"Actually, no. It's best not to let dishes soak for more than an hour or two; and if the dishes have dairy, eggs, or meat, that should be more like 30 to 60 minutes. Edmund "Ed" McCormick, food science and formulation consultant and CEO of Cape Crystal Brands told our sister site, Chowhound, ""It only takes minutes for the dissolved nutrients of the submerged food to break down, releasing carbs, proteins, and lipids, which comprise a bacteria diet."""
"The bad news is, your sink often harbors more bacteria than anywhere else in your kitchen. Every day, it sees hand-washing, produce-washing, dish-washing, raw meat or seafood prep, and all of the associated bacteria often just hang out. The sink is one of those places you may not think to clean in the kitchen because you're always running soap and water through it, but without a dedicated scrub, it's a germ haven."
Dirty dishes should not soak for more than an hour or two; dishes containing dairy, eggs, or meat should soak only 30 to 60 minutes to limit bacterial growth. Dissolved nutrients from submerged food break down quickly, releasing carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids that feed bacteria. Kitchen sinks commonly harbor high levels of bacteria because they host hand-washing, produce cleaning, dish-washing, and raw meat prep without frequent dedicated scrubbing. Leaving dirty dishes in a warm sink environment allows germs to multiply and perpetuates contamination cycles. Skipping soaking or using a quicker, more effective soak and regularly cleaning the sink reduces bacterial buildup.
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