Do You Wash Something Used for Water?

Updated on August 01, 2012
J.M. asks from Cleveland, TN
25 answers

Say you are cooking something, and have to measure out some water... Do you wash the measuring cup afterward, or give it a quick rinse and put it on the drying rack?

I figure there is no point in washing WATER out of a container, with more water.... but hubby disagrees.

We also keep a container of filtered water in our fridge. I usually give it a good wash once a week, but he thinks it should be washed out every time it is emptied... even though it is ONLY used for water. (It gets refilled once or twice a day...)

Of course, it doesn't bug him enough that he will wash it himself. lol. (It doesn't really cause any problems with us... just something he wishes I would do, but knows I won't... Kind of like how I wish he would put his shoes in the closet when he's not using them, instead of next to the door :) lol.)

Do you think it is necessary to wash something out when it has only been used for water?

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✿.*.

answers from Los Angeles on

No washing here...I just dry it and put it away if it hasn't been exposed to anything that would require a washing. However, I have a reusable water bottle I use everyday and I do wash that because I'm drinking from it all day.

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V.K.

answers from Minneapolis on

My husband and I just had this conversation last night. I was doing dishes and he while he was in the kitchen cooking dinner. I saw him grab the measuring cup out of the cupboard, fill it with water, empty the water into the pot, and set it next to the dirty dishes. I grabbed the measuring cup and put it back in the cupboard. Conversation that followed went something like this:
Him - What are you doing?
Me- What?
Him - You put that dirty dish in the cupboard without washing it.
Me - You used it for water. It doesn't need to be washed.
Him - Yes it does
Me - If you want to take that measuring cup out of the cupboard and wash it you can go right ahead, but I'm not doing it.

Needless to say, he shut up and went back to cooking after that.

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M.S.

answers from Portland on

No....I use a measuring cup and might rinse it out, but I might not, I might just stick it on the drying rack to dry. We use brita pitchers for water, and they get washed once a week about. Sometimes it might be a little sooner, but we don't keep them in the fridge because we refil them several times a day. I think washing them 2 or 3 times a day is too much! its h*** o* the filters. Why wash off water? I have to agree with you.

4 moms found this helpful

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Measuring cups no, drinking glasses yes.

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L.U.

answers from Seattle on

You know what...
I rinse and put back after I measure flour, sugar, water, milk, rice, dried potatoes...just about anything. I rarely wash measuring cups unless they touch raw meat. Just me! So far, none of us have got sick from a nasty "flour infection".
I don't have filtered water, just drink from the tap, so I don't have an opinion on that one.
L.

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P.G.

answers from Dallas on

If your mouth touches it, or your hands were dirty, yes. But otherwise, nope. Drying rack.

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A.C.

answers from Atlanta on

If it doesn't touch anything but water (not your lips, not a dirty spoon, nothing!) then I try to make sure it gets washed occasionally. That's all.

2 moms found this helpful

N.P.

answers from San Francisco on

If it was just a clean measuring cup used to transfer water from one place to another, I'll usually shake it dry and put it back where I got it from. If it's the cat's water dish, well that had more than water in it. Cat tongue is butt-friendly. That bowl gets sanitized.

1 mom found this helpful

F.M.

answers from San Antonio on

Nope - I never wash a measuring cup, let's say, if it was only used to measure water. Even if it measured rice and then water -- a quick rinse is all I do.

The only exception maybe would be if I had raw chicken/meat on the counter or previously in my hand. I'd be sure to wash the measuring cup with soap just in case.

As for the Brita water filter we have - Heck I wash those once every couple months whenever I change the filters. Probably should do it sooner b/c of possible germs/contaminants on the handle.

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K.T.

answers from Wichita on

If it's just a measuring cup then just leave it in the strainer but if it's a water bottle or that water container wash it once a week at least beacse it can start to get mouldy or go off.

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H.P.

answers from Houston on

If the measuring cup is used for ONLY WATER, then no.

1 mom found this helpful

A.M.

answers from Kansas City on

good question! nope, i don't. if i use a measuring cup for water, it does not get washed.

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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

No. If I only use it for water, I put it on the rack to dry. For our filter pitcher, I wash once a week or so. Water starts to taste stale after a while--definitely at least once a month. I try to get someone else to wash it since they also use it but usually ends up being me. If I use a cup for rice or oats, I rinse it and put it away.

