why plastic dish ware tends to not dry after a wash cycle in the dishwasher.

Question

why plastic dish ware tends to not dry after a wash cycle in the dishwasher.

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

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.