Sanitization, disinfection, sterilization of Dishwasher?
How to do more then just clean of dishwasher ? I mean: how to sanitize or even disinfect or sterilize ?
"Many people are misinformed about the difference between clean, sanitized, disinfected, and sterilized."
- quote from ANFP
In place I currently rent there is Electrolux GA55LV220 Dishwasher and I am completely puzzled which methods are both: safe for dishwasher (it's not mine, rented...) and will clean bacteria&friends safely to our health after previous unknown users.
I allowed myselfe to post here, as maintenance category of this site feels like good fit, because regular sanitization of dishwasher (e.g. every 1-3 months) is recommended in couple of places like good idea.
So far reseach: For example, I see in this and other articles, advice to use chlorine bleach, because of it's disinfection properties. However there is always warining to "not use it for dishwasher with a stainless steel interior" as it will erode metal. I tried to find if that applies to Electrolux GA55LV220, but the only note I found in user's manual on page 58, is "There can be water on the sides and on the door of the appliance. Stainless steel becomes cool more quickly then the dishes", so I am not sure if they meant it's stainless steel (IMHO it should be verbatim on other pages, like technical specs) of if they copied this part from other manuals.
Also we've bought "Javel Wasser Plus" substance for desinfection with following description of ingredients: "Inhaltsstoffe: unter 5% Bleichmittel auf Chlorbasis (Natriumhypochlorit) "(according to Google Translate : Ingredients: less than 5% chlorine-based bleach (sodium hypochlorite)". So it looks to me like recommended in previously mentioned articles, but still I am not sure if it will not erode dishwasher and if there are other good alternatives.
Best Answer
I have never heard of bleach harming stainless steel in any way. However, you may want to clean it with bleach and then run the cycle with nothing or with white vinegar afterward to rinse the bleach off. I would not run the dry cycle after either of these cycles, of course.
Pictures about "Sanitization, disinfection, sterilization of Dishwasher?"
Is sanitize the same as sterilize in dishwasher?
\u201cSanitized\u201d Doesn't Mean \u201cSterilized\u201d The first level of dishwashing is simply cleaning, the removal of any physical visible traces of food or other soil. Washing is important, because traces of food waste left clinging to your dishes can harbor microorganisms.What are the two methods to properly sanitize dishwasher?
The public health organization Stop Foodborne Illness recommends one of two methods: You can either suspend your dishes in a really hot water bath (at least 170\xb0F, for at least 30 seconds), or soak dishes in a sanitizing solution of bleach and water (one tablespoon of unscented chlorine bleach and one gallon of cool ...Should you use sanitize on dishwasher?
If you want to reduce germs and take proper care of your dishwasher, pressing the sanitize button is the safest way to ensure your dishes come out sparkly clean.The Difference Between Sanitization, Disinfection, and Sterilization
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Anna Shvets, Matilda Wormwood, Jessica Lewis Creative, Jessica Lewis Creative