Monday, October 14, 2013

Dishwasher Fungus


[via]

How do you wash your dishes? Choose one of the following answers:

1. Dishwasher.
2. By hand.
3. I throw them out the window when they're dirty; a trick I learned from Lisa Douglas on Green Acres...



If you answered "#1. Dishwasher," be warned. Your dishwasher may be trying to kill you.

This is old news to those of you who read "Fungal Biology" but for the rest of you, be aware that studies have found that dishwashers are the perfect host for extremotolerant fungi, which includes black yeast, a type of yeast potentially dangerous to human health. The fungi are tolerant to heat, detergents and salt, allowing them to thrive and grow in the dishwasher environment -- especially on the rubber band of dishwasher doors.

Black yeast can cause disease in both healthy and compromised immune systems. If inhaled, these fungi can colonize the lungs and cause infections that can be difficult to treat. People who are taking antibiotics and those with poor immune systems, diabetes, and cystic fibrosis are at greater risk of lung and skin infections caused by the fungi.

What can you do to banish fungi from your dishwasher?

Follow these steps, as found here:

Baking soda, vinegar, and bleach may help to kill mold, mildew, and fungi growing on the inside surfaces of your dishwasher. This cleaning regimen should be done once per month to prevent fungi from taking hold.

Start by removing all racks and washing them by hand in hot soapy water. Use a soapy sponge to wipe down the dishwasher's interior surfaces and around the rubber door seal. Let everything air dry thoroughly.

Combine a half cup of white vinegar with 2 cups of hot water in a spray bottle. Spray all surfaces thoroughly and scrub with an old toothbrush around the crevices and seal. Use a scrub brush for large surfaces.

Put the racks back into the dishwasher. Fill a small glass bowl with vinegar and place it on the top rack. Run the washer on the hottest setting. Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda on the dishwasher floor and run the machine a second time on high heat.

Finish by running the washer with a commercial dishwasher cleaner, followed by hand cleaning all surfaces with a four-to-one mixture of hot water and bleach.


[via]

This all seems like rather a lot of bother, doesn't it?

Mistress MJ advises you to give this task to your houseboys.

NOTE: Mistress MJ is in the habit of cleaning her dishwasher on a monthly basis as a matter of hygiene and to keep it smelling fresh. However, I had no idea there is an actual FUNGUS capable of thriving in the dishwasher! Nonetheless, dishwasher fungus is the least of my worries at the moment so unless I see THIS winking at me...


dishwasher fungus "Exophiala dermatitidis"...also found in washing machines

...I'll be on the fainting chaise with a cocktail.

22 comments:

  1. First!

    This reminds me to throw my dishwasher out and hire a new one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AYEM8Y: If you don’t want your dishwasher, one of the other Bitches will snap him up.

      Delete
  2. that fungus winking at you is someone's anus.

    and regarding the dishwasher. most people are slobs. if they cleaned the sides of the door every once in a while, life would be fine. nevertheless, i am indebted to you, Magic Jermima. we are once again, the recipients of your overflowing heart.

    i raise your glass to you (i'm driving).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NORMA: I went around back of the man in the first photo to take that shot. I was hoping you wouldn’t figure it out.

      Sounds like you’ve got your hands full. You need this.

      Delete
    2. my god, is there no problem
      that doesn't stymie you?

      Delete
    3. NORMA: Not if it’s booze-related, no.

      Delete
  3. Jesus - that's not cleaning a dishwasher, that's sterilizing the poor machine. The innards of a washing machine may also be fungus-infested - but I doubt that a glass of acid will solve the problem. Will solve possibly the plastic joints ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MAGO: A glass of acid?

      I’m hoping that a hit of acid will make me stop thinking about dishwasher fungus.

      Delete
  4. Mushrooms are an acquired taste...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sweet Jesus on a Breadstick!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TOPHER: I’ve seen him on a slice of toast but never on a breadstick.

      Delete
  6. Do we really need to see a close up of your mole? I was eating here. Meanwhile Lisa Douglas was a huge role model......out the window they go...... and in many other ways.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MISTRESS MADDIE: Lisa Douglas was a role model for you?

      I’m not surprised, given that your hotcakes are legendary around town.

      Delete
  7. Gah! Pesky Mother Nature. What is this thing with her to have some hideous microbial lifeform colonise the most inhospitable of places? Give up! David Attenborough is almost certain to retire soon, then no one will care!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MR. DeVICE: I can’t imagine a world without David Attenborough.

      And speaking of hideous microbial lifeforms colonising the most inhospitable of places, have you washed your “wand” lately?

      Delete
    2. It will certainly be a very dark day.

      Even darker without Sir David.

      Delete
  8. I will stick with my hand jobs....
    Sx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MISS SCARLET: Because we both have such small hands, it makes the “dishes” look bigger, don't you find?

      Delete
    2. There are many reasons why some men like small women, so I've been told.
      Sx

      Delete
  9. I'm with mistress maddie, it's the Lisa Douglas Regime for me. And not just for dirty dishes, but for all aspects of my life. There won't be enough maribou left in the world when I'm through.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PEENEE: I had you pictured more as the mother-in-law, Eunice.

      Delete