I cannot understand the British habit of washing and rinsing dishes in the same dirty water, and drying them without washing off the soap suds. Is this similar to having a bath and not rinsing off the soap? Am I missing something here? | Notes and Quer (2024)

I cannot understand the British habit of washing and rinsing dishes in the same dirty water, and drying them without washing off the soap suds. Is this similar to having a bath and not rinsing off the soap? Am I missing something here?

Elizabeth Augustine, Derby, UK

• The trick is to keep the water clean, by pre-rinsing and -scraping and then by washing the cleanest things first (after the glassware of course). Soapy water will run off without leaving marks, whereas you will get watermarks if you rinse.

  Washing under a continuous stream of water makes it harder to apply detergent and is probably wasteful of both it and hot water, but the real reason we British don't do it that way is that traditionally we have not had mixer taps.

  Tom Boddington, Leeds, UK

• You would appear to be somewhat behind the times, most new "executive homes" now being built have dishwashers, and most kitchen refurbishments tend to have a dishwasher included in the deal. People using wash bowls tend often to have a second sink space with facilities for rinsing under the swivel tap.

  Use of washing up liquid usually encourages people to rinse the suds which cling to the plates etc.Perhaps the people you know are not aware of the finer points of life and maybe you are missing something.

  Jack Hill, St Albans, England

• It must be the company of civilised human beings that you're missing. Everyone I know rinses the dishes under running water after washing them.

  Bill, London, United Kingdom

• I think Jack Hill should remember that not everybody lives in an 'executive home' in St Albans commuter bliss.

  Ciaran, London, UK

• My Grandmother had particular rules when allowing my sister and I to wash up after Sunday Tea. We had to wash everything thoroughly and place on the draining board, then re-fill the sink with hot water and rinse everything thoroughly too. Then dry. I have amended this slightly and (now that my dishwasher is broken) wash everything and put it on the draining board, then pour a kettle of boiling water on it and don't dry. Having seen may programmes showing the amount of germs lurking in a tea towel I reckon using one undoes all the hard work!

  Lesley Morgan, Monkseaton, UK

• I observed this at friends houses whilst growing up. It's weird.Most other children of immigrant to the UK I know have marvelled at this habit as well.

  Ray , London London

• I have also observed this behaviour, presumably due to frugality with hot water. It doesn't seem to do them much harm (see queries on eczema) but I hope they're using Ecover Liquid at least and ingesting fewer nasty petrochemicals!

  Ellie Jones, Bridport, UK

• In what sense is this a "British" habit? I am British and always rinse washed plates.

  Chris Jones, Sheffield, Yorkshire

• I have never owned a dishwasher and would not call it a 'British' habit but I have noticed a lot of people wash up this way. If my mother caught me doing this, I'm sure she would chop off my arms as she thinks its absurd! We have also not ever seen the point of drying dishes as they are always left on the draining board to dry naturally. And if you use hot water, not only do your dishes dry quicker, but its less likely you will get watermarks.Oh dear, I sound like an advert.

  Nila Patel, London UK

• Oh, you are all so fussy! Have you ever heard of anyone getting ill from plates that have not been rinsed? As long as you can’t taste the washing up water and there are no noticeable food particles left on the plates what’s the problem?No wonder the world is going down the plughole if everyone else is wasting time and energy rinsing plates unnecessarily. GET A LIFE!! And stop inventing problems when there are enough real ones to contend with.

  Jonathan, Brecon, Wales

• I think the point is about clean dishes and less about the which way to do it. Think about it, if you soap up and rinse off when you take a shower then how is not rinsing your dishes clean? Yes, there are millions of problems in the world, but if everyone has a bad habit of doing a half-arsed job then I think we have a bigger problem.

  Thomas, London, UK

• When Jonathon contracts salmonella from a dirty fork, then perhaps the importance of hygiene will suddenly be elevated in his mind. Saying that, his wife is most probably an excellent washer-upper.

  Paul Townsend, Weymouth UK

• It is indeed a very bad habit. Unfortunately I find the majority of people do not rinse thier dishes after washing. Some of my friends were simply brought up without the knowledge of rinsing and the concept seems alien to them. I believe it is a matter of swallowing pride and accepting that rinsing is healthier and avoids any smell or food to be stuck on the dishes. Several people claim that it saves water, well I can not put saving water above my health. People should not be lazy, make the extra effort and rinse dishes after all it benefits YOU more than any one else!

  Jason Vassiliu, UK

• I am from the US and have lived in Cambridge for several years. I too have noticed this habit here with every person I have observed washing up. With most washing-up liquids being relatively newer formulations from petrochemicals, to which long-term exposure is still unknown, residuals cannot be beneficial if ingested. The health effects are probably on the order of second-hand smoking; chronic exposure adds up, incidental exposure is probably innocuous. You shouldn't worry about asking your host if they rinse, but you might want to rinse at home.

