Danger of breathing in steam--chance of reinfection.

Posted by fdixon63 @fdixon63, Apr 25, 2024

I've been thinking about this awhile and am finally asking the question. We've read/heard a lot about being careful with breathing in hot shower steam and also when boiling things in water on the stove. Would the same hold true with opening the dishwasher at the end of the cycle? I've started holding my breath, stepping away from the dishwasher and let the hot air dissipate before beginning to unload it. I'm also wondering about the kitchen drain basket. The rubber part has a bunch of filmy, yucky stuff there. With washing dishes (hot water of course) and then letting the water out. I never let my drain basket sit in the sink but rinse it and turn it upside down so excess water can drain away. Guess I need to do some sort of soak to kill bacteria that accumulates there. I guess I'm trying to think like a germ. Looking forward to responses.

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Dec 21, 2025

In reply to @cholash "@sueinmn thank you . These are things I’m not doing . Would you happen to have..." + (show)

@cholash I bought a set of heat resistant silicone bottle and nipple/straw brushes on Amazon. I don't see the exact ones anymore.

"Scrubbing" is not like using a scrub brush on a dirty floor, it is more like brushing over all accessible surfaces to disrupt any film that might be trying to form, so it rinses away easily.

If you want to know why it's important, put some boiled or spring water in your reusable water bottle and drink out of it for a day, then let it sit at room temperature full of water for a couple days. Pour out the water and run you finger over the inside - the chemicals in the water and the germs in your saliva will have created slime you can feel. It needs friction to wash it away.

The brushes can be sanitized in the dishwasher - I do my brush, glass or stainless steel water bottles, soaking bowl - on the sanitize cycle which is over 180F for about 30 minutes.