It sounds like a familiar scene in many homes: the kitchen sink is overflowing, and you’re not quite sure what’s happening in there. This week, I heard a story that really made me think about the unexpected things that can happen in our shared living spaces. A homeowner’s roommate, in an attempt to tackle a sink clog, poured a generous amount of degreaser down the drain, which then backed up into a sink full of dirty dishes. The big question? Are those dishes still safe to eat off of?
Let’s break this down. Degreasers are designed to break down fats and oils. Fish fat, as mentioned, is a common culprit for clogs because it solidifies when it cools. Degreasers, often containing strong surfactants and sometimes alkaline ingredients, work by emulsifying these fats, making them soluble in water so they can be washed away.
So, what does this mean for your dishes? The good news is that most modern dishware, especially if it’s ceramic, porcelain, or glass, is non-porous. This means that the degreaser and the fish fat mixture likely didn’t seep into the material itself. The primary concern would be any residue left on the surface of the dishes.
When a sink backs up like this, it’s essentially a temporary holding tank for whatever went down the drain. The degreaser, having done its job (or attempted to), is mixed with water, food particles, and the fish fat. If you’re worried about residual chemicals, a thorough wash is your best bet.
Here’s what I’d recommend:
- Scrape and Rinse: Before washing, scrape off any visible food debris. Then, give the dishes a good rinse under hot running water to remove as much of the murky water as possible.
- Hot Water and Soap: Wash your dishes as you normally would, but maybe use a little extra dish soap. Dish soap is specifically designed to cut through grease and lift food particles, and it’s great at rinsing away chemical residues too.
- Hot Water Rinse: Make sure to rinse your dishes thoroughly with hot water. This helps to ensure that any soap or degreaser residue is completely washed away.
- Sanitize (Optional): If you’re particularly concerned, you could use a dishwasher on its hottest setting with a sanitizing cycle. If washing by hand, you could also use a diluted bleach solution (about 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water) to soak dishes for a minute, followed by a thorough rinse. However, never mix bleach with other cleaners, especially ammonia-based ones, as this can create toxic fumes.
In most cases, a good, old-fashioned wash with hot water and plenty of dish soap should make your dishes perfectly safe to use again. It’s a good reminder of how important it is to be mindful of what we pour down our drains, and perhaps to have a chat with your roommate about proper drain maintenance!
It’s a good lesson in kitchen chemistry and a reminder to keep communication open in a shared home.