  Michael, Cambridge, UK

• I have never been a dish rinsed and can honestly say my glasses and plates are spotless. I keep the water as clean as possible by scraping and pre-rinsing and wash glasses first and greasy pans last. If the item still feels dirty after washing I refill the sink and wash again with fresh water including washing liquid. Of course the occasional bubble gets carried to the drying tray but that is the smallest fraction of the liquid that went into the sink and even then almost all of it drips off as the dish dries. I don't rinse after bubble bath either. And I apply moisturiser. And wear deodorant. And make up.

  Anne, London, UK

• Yup, I've lived in Edinburgh for 7 years (from Canada), and all Scottish or English people I have seen doing dishes have not rinsed off the soap. At first, I thought it an unusual habit of one or two people, but eventually realized it is the norm in the UK.

  Edward, Edinburgh, UK

• For all those people that think it's alright to wash dishes and not rinse them, it is like brushing your teeth and not rinsing out the toothpaste. Plus washing machines have rinse cycle so do dishwashers and when we shower or bath, we rinse off the soap that holds the dirt off our bodies.So don't be lazy rinse those dishes.

  Patrick brooks, Birmingham, UK

  See Also

  You Should Put a Bowl of Vinegar in Your Dishwasher—Here’s WhyOut of dishwasher detergent? Use this tipSome dishwashers dry better than others—here's whyTo pre-rinse or not to pre-rinse? How to use your dishwasher during the drought

• Washing up liquid will not do one's insides much good, so rinsing is important to remove traces. Where it not for my Grandfather, a scientist, telling me this I would not have known, and so I believe the problem is due to a lack of education on the subject. I know many people who do not rinse plates etc.

  Matthew Brown, Northampton, UK

• P.S. for those who don't believe it is a problem in England, check out the link below where you will be amazed to see how many modern British women do not know that it is important to rinse! http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/community/forums/thread/1326658?theme=print

  Matthew Brown, Northampton, UK

• If I can draw your attention to the manufacturer's safety data sheet for a well known brand of washing up liquid, under 'Toxicological Information' - 'Not acutely toxic', 'Chronic toxicity: Repeated exposure to low levels (e.g. residues left on dinnerware) will not cause adverse effects.'http://www.scienceinthebox.com/en_UK/pdf/Fairy-Liquid-Original.pdfSo as long as you're not using huge squirts of the soap to wash your dishes so that you're making your next meal taste soapy then there is no harm in NOT rinsing your dishes afterwards.

  Mark, Cardiff UK

• I asked my husband about this because I noticed his family did not rinse the dishes while they were here. He has been in the US over 20 years and only then remembered that he never rinsed dishes while growing up and did not know anyone else who did so when he was younger.He reckons it was because of lack of space (counter and no double sinks) and so it was just a habit that developed because of 'using what you had", that simply got passed on.I don't know about the UK but dish soap in the US states on it "Do not ingest" and "in case of accidental ingestion, contact a poison control center immediately", or some similar version depending on the maker of the liquid. So it just seems that it can't be healthy to eat & drink from dishes that aren't rinsed.

  RM, Phoenix Arizona USA

• I was baffled by this when I moved here from my home in America. Thankfully I married an Englishman who, once questioned on it, agreed it was an odd (and unhealthy) custom to not rinse dishes. My understanding is that it does have to do with not wanting them to spot, and/or just some very VERY widespread culture (despite what some above may say) where rinsing dishes has never been done.

  Mindy, London UK

• I just moved back to England after years away and had forgotten how people here do the washing up. When I was here in university, I remember being shocked by how my housemates used to use a plastic basin they put in the kitchen sink to do washing up, but I'd forgotten about the no rinsing part. But I just moved back to england, and my two housemates fill the sink with soapy water with all the dishes in it, and scrub (barely) one side of them then put them on the rack to dry. They leave the brown tea stains inside cups and on spoons too. And this doesn't seem to bother them. I can't deal with this and I'm not sure how to bring it up with them without offending them. I want to just say: "Hey, do you rinse your hair and body after soaping and shampoing? Well it's the same here." But might that be a bit brutal? It's not just about the soap residue either. Although it can make things taste soapy, and in the long run, can't be good for you, plus glasses always seem slightly greasy and marked. The real problem is hygiene. If you don't rinse your dishes after washing them, you'll still have food residue and bacteria on them. Plus, you've mixed the residue of ALL your dishes together. So if one of them had something bad on it, now they all do. Hello Cross-Contamination! The way my housemates are doing their dishes is really really getting under my skin. Someone please give me advice on how best to deal with it in a way that won't be offensive to them.

