Have you ever been doing the dishes and realized you are out of dishwasher detergent? A common question homeowners may ask themselves in a situation like this is “what happens if you put dish soap in your dishwasher”? While this may seem like a logical alternative, the impacts of putting dish soap in your dishwasher can be negative.
As an appliance repair company, we have often been asked what happens if you put dish soap in the dishwasher. Our short answer is to avoid it at all costs. When it comes to your home’s dishwasher, dishwasher detergent is the only thing you should ever put in to help clean your dishes. Below, we go into why you should never put dish soap in your dishwasher.
Why you should never use dish soap in your dishwasher
Adding a few drops of liquid soap could cause a suds explosion in your kitchen. Dishwasher tablets don’t produce any suds; thus that’s why you don’t see suds spillage. With so many plates, cups and pots in the dishwasher, the suds have nowhere to go, and they make their way out to the floor.
Not only could your flooring get damaged but also your dishwasher. The suds can make their way inside the internal workings of your dishwasher and start to cause build-up. The filters in your dishwasher could get clogged up. All the inside pipes can be affected.
What to do if you accidentally put dish soap in your dishwasher
Mistakes happen! The next time you or a family member use the wrong dishwasher soap, don’t panic and follow these proper steps.
1. Turn your dishwasher off.
If bubbles start to come out of the dishwasher, turn it off. Open the door of the machine to allow the dishes to cool down. Next, lay paper towels or a kitchen towel in front of the dishwasher to prevent water damage on your floors.
2. Start to remove the bubbles.
Once the dishwasher has cooled down, take all of the dishware out of the dishwasher and start to remove the suds. There are a couple of different options to remove the bubbles. If you have a wet/dry vacuum, this is the perfect time to put it to good use. Or you could use a small bowl to scoop out the bubbles. It’s important to remove all suds from your dishwasher to prevent any build-up that can damage your dishware and dishwasher.
3. Run the dishwasher.
After emptying out the dishwasher, you want to run the dishwasher on a rinse cycle to remove all the bubbles. Repeat the process until you notice there aren't any suds produced. Once you see there aren't any bubbles, run the dishwasher with a cup of vinegar. It’ll prevent any build-up from forming.
So what happens when you put dish soap in your dishwasher? Although your dishwasher won’t become completely damaged, it will become filled with bubbles and suds that require cleaning to remove. The smart move is to avoid putting dish soap in your dishwasher at all costs! If you accidentally find yourself putting dish soap in your dishwasher, our appliance repair technicians are always here to help. Contact us with any of your appliance repair needs!