There are two different ways to wash dishes at home; dishwashing by hand and loading a dishwasher. Regardless of the method you use, it’s worth noting that drying your dishes is one of the most important aspects of the dish-washing process. According to a study cited by WebMD, dishes stored away while wet can easily be contaminated with bacteria.
Certainly, modern dishwashers make use of two methods for drying: heated and condensation drying – this means you’re safe if you utilize this method. However, in case you tidy up your dishes by hand, you need to be extra careful that they are thoroughly dry before storing them up. In case you don’t know, apart from using a dishwasher, there are several different methods that you can use to dry out your dishes after washing.
Some of them include air drying, drying with a paper towel, and drying with a dishtowel. Speaking of the air-drying method, it requires placing the dishes inside a sink-side drying rack. But, here’s a burning question, how long does it take for most dishes to air dry?
The time to air-dry your dishes depends on a couple of factors, including the temperature of your home. For instance, if you use warm water to wash the dishes, it might take up to a quarter of an hour to air-dry them during a sunny day. However, when the weather is cloudy, it might take more than 45 minutes.
Furthermore, the decision to choose between air drying your dishes and using a paper towel or dish towel depends on a couple of factors. These include the space of your dish rack, the temperature inside your kitchen, and the number of dishes you’re planning to air dry. In the rest of this article, we’ll be further sharing with you everything you need to know about the best way to dry out your dishes after washing them.
What Time Does It Take For Dishes To Air Dry?
As earlier mentioned, the exact time it takes to air-dry your dishes depends on several factors. These include the amount of air coming through your windows inside your kitchen, the temperature of the environment, the spacing of your dish rack.
In case you’re in the winter season, you can expect the dishes to air dry but not as quickly as during the summer months. That’s so because of the amount of cold air that penetrates through your window. In wintertime, the amount of moisture and water is more, in the air, than that of the summer period. That said, dishes tend to dry faster in the summer season because of the relatively low humidity in the air.
So, if there’s enough air circulation in your kitchen, you may expect the dishes to air dry between 15 minutes and 45 minutes. However, if there’s no sufficient air, it might take more than 45 minutes to get your dishes dry.
Are Air-Drying Dishes More Hygienic?
According to health experts, air drying your dishes after washing them is more hygienic than using a paper towel or a dishtowel. However, it’s not as hygienic as making use of a dishwasher dryer.
Don’t get me wrong, making use of a dish towel or paper towel is certainly effective. However, this will only be in the case when the towel you’re using is very clean and free of bacteria. If not, you might end up spreading bacteria from the towel onto the clean dishes – and that’s not hygienic.
Furthermore, dishwashers are often designed with a heat dryer to help dry the dishes immediately after washing. Although the dryer is highly effective and very fast when it comes to drying you wet, clean dishes, it consumes a lot of energy – that’s very expensive if you’re on a low budget. That said, air drying is the very best way to dry your dishes if you’re looking at cost. That’s because it’s more hygienic and doesn’t encourage the growth of bacteria.
Does air-drying of your dishes help to kill bacteria?
As we all know, air-drying your dishes after drying them is an important aspect of dishwashing.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, there’s a high chance that wet, clean dishes will get re-contaminated with bacteria. That’s because a moist, warm environment offers great conditions for bacterial growth and there are bacteria everywhere – including inside your kitchen. As such it’s important to air dry the dishes before storing them inside your cabinet.
That said, the air-drying method doesn’t help to kill the bacteria. Instead, it helps to prevent bacteria from contaminating the dish and multiplying. Furthermore, the method also helps to prevent cross-contamination with bacteria, which may arise as a result of using the same towel to clean and dry multiple dishes.
Air Dry vs Towel Dry: Which Of The Two Methods Is Better For Your Dishes?
Let’s face it! It’s worth noting that both dish drying methods are effective, depending on how you handle them.