  Chloe, London UK

• I can't understand this habit at all and I'm British. It's not just the UK, it happens in Australia too. Leaving residue on dishes isn't healthy, isn't clean and it's inherently lazy. My sister had this problem with her husband not rinsing. She presented him a glass full of dishwater and asked whether he'd like to drink it. After declining the offer, he now rinses his dishes. A little extreme but it worked.With regards to repeated exposure to low levels of chemicals, I beg to differ. At work I noticed a supermarket brand of washing up detergent which contained amongst other ingredients - formaldehyde - well known for it's embalming and blindness producing properties. I really don't want to ingest that, no matter at what small level.

  Mark, Leeds UK

• I'm British living in Greece, having left the UK in my early 20's. My family always rinsed after washing but then a new advertising campaign in the UK (in the 60's I think)by a popular detergents company claimed their new, improved dishwash product didn't need rinsing, hence saving water, and this was adopted enthusiastically by many consumers. Second thoughts and considerations about hygiene soon made my family revert back to rinsing, and though I'm sure there are lots of people out there in the UK that do rinse their dishes, believe me - there are many many more who do not (otherwise educated, hygiene aware, houseproud) and even consider it a "weird and quaint" thing to do! And it seems to be the norm rather than the exception. Obviously advertising campaigns reach down through the years !!

  Elizabeth, Athens Greece

• I know!! I just googled this because I am married to a Scottish guy and his whole family and everyone I know in Britain leaves soap all over their dishes! omg gross! wtf! I let it go for awhile but we always argue about it because I think it's disgusting and he always says "a bit of soap won't kill you". Once while eating at his mom's I took a mouthful of food and simultaneously got a mouthful of soap. I had to run out the room and rinse my mouth out. He thinks I am making this up haha. I love a lot of things about the UK but this is not one of them! I know the USA has it's own problems too but just thought I'd rant about this for a moment and let you know I am with you HAHA.

  Krystal, Seattle, WA USA

• Where is the common sense in not rinsing the dishes?!First time I saw my now husband doing that I was horrified.I have only just graduated pharmacy then and one of the subject was toxicology...trust me, there is nothing healthy in washing washing up liquid.

  Alicja, Warsaw Poland

• I am from Canada and have been living and working in the UK for the last five years. The "no rinse" thing also freaks me out for all of the reasons stated by previous commentators, but it's the taste of soap residue that really gets me. I love cooking, and this is nothing worse than making your favourite dish and the first mouthful has that distinct bubbly after-taste. My british ex-girlfriend did this. I made her a Sunday roast dinner at my flat, using almost everything in the process. She offered to do the washing up which involved washing almost everything I have. I thought it was a wonderful gesture on her part, until I saw how she did it; dip in dirty soapy dish water, place on the rack, wipe with a dirty dish towel and put in cupboard. It made my skin crawl but I didn't say anything since I saw she was doing a lot of work as a thank you for the dinner. Needless to say, the next day after she left I spent an hour rewashing everything I have. I just don't get it.

  Paul, Vancouver Canada

• Yes it is important to rinse Dishes. Here is why:Firstly, Dishwashing liquid contains some fairly toxic chemicals. Secondly,by not rinsing off the Chemical residue,this residue will be absorbed by the body and over time can cause health problems. This is known as the Bio accumulative effect. Our bodies were not designedto be bombarded with Chemicals. See:naturalnews.com/001061.html

  Francis Kuhn, Murrintown Ireland

• I cannot understand the habit of certain others to make stupid blanket statements. I also can't understand why the topic of dish washing would keep someone up at night. Also, I can't understand an Esquimaux talking to me through a giant funnel.

  Gary DuPlens, Wigan UK

• I've wanted to research this for so many years. I was in England for several months and stayed with several families. No one rinsed the soap off the dishes. They also didn't have double sinks, use dish pans, and of course didn't have 'mixer taps.' I also washed dishes in a Youth Hostel where they didn't rinse the dishes. But my sister was also there and a newcomer to English ways and insisted even though we wouldn't be eating another meal there. I, being 19, assumed it wasn't necessary and tried it when I got home. The dishes were sticky. So I then assumed they had different soap that was food grade or something and safe to be ingested. I do know of instances where people got sick at restaurants with malfunctioning dishwashers that didn't rinse.On since bathing was brought up in the OP, soap isn't that necessary when bathing. You are just stripping the acid mantle and protective oils and beneficial microbes from your skin leaving it vulnerable to pathogens. Then you apply more chemicals in the form of moisture in an attempt to restore it. I haven't used soap to bathe except on a few occasions when I needed it for the past 3 years. And of course when washing hands, although even then, you don't need much soap, It's duration and friction that get rid of germs. Anyway, I'm just not that dirty.

