There may be a new method for washing dishes in the future. That’s because washing dishes with a superheated steam dishwasher can save water and electricity compared to traditional dishwashers, which require long cycle times, according to a study. According to the research, there is no use of detergent with this method. Research says a superheated steam dishwasher can efficiently eliminate pathogens, including potentially harmful bacteria.
Professor Natalie Germann at the Technical University of Dortmund in Germany explains that they developed a computational model in the study. With the model, it was found that superheated steam can generate shock waves that disinfect dishes at high speed.
The authors determined the strength of the shocks and the rate of condensation that could effectively disinfect the dishes. However, the study is still in its infancy and model stage. So more research is needed to see how effective superheated steam is at cleaning multiple dishes at once.
There is currently no clear information on the ability of superheated steam to remove food residues stuck to dishes, as the study focuses on neutralizing bacteria and computation. Still, the study’s authors think steam can easily remove these food scraps.
Conventional dishwashers can also effectively kill bacteria on dirty dishes and reduce the average colony count of microorganisms by more than 99 percent. According to Popular Science, this is much better than hand washing and drying with a small towel.
However, the effectiveness of a superheated steam dishwasher at killing bacteria can be an advantage. Germann says the technology could be used in hospitals, restaurants, nursing homes and other environments where high cleanliness and bacterial safety are required.
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