The previous answer as to why china, glass and cutlery dry more completely than plastic items, missed out an important additional factor, which is the effect of surface energy on wettability. Plastics generally have a lower surface energy than glass and metals, which leads to the formation of the drops observed on the plastic containers. Glass and metal surfaces are more easily wetted and the water spreads out as a thin film that evaporates more easily than a water droplet with its much-reduced contact area.
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