Post: #1

I know it'll get them clean, but does it actually knock out the bacteria too?

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #2

(11-23-2013 06:01 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  I know it'll get them clean, but does it actually knock out the bacteria too?

If baking soda had antiseptic properties, doctors would be sprinkling the stuff on their equipment to make it sterile, throwing it into patients abdomens to cure appendicitis, and cleaning septic wounds with it.

The only place baking soda has anti-bacterial properties is when it is used against bacteria that live in acidic environment - eg. urine. And then it's not really by a direct antibacterial action, rather that by changing the acidic environment into something more base, then the environment becomes hostile for acid loving bacteria and they may die off.

(In case you're wondering, you can self-medicate a urinary tract infection by drinking one teaspoon baking soda in a glass of water 3 times a day for about 5 days. If it doesn't work, you probably need something stronger. Never mix baking soda with antibiotics, because many antibiotics work better in acidic environments.)

So unless you are soaking your dishes in urine or some other acid, I'd say that baking soda is unlikely to knock out bacteria.

Running water is already a powerful antibacterial force, you're basically creating the microbial equivalent of a tsunami every time you put a dish under running water. For house level germs, this is probably more than enough for everything except cutting boards.

(In case you're wondering, you can dramatically reduce the chance of any wound getting infected simply by sticking it under running tap water for 15 minutes. 15 minutes of rinsing is estimated to reduce bacterial load by 99%, if I remember correctly.)

For cutting boards, or anything else that can have traces of food stuck in thin cracks along its surface, use any soap - most are all fairly powerful antibacterials, even the plainest ones (they destroy fat bonds in the bacterial walls or something like that). If you really don't want to use soap, soak these surfaces in a mixture of bleach and water for an hour.

Post: #3

(11-23-2013 07:48 AM)Thomas the Rhymer Wrote:  

(11-23-2013 06:01 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  I know it'll get them clean, but does it actually knock out the bacteria too?

If baking soda had antiseptic properties, doctors would be sprinkling the stuff on their equipment to make it sterile, throwing it into patients abdomens to cure appendicitis, and cleaning septic wounds with it.

Doctors aren't exactly doing the above with dishsoap either. lol

But I appreciate the breakdown.

What you said about running water makes sense to me. I read somewhere that it is very possible to just wash your dishes with water and that in some cultures they do just that. I'm sure not leaving food stuck to them is a huge first step in keeping them bacteria-free, and I always wash my dishes as I use them, since it's so much easier that way.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #4

You can basically substitute everything Thomas said about dishes to teeth.

Another point is to rinse, then to manually scrub off any debris, then to re-rinse.

Baking soda changes the pH if you allow to sit for a while. What baking soda is good for (re-washing dishes/teeth) is that it is an mild abrasive which scrubs off debris. (Rock salt would be cheaper and more abrasive for dishes tbh)

Toohpaste is basically surfactant+abrasive+flavoring. Thats why it starts foaming when you brush- just like soap.

Post: #5

What are you trying to achieve by using baking soda? The surfactants in dish washing liquid are not harmful as long as you don't ingest them in large quantities.

Post: #6

(11-23-2013 12:34 PM)DaveR Wrote:  What are you trying to achieve by using baking soda? The surfactants in dish washing liquid are not harmful as long as you don't ingest them in large quantities.

I'm staying in an apartment in Cambodia and have no clue how long I'll be here. I hate buying a bunch of unnecessary shit as I end up leaving a box or two worth of stuff behind every time I move to a new country. Wasteful and irritating.

Already have baking soda sitting here because I use it to scrub my face and as deodorant.

Just trying to keep things simple, in other words. I'm at a stage in my life where the simpler the better. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to get myself sick because of it.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #7

Washing dishes is a woman's job. Let them worry about it.

Post: #8

(11-23-2013 12:38 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

(11-23-2013 12:34 PM)DaveR Wrote:  What are you trying to achieve by using baking soda? The surfactants in dish washing liquid are not harmful as long as you don't ingest them in large quantities.

I'm staying in an apartment in Cambodia and have no clue how long I'll be here. I hate buying a bunch of unnecessary shit as I end up leaving a box or two worth of stuff behind every time I move to a new country. Wasteful and irritating.

Already have baking soda sitting here because I use it to scrub my face and as deodorant.

Just trying to keep things simple, in other words. I'm at a stage in my life where the simpler the better. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to get myself sick because of it.

It takes more effort, but you won't get sick from it. Just make sure you let the dishes dry thoroughly, because the biggest risk is unsanitary water (giardia, etc.)

I usually carry some soap for hand washing whenever I'm in developing countries. If you find a small bottle it isn't a big deal to carry it with you.

Post: #9

(11-23-2013 11:40 AM)DVY Wrote:  Toohpaste is basically surfactant+abrasive+flavoring. Thats why it starts foaming when you brush- just like soap.

Also fluoride, which is important if you're in a place which doesn't have fluoridated drinking water.