I know that a soap's main effect is to bind fats to water, i.e., to make fatty substances water-soluble. When washing fat-free dishes, e.g., a bowl that was only used to temporarily hold a can of tomato sauce, I wonder whether there is any point in using dish soap, or whether rinsing with water is just as good?
Assumptions:
- Only fat-free foods were used in the dish, such as many vegetables or fruit.
- No relevant skin fats from mouth or fingers, i.e., I am not asking about glasses that someone drank from, cutlery, or items that where touched/handled a lot.
- Ignore pure optical effects of dish soap, e.g., substances to make glass shinier.
Does dish soap (detergent) have relevant effects in such cases?
