Should you rinse your dishes? A debate between those who do and those who don't

• Cleaning mistakes that make food taste bad
• People with an obsession to clean
• Things you only have to clean once a year

Jo and Matthew have lived together for a year. A model of rinser-non-rinser coexistence, they have come to tolerate each other’s opposing views like a deeply-divided couple learning to navigate politics in a Trump era.

When it’s Jo’s turn to do the washing-up, she fills the sink with hot water and a squirt of detergent, then immerses the dishes and washes them. At this point, she takes them out of the soapy water and puts them on the drying rack. Yes, just like that – no final rinse.

“The use of a sponge sufficiently extricates suds. Any remaining suds dissipate once a dish has been placed on a drying rack,” she says.

Whereas Jo sees residual bubbles as an indication of cleanliness, Matthew disagrees, “You wouldn’t step out of the bath covered in bubble bath without first rinsing off under the shower, would you?”

And they’re not the only ones.

Ruth and James have lived together for four years. Ruth was once a non-rinser until James – a chef – told her she was doing it wrong. “He reckons you’ll get sick if you’ve got residual detergent on your dishes,” she says. “Which I guess makes sense. I’m happy for him to have this victory.”

Of course, having polar opposite approaches doesn’t mean your relationship is doomed. Many see their partner’s stance as a challenge rather than a dealbreaker. As one rinser commented: “My sister’s husband used to do a quick dunk in a sink of COLD, non-soapy water. Of course, she was mortified and has been working to train him up in doing it her way.”

From Japan to Australia to France, washing-up technique has a lot to do with your country code and cultural background. “When you’re young, it’s informed by your family. Later in life, it’s shaped by your friends and partners – or lack thereof,” says one commenter.

Washing-up technique has a lot to do with your country code and cultural background. Photo: Joselito M Briones

In many Asian countries, it’s common to leave the tap running from start to finish – a sight that would leave many in drought-ridden parts of Australia wanting to cry. Growing up, our family subscribed to the former – and guests would comment on how our rinsing technique was even more thorough than their washing.

Sometimes it comes down to practicalities. Leanne, a mother of three, doesn’t rinse before stacking because she grew up with only one sink. She does however wash from cleanest to dirtiest. Some are told to rinse with cold water for better shine. Others swear by hot water to help them dry faster.

While non-rinsers say rinsing is ridiculously wasteful and burdensome (“Why bother rinsing, you fool, when life is passing you by?”), many rinsers are simply looking out for their health. If the recommended dosage of detergent is used, no-rinse should be no cause for concern. But who wants to eat soap? Especially when we’ve read dubious internet articles linking it to cancer.

“No meal has ever benefited from a hint of anti-bacterial dishwashing detergent,” says one rinser. “Suds in my stomach is unhealthy, but probably not lethal. Unless it turns out soap causes cancer, which is something at the back of my mind, like too many additives in hotdogs or waxy instant noodles,” says another.

While non-rinsers say rinsing is ridiculously wasteful and burdensome, many rinsers are simply looking out for their health. Photo: istock

Dishwashers have added another layer to this never ending debate.

For many dishwasher owners, there’s no logical reason for rinsing before loading. They liken it to hiring a cleaner – by insisting on cleaning up in preparation for their arrival. Others would rather not treat their cleaning appliance as a garbage disposal unit.

At the risk of reopening old wounds, I brought it up with an old boyfriend – the preload non-rinser to my rinser. After noting that our argument has lasted longer than “the entire series run of Party of Five“, he arrived at his main argument: “People who insist upon pre-dishwasher rinses clearly have trust issues with their machine.”

The source of lovers’ tiffs and tense dinner party disputes – necessitating sneaky do-overs when your guests aren’t looking – the issue is as murky as the dishwater non-rinsers use to clean their plates.

Then there’s the way people stack the drying rack, which we’ll save for another day.