  Linda Foss, Houston, United States

• Why do people from the UK get so mad when people ask them questions like this? If you don't do it then don't answer. But I've notice in America people in the 80's and before that use to wash dishes like that.

  Johnny Compton, Columbus, Ohio USA

• British people, please stop this not-rinsing dishes thing. I love EVERYTHING about England but hated that habit which I have witnessed in every household I went to for the 6 years I lived there. It did seem like the norm : (

  Solkem Arold, Houston United States

• I am from Mauritius and we always rinse dishes. It just makes sense that you would want the soap off your plate before eating from it. I'm married to a Brit and after countless arguments with me, explaining over and over again the science behind needing to rinse and that detergent does not 'evaporate' off the plates, my husband now finally rinses. There are other ways and places to save water. The kitchen is not one to skimp on. It's our hygiene and good health, full stop. Most people are just too stuck in their ways to even think about it in case they might realise it's wrong. By the way, I lived in Australia for a bit, and we were taught at school to do the dishes without rinsing!

  Malika Mohabeer, London Uk

• "A British habit"?This person means a common habit in British Caucasian communities.I'm here because i'm curious as to why and the origin of it all.I had to rinse dishes today because my housemate didn't so i said let's google this - ha ha.

  Jade williams, Swansea, United Kingdom

• Those Britons who don't rinse their dishes may be surprised at knowing that they can actually use running water (wow!), even cold if they want to save on energy costs. Filling a sink with clean water and diving dishes in it is NOT rinsing. After all, we must not forget they have double taps on most of their bathrooms, which maybe means they wash themselves in pools of soapy water and use the same "dirty stuff" for rinsing... Yuk.

  Gloria, Scotland

• In response to Patrick brooks, Birmingham.You say "it is like brushing your teeth and not rinsing out the toothpaste" but that is exactly what dentists now advise ie do not rinse. You need a new example

  Paul, London

• I just ran across this collection of opinions and I never knew such a habit existed in western countries. Folks, soap doesn't sanitize. It just makes an emulsion that makes it easy for microbes and dirt and food to RINSE off. If you just wash and don't rinse (!!) your dishes, any of the soap having dried on the dishes retains the microbes and dirt it was GOING TO enable you to RINSE away. I hope those of you who think that the people who are showing their abhorrence to this old habit also know not to handle food after you've prepped uncooked meat until you've washed well and RINSED your hands and utensils. Some of you, I think, have been lucky, so far and maybe, as suggested, some have built up natural resistance to some microbes but it's DANGEROUS to assume your kids and guests have.PS: LOVED the spotted dick!

  Phil Wells, San Diego USA

  See Also

  How To Sanitize Dishes Food Safety When Cleaning And Drying Dishes

• I'm glad that Phil Wells pointed out that it's not just the soap you rinse off when rinsing dishes - it's the food particles/grease residue in the washing up water too. I'm Scottish and have rinsed dishes all my life - as did my parents before me. Don't tar us all with the same brush! Rinsing dishes is just plain common sense.

  Susan, Edinburgh, Scotland

• One of my friend told me about this after she visited England and I couldn't believe it. After searching google I found that many Europeans do this the same way, and so do Australians. Most of the people in my nation think that would make people unexpectedly eat chemicals left on the dishes and cause bad effects in the long term. However, there's no proof of it. I regard it as a cultural impact. Maybe the Asian way of washing dishes makes European feel sick in contrast. The funniest thing is that, most articles I read, most asian people will volunteer washing dishes in Britain because they are so afraid that people may not rinse off the soap.

  Charles, Taipei Taiwan

• Well I didn't have a dishwasher for two years and I had to was up every night, I don't get the point of drying them with a tea towel when you can leave them to dry overnight. Anyone else think that drying is just a waste of time? I had coursework to do as well and it wasted my time from studying.

  Adela, Suffolk England

• This is a real issue for me, I resent the fact people think washing up liquids like fairy are harmless when they contain very harmful petrochemicals. There's certainly a very British thing of saying, "never did me any harm, stop being such a ninny, just jolly well get on with it, that's what we all had to do it in the war etc etc" Because of being without money I've moved into my dad and stepmum's and they do not rinse dishes at all. Put them in the rack covered in bubbles. They obviously think I'm a ninny who would have been executed for treason, but I secretly go and rinse the stuff in the rack sometimes, and try and do the washing up as much as I can obviously.

