Claire Reid
A debate has been sparked over the correct way to wash the dishes after someone claimed people from England do it ‘differently’.
Washing dishes is something we all do so frequently we’ve stopped paying attention but - much like which way you face in the shower - a debate has now been kicked off after someone questioned it.
In a post on Reddit - titled 'Do the British wash dishes differently?' - someone asked: “When I was a kid, I had lovely neighbours from England and I enjoyed visiting them. One day, the lady was washing dishes, and I saw she did not rinse off the soap bubbles. I asked her why, and she said, ‘that's just how we do it in England’. Well of course I went home and told my Mom, who did not believe me.
“So, it bothered me for a long time. One day when I was in my 20s I was reading a column in the newspaper, and the writer said she had seen the same thing and was just as surprised as me. So, can an English person please confirm this, and offer an explanation?”
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Now, I am British and I can honestly say the idea of not rinsing off dishes makes me feel a bit ill. The thought of all those suds just being left to sink and leave a weird film behind - ergh.
However, it turns out that plenty of folks from England do think this is the way dishes should be done.
Responding to the post, one person said: “My mom was married to an English guy for a while, and he lived here in the US with us, and he would wash his dishes like this. Just straight out of the soapy water and into the drying rack.”
Another commented: “My (English) mum does this and has always done this. I never noticed a soapy taste but the stuff drying on the draining board is still covered with bubbles. I think it's more generational though, everyone I know my age would rinse them properly.”
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While a third wrote: “I'm English, a lot of people don't rinse their dishes and they'll be sat there with bubbles on them for ages.”
Others were disgusted by the very thought of not rinsing off the washing liquid.
“The way that soap works is that it holds the dirt in suspension off the product being cleaned,” a fellow Reddit user said. “If you don't rinse, most of that grime just dries back onto your plate.”
A second asked: “I am shook reading these comments. Not rinsing your dishes is a thing, really?”
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I agree with that guy. I refuse to believe it.