'Rinse it off!': Americans react in horror to the British way of washing dishes

A video going viral on the internet has sparked a war between the Americans and the British. And out of all the things you could think would lead to the situation, the way they wash their dishes has triumphed.

A British influencer recently took to Instagram to share a video, claiming that Brits wash their pots and pans in a very specific way. Joshua Cauldwell, took to the social media platform to share a clip of himself doing the dishes and the way he washed them has the Americans shocked and disgusted. But why? Let's find out!

How do the British wash their dishes?

Cauldwell, who goes by @imjoshfromengland2 on Instagram and boasts a following of 1.3M. In the viral video he took several dishes and used a soapy sponge to clean off all the food and dirt. The normal next step would be to wash it all off with water, right? No, instead of rinsing the soap off the dishes before setting them down on the drainer, he simply placed each dish down, covered in soapy bubbles. And this was completely undigestible for the Americans who were shocked by the peculiar washing process. "I'm washing the dishes, and in the UK we do something that apparently is only done in the UK," said Josh.

"When we wash our dishes, with soap, like so, we don't rinse the soap, we simply put it to dry with the soap on. This is normal practice in the UK. Apparently, in America, you guys don't do this," he added. "I've always done this. I've always washed my dishes nice and clean, take it from here, put it over there."

Americans react to the viral video

The influencer then asked his followers if he was doing it the 'right way' and they had a lot to say it seems."Whhhhatttt??? You’re kidding. I’m Canadian and this is wild to me," wrote one. "So you’re eating all that soap? Has it ever occurred to you? To do it like you wash your hands or hair? You. Rinse. It. Off." commanded another."South African here to tell you you’re wrong and I’m mad you made me side with America," quipped a South African social media user. "Do you also lather up in the shower and then just get out all soapy?" asked another."So y'all eat soap? Even with the dishwasher, I rinse my cup a little bit cause there’s a little bit of soap residue in the cup.

You’ll notice it very quickly when you first put water in it and if you don’t rinse it, there’ll be some bubbles in the water," shared one.

Brits react to the viral video

You would expect that the Brits would come out in support of the influencer? But no, they were just as amazed and outraged at his dish-washing methods. "Fellow Brit here. Who is this 'we' you speak of? I have never personally known anyone who doesn't rinse the soap off," claimed one. "In the UK we rinse the soap," added another.

Is it safe to wash the dishes like that?

Clearly not. As per Toby Schulz, CEO and co-founder of Maid2Match, one 'should theoretically allow the water to 'carry' the soap molecules and dirt with it as it flows off in the drying rack.'However, the reality can be different. "Not all the water will run off—some of it will evaporate or dry on the dishes instead,” he explained to UNILAD. "Ingesting a bit of detergent residue isn’t necessarily harmful unless you’re allergic to the ingredients. But over time, consistent ingestion of residue can pose health risks, including gastrointestinal irritation and endocrine disruption.”Thus, make sure to wash your dishes with water after soaping them up.