My dog licks his metal food bowl clean after every meal, regardless of wet or dry food. When I had another dog, he’d lick her bowl clean too, when she was done eating. I give the bowl a good rinse before filling it at every meal, then wash it with soap and water maybe once every couple weeks.

Same with the metal water bowl. Every meal, I dump out whatever water is still left in it, give it a good rinse, then refill with fresh water. Then I do a soap and water clean every two weeks or so.

I live out in the countryside, so we have well water with lots of minerals in it. My dad used to just top off the dogs’ water bowl every day and it started forming a calcium mineral ring along the top edge. Now that I rinse it a couple times daily, it stays pristine. No more water rings.

My dog is also an indoor dog, so the cleaner I keep his food/water bowls, the less germs and bacteria he spreads around the house. I don’t have to fend him off if he wants to lick hands or faces now.