Cleaning supplies combat killer fungi in dishwashers

01 July 2011

Research highlights our appliances are harbouring dangerous fungal yeasts

Todays modern life has seen the increased need for electrical home appliances including washing machines, coffee makers and dishwashers.  However a recent  publication in the journal Fungal Biology has found that the appliances are often harbouring deadly fungi's.

germy dishwasher

The seals, corners and walls of dishwashers can harbour dangerous germs and heat tolerant super fungi if not properly cleaned and maintained

Research conducted over six continents tested 189 dishwashers, disturbingly 62% of these appliances were found to have fungi on the door's rubber band seals.  Over half of these were the black yeasts, known to be dangerous to human health Exophiala dermatitidis and E. phaeomuriformis.

Apparently the moist and warm conditions are making suitable habitats for the organism which showed great tolerance to the detergents and heat within the dishwasher.  These tolerances have not previously been seen in fungi.

Dr Polona Zalar of the University of Ljubljana, says "the potential hazard they represent should not be overlooked".

Alarmingly the dishwasher machines tested were thought to be already "clean"....Nina Gunde-Cimerman her co-author says, "One thing that is not in the report is that we tested the dishes after they had been cleaned in these dishwashers and they were full of this black yeast, so too the cutlery that you put in your mouth. We just don't know how serious this could be".

Exophiala dermatitidis is frequently encountered in compromised and healthy people.  It has been found in the lungs of people suffering from cystic fibrosis and can on occassion, cause fatal infections in healthy people.  It is not known exactly how the fungi enters the lungs as it cannot be inhaled but the arrival of black yeasts into our homes presents a definite health risk.

 

The organism is not often found outside nature so research placing it in our homes on such a widespread scale, suggests that these organisms have embarked on an extraordinary evolutionary process.

Effective cleaning routines need to be put in place to minimise our risk of exposure, it is imperative to select the right cleaning supplies capable of cleaning and sanitising,  heres a few tips on how to clean your dishwasher;

  1. Remove all shelving so that you can begin cleaning the walls and corners of your dishwasher.
  2. Spray liberally with  a good quality bactericidal cleaner, allow a little contact time for the cleaning product to work, we like our Concentrated Bactericidal Cleaner.
  3. Use a hand brush to agitate the cleaning products and scrub scale and food debris away from the seals, walls and door.
  4. Take out all removable parts from the drainage system, remove food debris and soak in a solution of descaler.
  5. Take a sponge and using a hot solution of your cleaning supplies, again we recommend our Concentrated Bactericidal Cleaner, wash around the inside of the dishwasher, cleaning away the slurry loosened by your brush earlier.  Pay particular attention to the seals.
  6. Scrub the shelving with your solution of bactericidal cleaning supplies , rinse and return to the dishwasher.
  7. Put the dishwasher on a rinse cycle to remove all the debris, scale build up and cleaning product residue.
  8. Take a cup of sanitising fluid, we like our own Sanitiser Concentrate, place at the top of the dishwasher and switch the dishwasher on to the hottest wash cycle.  This will enable the sanitiser to contact with all the cleaned surfaces and freshen up the drainage system at the same time.
  9. Repeat on a regular basis using the correct cleaning supplies.

What else can we do to minimise our risks?

  • Maintain a regualr cleaning schedule
  • Keep a stock of the cleaning supplies that you will need
  • Wear rubber gloves
  • Keep an eye on the cleanliness of the rubber seals
  • Remove all removable parts and clean out food debris
  • Rinse items before placing in dishwasher
  • Set dishwasher on the hottest temp
  • Look out for any "black bits" on your cleaned items
  • Leave the door open after use to get air in and dry the appliance out

For more information on dishwasher/kitchen cleaning or cleaning supplies advice, please do contact us or take a look at our range of cleaning supplies for the most suitable product for your requirements

 

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