While you can wash dishes in cold, soapy water to get them relatively clean, especially if you give them a good scrub, it is usually best to use hot water for washing dishes.
Among other benefits, hot water can clean and sanitize dishes better than cold water.
Better use hot water for these reasons
Below you can learn the main reasons to stop washing dishes with cold water.
Hot water removes fat
A key reason hot water cleans better than cold water is because of its effectiveness in removing cooking oils and fats.
Oils and fats solidify when cooled, which can make them difficult to remove. Allow greasy pans and other dishes to soak briefly in hot water (plus, preferably, a grease-fighting dish soap) and watch the grease dissolve.
Heat reduces drying time
Once all the dirt has been removed, the dishes can be rinsed with hot or cold water. However, one thing to keep in mind is that hot water generally dries dishes faster than warm or cold water.
This can allow you to skip drying your dishes by hand. And if you need to use or put your dishes away right after washing them, hot water is the best way to ensure dryness.
This is also valid to prevent glasses or glass cups from looking tarnished.
Hot water removes water stains on glasses
Because hot water dries faster, you’ll be less likely to get water spots and streaks on your plates and glasses.
Cold water is often to blame for water marks, as it leaves behind mineral deposits as it dries. The less time the water is in the plate or glass, the less stains it will leave.
heat kills germs
Hot water can kill bacteria and other microorganisms. But typically, the temperature required to kill pathogens is too high to use on our hands as dishwashing water.
A temperature of at least 130 degrees is best for washing dishes if your goal is to sanitize them with heat. So if you have a heated sanitize setting on your dishwasher, that’s where using hot water will come in handy.
Soaps work best in warm water
Many dish soaps work best in warm water. This is especially true for powder detergents. The heat helps dissolve the soap, allowing it to coat the dishes more effectively as you wash them.
removes food stains
Just as you generally wash dirty clothes in the hottest water the fabric can handle, hot water can also help dissolve stains on dishes.
The key is to put the food-stained plate in hot water as soon as possible. This can help minimize the amount of soap and scrub you’ll need later.
By using hot water, you save water
Because hot water can effectively remove grease and food particles, and can improve the performance of dish soap, you’ll likely finish your dishes faster. Thus, you will save water compared to if you had used cold water to wash them.