a few minutes while I continued with my regular routine. I Washed them with soap then rinsed them.
- Lemon Juice – My husband and I drink coffee in the morning and drink tea the rest of the day (around 3 to 4 cups). Our favorite is turmeric tea. Tea and coffee leave stains to our cups. These stains when left for a long time cannot be removed totally by my natural methods but lemons can lessen it significantly and can prevent the stains if applied regularly.
I squeeze the lemon juice directly to the stains then rub some salt. I let it sit for 2 our 3 minutes then I wash with soap and rinse.
- Calamansi Juice – In using calamansi, I apply the same procedure I have for lemon juice.Calamansi is cheaper than lemon so I use it more often. I use lemon only when we don’t have Calamansi.
- Salt and Warm Water. When we don’t have baking soda and we are out of Calamansi and Lemon. I use salt and warm water. I add one spoon of salt to every cup of warm water and soak the dishes in it. This method cannot remove very old stains but it is good on new stains. It can also be used for sanitizing plates nd cups.
- Vinegar- White vinegar can also remove stains. What I do is that I apply 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to a plate or cup with stains and let it sit for a few minutes after which I wash with soap and rinse thoroughly.
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