Can You Use Dish Soap in a Dishwasher?
No, you should never use regular dish soap in a dishwasher. It creates excessive suds that overflow from the machine, potentially flooding your kitchen and damaging the dishwasher. Dishwashers require low-sudsing detergent specifically formulated for machine use.
Key Takeaways
- Regular dish soap is designed to create lots of suds for hand washing.
- In an emergency without dishwasher detergent, hand wash dishes instead of improvising.
- Dishwasher pods, powder, and liquid detergent are all designed for low suds and machine use.
Explanation
Regular dish soap is designed to create lots of suds for hand washing. Dishwashers use water jets rather than manual scrubbing, and all those suds have nowhere to go. The result is foam overflowing from the dishwasher door and spreading across your floor.
Beyond the mess, excessive suds can damage your dishwasher. The foam can reach components not designed for soap exposure, and the machine may not rinse dishes properly. Repeated use could void warranties and cause mechanical problems.
If you accidentally use dish soap, stop the dishwasher immediately. Remove dishes and mop up suds. Add salt, cooking oil, or ice cubes to break down the foam, run a rinse cycle, and repeat until suds are gone. It may take several cycles.
Things to Know
- In an emergency without dishwasher detergent, hand wash dishes instead of improvising.
- Dishwasher pods, powder, and liquid detergent are all designed for low suds and machine use.
- Some people confuse dish soap with dishwasher detergent because of similar naming.