Does Dishwashing Liquid kill bacteria?Updated a day ago

Koh Dishwashing Liquid is a detergent, not a disinfectant. It lifts grease and food residue off plates and pans so the microbes living in that residue rinse away with the wash water. Koh does not test or register the product as a disinfectant. The formula is close to neutral and made in Australia, with three enzymes that break down protein and fat during a 5 to 10 minute soak. Where a sanitising step matters, such as baby feeding equipment or someone in the house being unwell, heat is the usual answer: a dishwasher sanitise cycle, or a hot rinse and a full air-dry after hand washing.

Sanitising is a separate step from washing, and heat is the simplest way to do it at home. In a dishwasher, run a cycle with a final hot rinse around 65 to 70 degrees Celsius, or the dedicated sanitise option if your machine has one, using Koh Dishwashing Tabs rather than Koh Dishwashing Liquid. Hand washing at the sink, rinse in the hottest water your hands and the items comfortably tolerate, then leave everything to air-dry on a rack instead of wiping with a tea towel. For baby feeding equipment, illness in the house, or a specific hygiene requirement, use a sanitiser labelled for food-contact surfaces and follow its directions.

Scrape food off plates first, wash with detergent, rinse well, then air-dry on a rack rather than wiping with a damp tea towel. Change sponges and dishcloths often and wash cloths on a hot cycle. Do not put Koh Dishwashing Liquid in a dishwasher, use Koh Dishwashing Tabs instead, and do not mix it with bleach, ammonia or any other cleaning product. These routine habits do more for a kitchen than any single product claim, and they are what the 5 to 10 minute soak is designed to fit around.