Can household dish soaps, stored diluted, breed dangerous bacteria?
Keeping some of your dish soap in a spare bottle pre-mixed with water, ready to apply to rags, paper towels or sponges, seems practical to quickly clean up small spills etc - the question is, is there a risk of making the soap itself "perishable" that way, possibly breeding germs that will be distributed by using it?
I am aware that the soap is not a food, however it is something commonly used near food and on food contacting surfaces.
Best Answer
Molds can often live off even undiluted detergents.
I had discarded contaminated opened bottles more than once, one in recent weeks. There was growth near the nozzle and black streaks suspended in the liquid body. Given the viscosity of typical detergents, it is probable that droplets of contaminated water nurtured the growth and perhaps not the detergent itself. Either way, I would end up dispensing microbes, pathogens or not. Bigger concern is what can be lurking in other bottles without visible signs.
A quick search came up with this "Danger In The Soap Dispenser" article on albeit hand soaps rather than dishwashing soaps and bacteria rather than fungi which are sometimes more resilient.
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Is it OK to dilute dish soap?
Soap companies prefer that you don't dilute the whole bottle, but diluting in the sink is fine.Can bacteria grow in detergent water?
Hand washing with soap and water is a universally accepted practice for reducing the transmission of potentially pathogenic microorganisms. However, liquid soap can become contaminated with bacteria and poses a recognized health risk in health care settings.Is dish soap hazardous?
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) evaluated 326 dish soaps and assigned each one a hazard rating ranging from A to F, A being the safest, F being the most toxic. About 65% got a D or an F, including many of the big conventional dish soap brands you might be familiar with.What happens when you add water to soap?
Liquid soaps contain a very strict amount of preservatives which prevent bacteria from multiplying in the dispenser. When you open the dispenser and add tap water, you may be adding bacteria as well. Plus the extra water reduces the effectiveness of the preservatives, meaning the bacteria can multiply in the soap.Used Dawn Dish Soap To Wash His Hair!
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