BTW, my husband leaves his shoes in the bathroom ( I think there were 3 pair last night). But yells at me about leaving my shoes by the bed so I can put them on quick in the morning.

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M.L.

answers from Colorado Springs on

It depends. My mother used to rinse out a water measuring cup with hot water for a second or two, just to be on the safe side. I sometimes do that.

But a water bottle (including a filtering pitcher), anything mouths have touched or fingers have been inside, and anything that has been close to a big cooking session (i.e., dinner) is likely to end up in the suds. The water measuring cup may go in for one of two reasons: 1) it may have gotten something else on it in the cooking of something else, or 2) it may have just been swept along with the crowd into the sink.

If this is the worst disagreement you and your husband have, you're doing really well! I'm impressed!

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J.G.

answers from Cleveland on

I don't wash the measuring cup if all it is used for is water... but when I cook I keep washing my hand after almost every task - so I can't get "anything" on it. As for the pitcher of water in the fridge, I would wash it... after all you and anyone else that uses it don't always wash their hands to get a drink, so who knows what is on the handle and sides of the pitcher.

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M.C.

answers from Washington DC on

yes to drying rack.
yes the water container should be washed more often then once a week.

L.A.

answers from Austin on

It depends on what all I have been cooking. If I have been preparing meat, working with oil, etc, I am careful to wash my hands and keep surfaces clean, but I still worry that I may have contaminated the handle or placed the cup on a not totally clean surface.

But I also used to cater and was always worried about food safety. The extra steps of cleaning gave me piece of mind.

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E.M.

answers from Louisville on

hell i dont even rinse it i just stick it back in the cabinet....why would you run it thru the washer? thats silly

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B.P.

answers from Cleveland on

id wash the pitcher every other day, but measuring cup nope

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D.B.

answers from Chicago on

Measuring cup used for water? No, in the drying rack to dry.

Brita water pitcher only gets scrubbed down, inside and out, when we change the filter. However, I am constantly wiping it off with clorox wipes. I wipe the top, handle and lip a few times a day. We don't normally let it get empty. We keep adding water, as we use it, so that it is always full.

Water bottles, that are reused, are washed every day, in warm, soapy, water and left to air dry in a drying rack.

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J.S.

answers from Tampa on

measuring cup used for only water and it's touched NOTHING else and you know your hands were clean, no, drying rack. No need to wash it. Same with measuring spoons. A water bottle or drink container that holds only water in the fridge would be the same, but I would wash it after it had been refilled a couple times, only because I like to make sure the outside of the container is clean too, and the inside of it can be getting buildup too that you can't see. I AM a bit OCD though, so I tend to do things that may not really need to be done. LOL! I also like to "rinse" off the ice cubes that I make in the freezer before we use them each time necause they could have stuff on them from the freezer, and I KNOW that isn't something that most people do. I guess maybe I am not the best one to answer this. I'm just tHRILLED that I can put the measuring cup on the drying rack without washing it everytime! :)

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J.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

Yes. It is good to wash things like sport water bottles and your water pitcher/filter...even if you fill them with just water. Bacteria, mold and mildew, e-coli and more can harbor in things that are perpetually wet and you can get very sick. Often, you can not see these things as they are bacteria. Other times, you may not notice it hiding in crevices, rubber seals, gaskets, pump/tap area and what not.

So do wash them thouroughly with soap and more important, dry them completely to cut down on the possibility of bacterial growth (as bacteria loves water and moist places) before refilling them on a regular basis for the health and safety of your family.

If you need convincing, just study your bathroom tiles. Over time they get moldy if they're not washed and sanitized because of the continual moisture. Same can happen to water pitchers or anything that holds liquids for a longtime, but is not cleaned properly with soap and water and dried with a clean towel.

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K.J.

answers from New York on

Nope. Just water? Drying rack for sure. You're going to rinse the soap off with water. Why would you make an extra step for yourself?

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

The measuring cup situation - no.
But if it's something that stays wet for awhile - a sports bottle - mold can grow if don't wash them out every so often.
A tea kettle usually stays pretty wet, and it gets boiled, but when you wash that out it's usually to deal with a mineral build up (if your water is hard).

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M.R.

answers from Chicago on

Water container/pitcher, britta filters - yes, I am with your hubby

Measuring cups, spoons, mugs - if used only with water - No. I wouldn't wash them. But right after the use (and so long as no contact with mouth or foods, etc), just pour out any leftover water, maybe a quick swish and rinse, and off to drying rack.

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