Kava and Dishwashers

[PurimGrogger]

Yes, this is one of those mystical and healing threads . . . about mundane kitchen appliances. The dishwasher in my kitchen is not of an elite variety. That being said, its underperformance over the last several months also correlates (which is not the same as causation, as we know) somewhat with my increased and joyful shelling. I am wondering if the kava residue/shmutz is having an effect on things, like clogging filters or whatever... anyone have similar experiences? Is the universe telling me that I should just get fancy shells and a real tanoa that require hand-washing?

And no, I am not putting bowls, cups with heavy layers of kava or kava flakes still on them in the dishwasher, despite my dishwasher looking like it could a shell from time to time. Just glasses and bowl with a tiny bit of that disgusting (awesome) looking residue..

 

[The Kap'n]

Is the universe telling me that I should just get fancy shells and a real tanoa that require hand-washing?

I believe you've got your answer

For real though, I just put my strainer out on some hand towels to dry. It never sees any cleaning stage, so my strainer could pretty much stand up on its own in the corner from all the resin. The other steel and ceramic materials get a bath in acetone when things are looking a little too gritty.

 

[kavakarma]

Wow! Acetone, heavy stuff. But hey, I do the peroxide thing on synthetic/nylon strainers once a year.

First, I am a dishwasher--some say I am an aquatic engineer. It is my livelihood at the time. I would believe it's the other way around. Your dish machine should be fine to handle kava essence and starch, the kava gear may not be ideal for riding inside the machine. I am talking about coconut cups and bamboo coasters which dry really quickly. I almost never use soap on my strainer, and if I do it needs a lot of rinsing. I would add the soap, squeeze bubbles through the strainer, and rinse well. Twice a year.

This week I did pour boiling water on my nice handmade fijian strainer cloth, as it had developed sticky kava resin from all my kava drinking. The layer came off about half, and now the strainer really sweats when squeezed!

I have a sponge with a green scrubbing side which is made from only natural plant fibers, so the sponge will be digested by the earth when I am done with it. I like the 7th generation clear soaps in combination with that. I also try very much to not use soap on my bilo. The strainer is always rinsed inside and out then hung to dry with the roots frozen. I believe that is the most important aspect, once you have the routine it is effective.

I do have a dish machine at home to save on my hands a little bit, and it has a filter on the bottom which must be cleaned. Perhaps I can help you get the washer running at full capacity again? Oh, crucial idea, I also am using a natural biodegradeable dishwasher gel. I can provide photos of the products if you would like to look into them and their ingredients.

Thank you for making this thread! I am glad to hear that you take care in making sure your kava supplies are fresh to use and clean.

 

[kavakarma]

Attached is an SDS sheet which should list the ingredients. I know these guys proudly do on their website. For laundry soap, Biokleen makes an excellent conscientous choice.

 

[PurimGrogger]

Thanks for the input @Kapmcrunk and especially @kavakarma . I plan to follow both of your advice . . bula