In certain instances, I've heard rabbis allow soaps and harsh cleaners to be used to make food and food-residue "Pagum" (ruined), which then removes any prohibition that might otherwise result when the taste of the food is transferred to other objects.
But how harsh does the cleaner need to be? If I have non-toxic, biodegradable soap for my dishes, do I need to be more careful when washing the dishes to ensure that the food residue doesn't transfer taste, via the hot water I'm using to wash the dishes, to the sink or other utensils that might be nearby?
Is there a difference between meat/milk/Issur and Ḥametz?
This occurred to me at work, where there is a sink I can use to wash my dishes, but I noticed that the cleaners are specially designed to not harm the environment. I exclusively use disposable dishes and utensils at work, but the thought crossed my mind that this could pose a problem if I washed anything under hot water in the sink.
I've also learned that pouring hot liquid (oil from a frying pan, for example) into the trash can be a Bishul problem if there are edible milk and meat residue in the trash, but that the Pagum principle can be used to obviate this problem.
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