A: Hand wash the dishes

CHILDREN HAVE FEWER ALLERGIES WHEN FAMILIES DO THE DISHES BY HAND: Using the dishwasher is a modern convenience, but it could also be causing our children to have more allergies. A new study from Sweden reveals that kids living in families that hand-washed their dishes were about 40 percent less likely to develop allergies compared to kids in homes that used a dishwasher. Researcher Dr. Bill Hesselmar says it’s probably because hand-washing dishes doesn’t get them as clean as the dishwasher does. This fact actually helps prevent allergies by exposing kids to more bacteria. This falls under the “hygiene hypothesis,” or the idea that increased exposure to microbes during early life may stimulate children’s immune systems, which in turn may reduce a child’s risk of developing allergies. Hesselmar adds that while the findings are an “interesting observation,” it’s too soon to recommend hand-washing dishes as an allergy-prevention strategy. (Fox)