  Eddie, London, UK

• I think it has to do with the fairy liquid advert because she always drained her plates covered in soap suds. I think this has persuaded generations that this is ok

  Annie, Aylesbury UK

• Stopped using dish soap at all because of dry cracked hands, didn't like gloves and liked the simplicity of using running hot water sparingly with lots of rubbing to clean dishes. Rinsing right away helps and an occasional scrub with baking soda takes care of any residue build up. Guess what, you may not really need dish soap hardly at all. Extra hot water use is balanced by savings on soap, financially and ecologically.

  philippe, vancouver canada

• "British habit" must be a 'habit' in some households in Britain and other countries I guess. I'm british but was never brought up seeing this! Prior to having a dishwasher - we scraped any waste and hot rinsed until clean all our dishes before filling a bowl of hot water and a small drop of cleaning liquid and washing for a second time - glasswear first and pans last.

  Matty, Aberdeen SCOTLAND

• In answer to Johnny Compton, Columbus, Ohio USA, with his question:Why do people from the UK get so mad when people ask them questions like this? If you don't do it then don't answer."... I'm not exactly 'mad' about it myself but it might be something to do with being tarred with the same brush? ... and for those of us who don't do it, all the more reason to answer to give a balanced answer to others!To everyone: I myself have never washed dishes this way. I remember as a child that the lady living over the road washed her dishes this way and even then it disgusted me. Since then I have seen the occasional student housemate do it (years ago when I was a student), but this has disgusted me less than them not cleaning anything at all, in stereotypical student fashion.I don't have mixer taps or a double sink; I am conscious of water usage and use Ecover washing up liquid, yet I am still able to wash my dishes thoroughly by hand, give them a final rinse and put them on the drainer to dry naturally. I asked my partner if he has ever found any dirty dish on the drainer or in the cupboard and he has not, so quality control is all fine!To the the OP and some others here; please don't lump us all in together. In my experience it is not a British habit at all, and I've lived here all my life.

  Jen, Mold Wales

• I remember being shocked in Scotland that dishes were not rinsed. Then I discovered that dish washers have a special place for a rinse aid to achieve spotless glasses, which is exactly the same idea. They are both surfactants.

  Mary Cowmeadow, San Antonio, Texas U.S.A.

• Well i am from the UK and of the opposite extreme. I wash up all my dishes/glasses etc in the sink with washing up liquid then transfer it all to the dishwasher to be washed thorougly.Hate putting dirty dishes in my dishwasher.Anyone else do this?

  Katy, Reading UK

• I've never understand it either. I thought it was just a few people that did it, but no, it is a widespread habit. I would dare say that all the british people I know do it this way. I've even argued about it with my husband, he is British, I'm Mexican and been living in London for 3 years now. I do agree that it makes it faster, but not clean or safe if you don't scrape all food residues and rinse everything before filling the sink with soapy water. I scrape everything off, rinse and then, when it is almost clean, I put everything in soapy water, scrub again with more soap and rinse completely. Glasses and plates and everything is completely clean and shiny. I can't stand sticky or greasy looking dishes that are supposed to be already washed. I have the hunch that this habit comes from the war days, when there wasn't much of anything and people have to make the most of the little they had, in this case, soap and water.Not scrubbing food properly and not rinsing is unhygienic and dangerous. Crossed contamination!! The same principle applies to dishwashers, if food isn't scrapped off totally, it just goes on to the rest of the dishes and gets spread all over them. In Mexico the common way of doing dishes is putting some soapy water on a little plastic bowl and then using that with a sponge or brush to wash every dish. Not completely hygienic if you ask me, as the sponges and brushes also spread whatever is on the dishes into the soapy water bowl. But then, that is what rinsing and scrubbing twice is for. You can never be careful enough when it comes to clean the dishes. Greasy pans have to be washed separately, same applies to baby bottles and dishes.

  Claudia Ortiz, London UK

• It hasn't been long since we came out of a severe drought and the habits that we got from that, haven't left us yet. We scrape the plates as clean as possible. Wash in as little as we can get away with, and leave to dry. I'd rather shower for an extra minute than waste it on the dishes... just another way of doing things, is all. :):)

