A familiar shot from the film: if the bartender is not busy pouring drinks, then he stands peacefully at the counter and wipes the glasses with a towel. The harsh reality in the everyday life of individual families: each unit of dishes, of which a lot is collected after a family meal, is first washed and then wiped dry. And what is most interesting, none of the described paintings gives an exact answer to the question "Why is this done?" To clarify the situation, it will be useful to familiarize yourself with the opinions of fans and opponents of this exciting activity.
Arguments for
The content of the article
- Arguments for
- Arguments against
- Where is the truth?
- Practice tips
Since the main task is to find out the advisability of wiping the dishes, those cases that are associated with a simple habit will not be considered. Among the rest, the following views on the question "why" are leading:
- so as not to breed dampness in the closet;
- to exclude splashing of moisture on the working surfaces at the moment when the dishes are sent to dry;
- so that water does not accumulate in the pallets and does not rot;
- it is easier to wipe it off than to clean the drier tray later;
- so that it shines and does not leave stains.
Another argument found on the forums: “Refusing to wipe the dishes with a towel is a big stupidity. Some types of contaminants (casein after milk, vegetable and animal oils) cannot be dissolved and washed off. Their complete removal is possible only with mechanical cleaning of the dishes, which is wiping... In houses where the dishes are not wiped, this becomes immediately noticeable. Stickiness, grease and cloudy stains do not cause any feelings, except disgust. "
Arguments against
Attempts to systematize the points of view of those who do not accept this activity have led to the creation of the following top opinions:
- not aesthetically pleasing - the pile remains on the dishes;
- it is inappropriate - you dare to wash your rubbish;
- unprofitable - either constant washing, or serious costs for paper towels;
- not hygienic - in fact, the process leads to an even redistribution of residual pollution.
Regarding the last point: a very interesting article about the results of research by American scientists is circulating on the net. Here is an excerpt from it: “At the University of Arizona, it was revealed that 89% of kitchen towels are inhabited by intestinal bacteria, 25.6% of which are E. coli. This means that wiping dishes with such a towel often causes food poisoning. After all, a microorganism from a towel penetrates the surface of tableware, from there - into food consumed by a person. "
Where is the truth?
To find it, you need to mentally go back to the days when people did not know about the benefits of a centralized water supply and a variety of detergents. Then the dishes were washed in basins with clean water, and polished to a shine with ash, sand or cloth. Later, various soap solutions began to be used, which removed dirt better, but they themselves were rather poorly washed off and they had to be wiped off with towels.
Today there are active and easy-to-rinse detergents and centralized water supplies with virtually unlimited flows of running water. That is, you could forget about greasy stains or residues of "chemistry" on the dishes. But ordinary water can leave its mark. Rather, the salts it contains. It is they who form those unsightly, clearly visible specks on glass, metal or transparent plastic. And just for the sake of eliminating them, it makes sense to wipe the dishes. But you need to do it right.
Practice tips
An ordinary towel made of natural materials will greatly facilitate the work. By laying it near the sink, you will be able to get a surface that absorbs moisture well from freshly washed dishes. At the end of cleaning the kitchen utensils from the towel, it is recommended to rinse it in clean water and send it to dry - this will prevent germs from spawning.
After all the dishes are washed, they are removed from the moisture-absorbing surface, sorting along the way. Anything on which salt stains will not be noticeable can be sent directly to the dryer - there the remaining droplets will evaporate, and the tray will no longer be filled with "rotting" moisture. It is advisable to wipe the rest of the kitchen utensils (everything transparent or metal).
For glossing, it is best to choose microfiber cloths: they absorb moisture well, are tough enough to remove salt deposits and do not leave lint on the surface to be treated. Another advantage of them is the price, which allows, without much damage to the family budget, to carry out a weekly replacement of this piece of fabric. And so that microorganisms do not multiply in the cloth during these 7 days of active use, it is enough to rinse and dry it after each use.