Does boiling water kill bacteria?

Question

When i'm at work I clean my mug, plate and cutlery by rinsing (or soaking depending on how longs it been left) in water to remove the food then rinsing with boiling water. Is this sufficient to clean them i.e to kill and harmfull bacteria or am i risking a nasty stomach upset? I always thought that boiling water would kill all known bacteria but someone suggested that it won't.

Thanks for the quick responses, however I should have asked, will my method of cleaning be any better/worse than conventional washing with Fairy washing up liquid and hot water?

Answer 1

Boiling water will be less effective than fairy and water.
The boiling water will kill some (most) of the bacteria, but there are some bacteria that live in extremely hot temperatures. That said the heat should kill most by denaturing the enzymes. The fairy (a detergent) will burst the cells thus killing them. The combination of heat plus detergent will be better as you are taking two different approaches to killing them.

Answer 2

Does Boiling Water Kill Germs

Answer 3

Boiling water Will not kill all bacteria, some bacteria are known to resist heat above 400 degrees F. Time is also a factor, longer exposure to heat will kill more bacteria. Then again the temperature and time to kill a bacteria strain depends also in it's kind. The best way would simply to use dishwashing liquid, then rinse with hot water. Soap does kill bacteria, as it destroys the lipidic membrane of the bacteria. Then again it does nor sterilize but in your case it is nor necessary. Just a quick wash, rinse in hot water then let dry....

Answer 4

Boiling water kills a large number of bacteria though not all of them which are harmful. But the body's defence or immunity mechanisms are strong enough to take care of any minor infections or the bacteria you may ingest. Nothing much to worry about , taking into account the practical fact that we can not sterilize our eating plate and mugs each time. In normal life, boiling water is good enough and if you still want to make sure wash them with soap first and then thoroughly wash with boiling water..

Answer 5

Boiling water does kill many bacteria found but only if it is past boiling point (100*c) that 100% are killed. Use washing up liquid too not just water to be on the safe side.

Answer 6

If I understand correctly, you are not using any soap at all, and then pouring boiling water over your dishes after you've wiped off all the visible contaminants. Boiling water does kill most bacteria, but it is not in contact with your dishes for a long enough time to do much sterilization. You would have better results by using a dish soap to wash them, and then rinse in hot (not necessarily boiling) water. Bring a small bottle of dish soap to work, and remember to launder your dishcloth regularly (take it home over the weekend), since it too can harbor bacteria, if left for too long.

Answer 7

Yes, boiling water does kill bacteria. But not all known bacteria. It actually depends on each individuals body system and the capacity of bacteria found in the water that is boiled.

Answer 8

For most bacteria around the place the answer is yes, boiling water will kill. If one checks out survival and travel information, it may tell you that in order to be safe you have to boil water for at least ten minutes before it is safe to drink. This is to stop nasties like the Hepatitis virus.

There are bacteria that can be found at hot water outlets at the bottom of the ocean and thrive in water temperatures of over 100 degrees C. But you are not likely to encounter them in your washing-up sink at home.

Answer 9

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Does boiling water kill bacteria?
When i'm at work I clean my mug, plate and cutlery by rinsing (or soaking depending on how longs it been left) in water to remove the food then rinsing with boiling water. Is this sufficient to clean them i.e to kill and harmfull bacteria or am i risking a nasty stomach upset? I always thought...

Answer 10

the thermal destruction of most pathogens is achieved by a combination of time and temperature. The best method is to do what is technically termed the Botulinum Cook to destroy the hardiest bacteria - Clostridium Botulinum and that requires a temperature of 123 C for 3 minutes.

This temperature is very difficult to achieve in water therefore any reduction has to be compensated for by additional time.

Rinsing at 100 C will kill some bacteria, and the application of physical energy (cleaning) will assist further - but the threat will always remain unless you steep in very hot water (over 63 C) for longer time periods.