  Ann, Brisbane Australia

• It's not just the British

  Emma, Uk Derby

• I moved here got shocked with the gross habit, had a few arguments with hubby I convinced him to do it my way. Guys think about it, many people choose to spend some extra money to buy organic foods so they are chemicals free. But what's the point if you're gonna ingest chemicals in every glass fork plate, etc u use?I think if the person is a smoker/drinker/ drugy head then a little more bad stuff in your body won't make a difference. But if you worry about your health then since the dishes!I work in self catering accommodation and I also notice that after a very short stay the dish rack is always so gross full of food and soap residue. I clean my dish rack not very often but its never really dirty cuz I rinse my stuff.I try to save as much water as possible and when rinsing I use cold water even tho it freezes the bones of my fingers!BRITISH PEOPLE: this is a British habit. Happens in others countries too. And there are many British people that don't have this habit (exceptions) please don't feel that we are generalizing. Its just that I guess some people, like me, have been to many countries before and never seen such a think before. Where I'm from people don't flush toilet paper. Its gross. I wish I could flush toilet paper there too. In Japan people always take their shoes of before entering homes and many other places. Its so nice and hygienic. I think its good if we look around and 'copy' good examples from other cultures.I feel sorry for people living is shared houses in the UK.

  Maria, truro UK

• I'm 23 an living with my boyfriend who is also 23. I have to do the washing up because he leaves soap suds all over everything and it makes my skin crawl! I have a hot sink of water with some Fairy Liquid and scrub everything. I then rinse under running tap before placing on draining board. The drying up is done by him with a clean tea towel. I then use the towel to clean the sink and the sides before placing into the washing machine.OCD or the norm? X

  Faye, Essex UK

• I've lived in the UK for the past 25 years but have also lived in many other countries including Eastern Europe and Asia. I'm afraid it is only in England that I have observed this strange washing up method. I was quite astonished when I saw it for the first time. In fact whenever I go to my husband's Aunt's house, who is English, I feel like offering to do the dishes so I can rinse them properly. So whoever is says this is not British I think you're wrong. Sorry :))

  Anna, London UK

• I'm a Brit and find it awful too... please don't think we all do this terrible thing! - I blame the 'Fairy Liquid' adverts that started in the 1950's - the premise was a housewife with soft hands due to using the detergent, the advert would always show the super clean dishes in the drying rack with some nice frothy bubbles running down. Somehow I think it made people think that was the way to clean dishes. Idiots!

  Bert Armadillo, Brighton United Kingdom

• I am a single, 22 year old male. I will avoid using a dish at all costs. Most of my dishes that are put away are not clean enough. I will tell any company if you want to use any dishes, wash the crap out of it first. When I do decide I want to microwave something, like nachos, I will give the dish a really strong washing, dry it off, eat off it, and plop it in the sink when I am done. I don't rinse after at all, very bad habit. The sink will overflow after a month or so, then I just fill with soapy water, RINSE, + put away. Afterwards I will wash my hands for a good 10 minutes because its so disgusting. Hope that makes sense!

  Shane, Saint Petersburg, FL USA

• Hey guys I am 22. I will do a lazy job with the initial wash, but then I will give each dish a good wash right before I use them. I try to avoid using dishes at all costs. This method works perfect for me, I rarely get sick.

  Shane, Saint Petersburg, FL USA

• @Faye, Essex UKYou sound like the perfect wife! Unlike me, I hate cooking and cleaning! My mother was the complete opposite and did her best to pass it on but it never stuck. Anyways, I was taught to rinse and whatnot. Never even thought of not rinsing, seems pretty gross. Sounds like this is going on often all over the place. I bet putting videos on how to properly wash your dishes in public schools would change things over a generation. Purely educational, explaining the proven dangers of washing the dishes otherwise. After a professional study of course.

  Sarah, Texas USA

• The year is 2013, the place is UK and YES, the practice still continues. After reading all the posts, I can understand the reason why such a practice started but I can't understand, for the life of me, why the educated generation of today not discard such outdated practice and use a little bit of common sense and realize that not rinsing utensils with clean running water after soaping them is extremely unhygienic and even harmful in the long run. I am from India, and thought I had seen it all but seeing this truly rendered me speechless. And to think, this is supposed to be an advanced first world country!

  Chhanda, India

• A few years ago I saw a documentary where researchers found traces of detergent in the main river supplies for drinking water and they linked it as a possible cause for bowel cancer.It struck me then that those who do not rinse off dishes with clean water are at greater risk if this finding is substancial.

  chearie, sutton uk

• I am not British but I moved in the UK a few years ago. This habit of washing all the dishes in the same dirty water and then not rinsing them at all hit me hard from the beginning. Initially I thought it was an isolate case at my place of work but I've changed 5 jobs since and it happened everywhere. I am a professional so I expected to be surrounded by people of certain value/education. Moreover, mixed taps were always available.I find it extremely disgusting to eat on a plate that hasn't been rinsed/washed properly. I feel like I'm eating everybody's dirt, their food and their germs. I became a bit OCD and now I wash everything again before use it. Until recently I was embarrassed to ask why they act like this but when I started inquiring them the answer that I got was "I don't know". How can you do something without not having an explanation for your behavior is beyond my imagination. This is how I ended up surfing the web for an answer and I understand that this can be tradition or old habits but we live in 2013 for God's sake and it's not a third world country.P.S. The price for a cubic metre of water is the same as the price in the country I come from and the average wage is 10 times higher in the UK. And I have never seen my mom doing this in my whole life.....

