Why You Shouldn’t Pre-Wash Your Dishes

It’s a age-old debate: do you need to wash, or even rinse, your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher? As a child, doing the dishes meant to doing by them by hand, or at the very least, thoroughly rinsing before popping them into the dishwasher.

Now, as a responsible adult, it just seems like the right thing to do. Extra food left on dishes will lead to less-clean dishes. In the day and age of food poisoning breakouts and listeria-based food recalls, why take any chances?

But, according to Buzzfeed, there is nothing to be afraid of. In most cases, dishes don’t need to be pre-washed. Most dishwashers can handle the mess left on plates, cups and bowls. In fact, pre-rinsing your dishes can actually do some harm, both to your dishes and to the environment! Watch the video above to find out how and why.

Thanks, Buzzfeed, for making dish duty that much easier.