"... A previous report published in Fungal Biology showcased how a group of researchers from institutions in Slovenia, the Netherlands and China took samples from the rubber seals inside 189 dishwashers from 18 countries and found that 62 percent of them tested positive for fungi. The most recent study is published in Medical Mycology. The dishwasher would seem a nice place for fungi to dwell: it is moist and warm, and it has abundant organic matter to feed on in the form of food scraps. But dishwasher-dwelling fungi have to be of a hardy sort to handle the occasional burst of extreme heat as well as the alkalinity and salt content of dish detergents. In laboratory tests on the dishwasher-dwelling Exophiala dermatitidis and Exophiala phaeomuriformis, the researchers found that the fungi are tolerant to a wide range of temperatures, pH levels and salt concentrations, a degree of so-called polyextremotolerance that had not been found before in fungi. ... If inhaled, these fungi can colonise the lungs and cause infections that can be difficult to treat. “We were surprised to find some fungi that are extremely rare in nature but had really high numbers in dishwashers,” says Nina Gunde-Cimerman, a professor of microbiology at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. The Exophiala fungi, for instance, were mostly found in places with hard or medium-hard water–that is, water high in dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Beyond that, the researchers do not go into much detail about why dishwashers in certain countries seem to be more hospitable than others. For whatever reason, North America was especially fungi-friendly, with all six U.S. dishwashers sampled testing positive for fungi, along with six of seven Canadian dishwashers. Many European countries faired much better: only one of 10 Italian dishwashers was infested, whereas all five Spanish appliances got a clean bill of health. Bacterial Growth Occurs After Stacking Partially Wet Dishes From Dishwashers ... Twenty-four hours after washing, the investigators found no apparent difference in bacterial growth between those stacked wet and those fully air-dried. However, after 48 hours a significantly higher amount of various bacteria were evident on the wet-stacked dishes. ... Natural Solution Baking soda and vinegar will 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. ... " undergroundhealth/prevent-harmful-fungi-from-developing-in-your-dishwasher/
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 13:45:18 +0000
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