  Irina, S Wales

• Lol, I've never heard of this before, but then i'm an american and even the stains in my teapot get scrubbed out with toothpaste, soap and water and lots of rinsing. It seems to me though if you keep two buckets one with the grimey water and one with clean,and replacing it like mop water every now and again it should be somewhat cleaner,if you hate rinsing every dishand i do rinse, but that's bizarre straight out of the soap and grime. Thanks for the warning if I ever drop in. :) I'll pack paper plates like tiny tim.lol.

  Abigail McElroy, mckinney, tx usa

• I'm an American living in New Zealand and married to a New Zealander. I too was shocked when my wife put soapy plates in the rack to dry. She says "it's how I learned to do it." So if it's a British habit, it has made its way all the way down to NZ. To me it seems crazy that one wouldn't wash off the soap, but the wife says it will "drip off."

  Scott Edmondson, Auckland New Zealand

• I've always hated washing dishes... But since marrying a Brit, I make sure he doesn't get to the sink before me as he also has this disgusting habit of not rinsing. His mother, who has lived in Australia for 30 years also has this habit..... but then once a week she'll soak all her tea cups in bleach to remove the stains. These are intelligent people who are very houseproud and hygenic in every other way... I really don't understand it either.

  Veronica, Sydney Australia

• I don't get why someone is picking faults with UK am sure their own country is bad enough, talk about stereo typing but anyway if you really know UK you would know most homes has dishwasher even double sink, 1 for washing the other for rinsing. My last girl friend and 1 before her was from Poland they don't rinse either. Not as if anyone has been told its poisonous to not rinse, If people so bothered about health perhaps their car can stay at home it does produce suffer fumes such as SO n SO2 right? If you can tastes it on the pots then their using far too much washing up liquid in which case should at least rinse them, it's not nice to taste.

  James, Lincoln England

• I just wanted to point out the adverts for Fairy liquid where they show the washing up being done and placed on the drainer. They dont show it being rinsed.

  Pat, Sutton Surrey

• The first time I’ve seen it was in London, done by elder people who at the time was my boss, the reason was to save water and soap apparently. Filling the sink up with plenty of warm water and do all the washing in the same dirty water with a washing cloth type of thing. We all, Spaniards, New Zealand, Polish and Brazilians among many other nationalities were amazed of this type of washing up and to be hones made us all to feel like vomiting just with that thought of eating on a plate with soap. Of course Chemicals will generate illnesses all over the body, it is more than evident the same as any other chemicals we ingest this will have an knocking effect on health…it is not a coincidence…. It is a fact.My suggestion, if people are that concern about expending water they better save it in showers, having a 5 to 10min shower instead of 15min. Or avoid wasting food among many other items that work ok by throwing them to the bin and buying new ones… same as many other countries do.

  Belen, MK UK

• I have been living in the UK about 1.5 years, and I also noticed it, it is more than weird. I am from Hungary, and all the people I have ever known, including friends, relatives, colleagues all doing the dish-washing on the 'proper' way, rinsing after it. I have been in several countries in Europe, seen some homes, but never experienced this, neither in Germany, Italy, France, Greece, and so on. But all the British people I know here (without a single exception) and in all the houses I have lived in, they are all doing the same way, without rinsing. And now I am reading comments here from someone like: What is wrong if you don't rinse it? Maybe the foam from washing-up chemicals can be harmful. Maybe the number of people getting cancer every year has something to do with this, not talking about the potential toxins in the food the 80 %of the people buy in the supermarkets. Unbelievable really, doesn't make any sense, it is a horror seeing the 'process' when they are washing up. We even asked once a guy with my friend and he was surprised when we showed him how we wash the dishes. Anyway I admit there are a lots of things this country can be proud of, but this is just ridiculous. I want to meet someone doing it on the right way, please!

  Peter, Kecskemet UK

• I am a Malaysian who is studying and working in Melbourne right now. A couple of times I've seen my work colleagues (English, Australian, New Zealander) do the dishes this way, I asked them why they do not rinse off the soap, they say it's to save water. As what most of the others here said, I totally can't accept eating soap with my food. Coming from an Asian background, the way we do dishes does tend to waste water. I would sort of improvise this "British way", by draining the sink of soapy water, then running all the dishes under cold water before putting onto the drying rack. No second sink bowl required. Recently I stayed in a hostel where the manager who lived there insisted that everyone also did the dishes this way. We just complied, but every single time we take a plate out of the cupboard, we rinse it once before putting food on it.