Starting with towel drying your wet dishes, I’ll say the method is only effective if you’re making use of a clean towel. That’s not all! If you’re also planning to dry many dishes, make sure you avoid using the same towel for all of them. The purpose of that is to prevent cross-contamination, as earlier mentioned. Also, ensure you thoroughly dry the dishes with no traces of moisture, as that can also breed bacterial on them
Speaking of air drying, it’s also as effective as using clean towels from closets for the drying process. However, instead of causing cross-contamination, it helps to prevent it. That’s not all! It also helps to completely prevent any further contamination and multiplication that may arise as a result of having wet dishes.
Using time as the determining factor, the towel drying method is certainly better. That’s because it requires little time, unlike air drying that could take up to an hour or even more, depending on the temperature of your environment. Furthermore, it’s worth knowing that both drying methods might not be necessary if you’re not planning to store the wet dishes.
What Are The Other Effective Methods Of Drying Your Dishes
1- Sanitizing cycle on your dishwasher
Apart from Air Drying your dishes after washing, another effective method of drying them is by using the sanitizing cycle on your dishwasher. However, you need to know that not all dishwashers have this option.
In case your dishwasher has the option, it’s advisable to make use of it, as it’s a very effective dish drying option. Speaking of the sanitizing option of dishwashers, it involves rinsing the dishes with hot water (up to 66 degrees Celsius) to kill the bacteria. After that, you switch to the “Heated Dry” option.
After switching to the “heated dry” option, your dishwasher will pump in hot air, which will help to turn the moisture of the dishes into steam (evaporation).
2- Drying cycle in the dishwasher
Apart from using the sanitizing cycle, you may decide to skip the option and instead use the drying cycle. Although it’s not as effective as the sanitizer option, the heat dryer ensures that the dishes are heated to a certain temperature, where the bacteria and germs won’t be able to survive.
3- Drying the dishes with paper towels
Surely, you’ll agree with me that paper towels or kitchen rolls are great disposable absorbent materials, made from paper. You can certainly utilize them for drying your dishes after washing. Interestingly, the disposable paper materials are single-use, so, you can rest assured that there won’t be any form of cross-contamination while using them. However, since a small amount of moisture is enough to breed bacteria inside your dishes, ensure you thoroughly clean them, leaving no traces of moisture.
4- Drying the dishes with a dishtowel
Although using a dish towel to clean your dishes after washing is effective, it’s worth knowing that it’s the least effective of all the methods on this list.
The use of a dish towel is only effective when you have small wet dishes to dry. In case you have many dishes to attend to, ensure you avoid using the same dish towel for all of them. That’s to prevent cross-contamination with bacteria and germs. That’s not all! Also, ensure that the dishtowels are very clean and safe from bacteria.
Methods Of Air-drying Your Dishes After Washing
Are you planning to air-dry your dishes after washing, so you can store them in your cabinet? If yes, it’s worth noting that there are a couple of methods that you can employ to make that happen.
1- Air dry dishes using a dish rack
You can choose to air-dry your wet dishes by making use of a sink-side drying rack. However, to make more space for your dishes, you may consider opting for a two-tier dish rack, which can sit perfectly on your kitchen sink.
2- Air dry dishes in your dishwasher
Use the air-drying option if available
Apart from Air Drying with a rack, you can also air dry your dishes using the dishwasher. All you need to do is to stop the machine as soon as it’s done washing the dishes and switch to the air-drying option. However, it’s worth noting that not all dishwashers come with this option.
Most machines only have the heat drying option and this consumes a lot of energy. That said, if you want to minimize the amount of energy consumed by your washer, here’s another method below.
Air dry by opening the dishwasher
Apart from making use of the “Air Drying” option, you can also choose to air dry your dishes directly without having to consume energy. Of course, I’m not talking about using the heat dryer inside your dishwasher. No doubt, using the option for your dishes is very effective. However, it can be very costly, as it consumes a lot of energy.
That said, after washing the plate inside the dryer, instead of switching to the drying stage, stop the washer and open it so it can air dry. Interestingly, by using this method, you’ll most likely be saving up to 15 percent of the total energy required by your dishwasher.
