British cooking has long been subjected to jokes and criticism, but a viral TikTok recently turned the public’s scrutiny toward British cleaning. User @spiritual_af shared a shocking discovery about a common dishwashing technique in the U.K.
The method, also known as “washing up,” involves hand-washing dishes with soapy water before transferring them to a drying rack. Seems normal enough, until you realize that there is no rinsing involved. The soapy dishes stay on the rack as they are, and the suds drip off them.
TikTok users swarmed the comments, both in support and against the method.
"Do they just eat off of soapy dishes?" one user asked. Another defended the technique, writing, "Americans are unaware of the concept of saving water." Other people in the comments section claimed that many U.K. residents don't abide by this method do, in fact, rinse.
Americans were horrified by the discovery, many Brits vehemently defended the technique, but what’s the science behind it? Is rinsing really necessary? We consulted health and cleaning experts to unpack everything you need to know about washing and rinsing dishes.
What Happens When You Don’t Rinse Your Dishes?
Proponents of “washing up” the British way argue that soapy water drips off dishes as they rest on the drying rack. But you shouldn’t expect gravity to do a thorough job.
Toby Schulz, CEO and co-founder of Maid2Match, says that this method “theoretically should allow the water to 'carry' the soap molecules and dirt with it as it flows off in the drying rack,” but this doesn’t always work in practice. “Not all the water will run off—some of it will evaporate or dry on the dishes instead,” he says.
Dish soap works through the use of surfactants, which clean by binding to both water and grease. Without rinsing them off, those surfactants will linger and end up in your food.
“Ingesting a bit of detergent residue isn’t necessarily harmful unless you’re allergic to the ingredients,” says Schulz. “But over time, consistent ingestion of residue can pose health risks, including gastrointestinal irritation and endocrine disruption.”
Beyond the soap itself, skipping the rinse also means that food residue will stick to your dishes.
“Soap residues, along with organic matter, can provide a moist environment that supports microbial growth,” Dr. Vanessa Coffman, Alliance Director at Stop Foodborne Illness says. “If you skip the rinsing step, not only are you not removing bacteria, but you’re creating a place where they may start multiplying, which can lead to illness.”
What’s The Most Hygienic Way To Wash Dishes?
We’re sorry to burst the Brits’ bubble, but the most hygienic way to hand-wash dishes is by rinsing them. Coffman recommends going a step further to sanitize them before they reach the drying rack. To sanitize, you can use a sanitizing solution or submerge your dishes in very hot water (about 171°F) for 30 seconds.
Schulz says you can also sanitize your dishes by using a dishwasher, because the water used for both the wash and rinse cycle is hot enough to kill any lingering germs. “In combination with a good detergent, that’ll get rid of most grease and grime on your dishes,” he says.