  Jing Tao Tan, Melbourne, Australia

• The UK is one of the dirtiest places I've seen: trash everywhere, hell those guys don't even shower or brush their teeth, and on a Friday straight to the pub (looking to get laid). I visited The UK in April, the guy in the hostel was washing the dog bowl in the kitchen sink! Damn!

  Beth, San Francisco, US

• All my four Brit housemates wash the dishes this way and they say they're fine when they get dried. But I always re-rinse them before use. That's why my dishes are always wet.

  Ali, London, UK

• What really annoys me is how many people don't know how to even use a dishwasher properly. Some people put absolutely filthy items in without soaking them in the sink first, and expect all the dirt to come off. Also, people pile items right on top of each other, and somehow expect the water and detergent to be able to reach them adequately. Totally daft.

  Clare Sheldon, Exmouth, UK

• This was so funny to come across this question. Many years ago, close to 25 years, I ended up in the USA. I never questioned it, but it was quickly brought to my attention with a hearty laugh from my now wife, "thats so funny, you don't rinse off the soap". Had no idea what she was going on about, it was the way I was brought up, needless to say, that needed to change right away! I just think its great to find this article all these years later and that it wasn't just me… :))

  Lee Chanona, Berlin USA

• Actually, I think this is a serious and interesting topic of discussion. I noticed this in the UK too while visiting friends and it seemed weird. I asked without getting a logical explanation for it. It's all about what you are used to and feel most comfortable with so I respected that, but I kept thinking about the hygiene issues that comes with not rinsing. I rinse my dishes thoroughly.

  Hadiza Umar, Kaduna Nigeria

• HAHAHA OMG EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. I have some family from the UK...... Lets just say, I will NEVER let them wash my dishes!!!!!!!!! The fact that they don't wash the DIRTY, SOAPY dish water off is just disgusting! I don't see why most of you think its ok. You don't want spots on your dishes? then get a clean towel and wipe you dishes dry after you rinse off the dirty water! Then you know what you do after your done doing the dishes? YOU PUT THE TOWEL IN THE DIRTY LAUNDRY! Its not that hard people! really. You Brits may dress better than most of us in America, but your washing up habits are absolutely DISGUSTING. And if this is how you wash dishes, I would hate to see how you wash your body :X

  Jessica, Sheboygan USA

• What a load of crap, a bit of fairy liquid is not going to kill you. My husband is Italian and wastes so much water and time 'rinsing' the dishes which actually consists of him dumping a load of barf in the bottom of the sink and running it under the tap. Maybe Im wrong but to me this is the epitomy of filth. Just wash them in detergent and stop wasting your life on watermarks on pans.

  Fay, Durham, UK

• Oh dear, think some of you are staying in the wrong places in The U.K. When you visit! I came upon this site accidentally whilst looking for soap dishes! I am from England, but have lived in several other places; I can say that I not only have a dishwasher, double sink and mixer tap - but I also have always rinsed dishes after washing! I am 40 and was taught this by my parents and also in Home Economics at school! Always glasses first and pans last. Always dry glasses straight away with a clean cloth to stop smears. I can honestly say I don't know anyone in England who doesn't rinse their dishes, so you really can't generalise so much! But to the person who likened it to not rinsing after brushing teeth - official advice now is NOT to rinse after brushing, new analogy required!! Thanks, will go and find soap dishes now, hope you come to some conclusion or find something more useful to do with your time! Have a nice day now y'all!!

  Sarah Cox, Kent England

• I married a Brit who didn't rinse and I died of Fairy Liquid poisoning two weeks later. Mind you, I was 97 when I got married and I was a lifelong meths drinker who smoked 80 Woodbines a day.Eat food, wash up: you'll live just as long whichever way you do it. That said, please do NOT follow the way of washing up used in some particularly unenlightened parts of the UK (e.g. Derby, Hull, Swanage): in all those areas, people habitually wash their dishes using sheep dip and then dry the sudsy dishes using fly papers.

  Bill Sykes, Slough UK

• Who cares, it's washing up liquid.

  Gaz, Coventry, England

• I am nearly 50 and have always rinsed dishes before washing but not after (unless the water is dirty, at which point I may change the water, also extra care taken after raw meat contact). I am in good health. Research suggests exposure to some bacteria is beneficial to the immune system( eg. children on farms). How many lethal bacteria do you expect to find on your washed dishes? Has any proper study been done? If you want to rinse, then rinse. Please, stop being so self righteous and don't make this storm in a teacup into something big.

  David, Manchester, UK