why plastic dish ware tends to not dry after a wash cycle in the dishwasher.
In: Chemistry
The interfacial tension between water and plasticware is higher than for either glass or ceramic. In other words, water sticks better to plastic.
Surfactants are the main components of rinse-aids. Their job is to reduce surface tension within the water, so water tends to form thinner drops on dishware. Rinse-aids lead to faster drying and much less noticeable spots, but they’re only marginally effective on plastic.
OK, I’ll try and ELI5 r/shahooster’s on-the-right track explanation.
For the dishes to dry fast, the water should form a thin film covering the whole surface:
Large surface area = fast drying.
Water “likes” (= interacts strongly with) ceramics, so it forms a thin film.
Water does not like ( = interacts weakly with) plastic, so instead of forming a thin film, it rolls up into big drops:
Low surface area = slow drying.
Latest Answers