Best Dishwashing Products That You Need To Know About
Regardless of whether you have a dishwasher or not, it’s worth knowing that dishwashing by hand is inevitable for some of your kitchen products, such as pots and knives. For the best experience, I’ll be sharing with you below, some of the powerful products for your hand dishwashing process.
1- Dishwashing soap
Dishwashing soap is an essential product for the handwashing process. Apart from using it for your pots, knives, and pans, you’ll certainly need it for other purposes, such as when to scrub one or more dishes by hand. As such, for an effective job, you must opt for the best available product.
One of the best dishwashing soaps that I’ll be recommending for you is the Dawn Ultra Dishwashing Liquid. The product comes with several great features, including biodegradable surfactants for easily removing greasy stains and other dirt on your dishes. You can check here for more information regarding the price of Dawn Ultra Dishwashing Liquid Dish Soap and how you can order it.
2- Bottle Brush
Although bottle brushes are effective for cleaning a lot of items, they are mostly utilized for baby bottles. Are you interested in getting a bottle brush for your champagne flutes or water bottles, but confused as to which one is best for you? One of the best products that you can trust is the Bottle Brush Cleaner by Turbo Microfiber.
Speaking of the dishwashing product, it’s a five-pack bottle brush that packs a host of features. You can check here for more information regarding the price of the product and how you can order it.
3- Dish Rack
When it comes to Air Drying your dishes after washing, you’ll surely agree that dish racks are very important. Furthermore, you certainly need a kitchen rack with enough space to allow your dishes to air dry. Are you looking for the best products? If yes, you need to look no further, as Romision 2 Tier Large Dish Rack and Drainboard Set will do the job for you.
Made of a stainless steel frame, Romision 2 Tier Large Dish Rack and Drainboard Set packs a host of amazing features. They include the following:
- Romision 2 Tier Large Dish Rack and Drainboard Set is resistant to rust.
- The product comes with high-quality satin-coated wires, making it stable and safe for your dishes.
- It’s very simple and straightforward to assemble.
You can check here for more information regarding the price of the product and how you can order it.
Another kitchen rack product that you can consider buying for your air-drying needs is KitchenAid Full-Size Dish Rack. Interestingly, it’s multi-functional, meaning that you can use it for different purposes. Furthermore, it also comes with high-quality materials, which makes it highly resistant to rust and easy for draining. You can check here for more information regarding the price of the product and how you can order it.
4- Dish Towels
Just like dish racks, dish towels are also effective if you’re the type that likes drying your wet dishes with towels. That’s why I’m recommending this amazing “Microfiber Kitchen Towel” by Hyer Kitchen Store for you. Speaking of the product, it comes with some of the best features of a good dish towel. These include:
- Hyer Kitchen’s Microfiber towels are super absorbent. This is possible, all thanks to the microfiber material used to produce the product.
- The product is durable and comes in big size.
You can check here for more information regarding the price of the product and how you can order it.
5- Rubber Gloves
With rubber gloves, you’ll be able to prevent hot, soapy water, necessary for killing germs and bacteria, from harming your skin. Although there are lots of great rubber glove products out there, the fact remains that it can be hard to find the reliable one. Well, we’ve done pretty good research for you and come up with this product – Rubber Kitchen Dishwashing and Cleaning Gloves by YSLON.
This product comes in three different pairs, for your kitchen, bathroom, and car. Furthermore, it also has great features, which include offering high-quality service. That said, you can check here for more information regarding the price of the product and how you can order it.
6- Scrub brush
Scrub brushes are very important in the kitchen for cleaning hard surfaces. Since that’s the case, I’m recommending this product for you to enjoy the best experience – JIGA 2 Pack Floor Scrub Brush.
Furthermore, the product packs a host of amazing features, which include the following:
- Comes with a long adjustable handle, making it easy to use.
- The product comes with a stiff and high-quality PVC bristle brush. With that, you can rest knowing that it’ll help you easily eliminate stains, grime, and dust.
You can check here for more information regarding the price of the product and how you can order it.
