People make mistakes, it is part of everyday life. When it comes to kitchen appliances, such as the dishwasher, this can happen often.
It is often caused by someone being in a hurry to finish that they accidentally grab the wrong detergent and realize it too late. So, what can you do if you put laundry soap in the dishwasher?
If you accidentally put laundry detergent in your dishwasher, remedy the problem by hitting “Cancel” or “Stop” on your unit. This will cause the dishwasher to drain the water that has settled. Then remove the dishes, scoop up piles of suds and wipe up the rest of the suds with a towel, let the dishwasher dry, then run a rinse cycle to get the last of the soap out.
Knowing what to do if you accidentally put laundry detergent in the dishwasher will depend on a few factors such as the type of dishwasher you have.
Read on below to learn the difference between laundry and dishwasher detergent and what you can do if you put laundry detergent in your dishwasher.
What’s the Difference Between Laundry and Dishwasher Detergent?
Dishwasher and laundry detergent differ mainly in their chemical composition. Due to the confined space of a dishwasher, dishwasher detergent is made with chemicals that are specifically designed for cleaning dishes without a lot of foam. In contrast, laundry detergent uses chemicals and bleach products to clean clothes.
Because of the specific ingredients found in dishwasher detergents such as rust prevention chemicals, enzymes, surfactants, and more, they are designed specifically for cleaning the surfaces of dishes. There are some of these ingredients that you would not want to use on other surfaces.
Rust and corrosion ingredients are added to dishwasher detergents to aid in keeping the residue and other buildups off of the unit itself. This is not an ingredient that you would want to clean your clothes or skin.
Additionally, the various enzymes and surfactants that are included in dishwasher detergents are created to react with your dishes and dishwasher specifically. These ingredients work to remove dirt and grease from dishes without leaving residue behind.
Laundry detergents are made from ingredients that are designed to remove dirt from clothes in a specific manner. The additives in laundry detergents not only help clean clothes but also help protect the colors from fading and keep the fabrics soft to the touch.
It is important to note that since laundry detergents have added ingredients, they may not be suited to use in the dishwasher. This is because there is a residue that can be left behind on materials that are not made from fibers.
On clothes, you do not feel or see the residue since it is specifically designed to help clothes stay fresh and soft. On other materials, such as dishes, the residue is left behind since they cannot absorb it.
At the end of the day, it is important to remember that you would most likely not use either of these detergents to clean your body, you should also not interchange these in other ways either. This is because different surfaces require different types of chemical reactions that are just right for them.
Can Laundry Detergent Damage a Dishwasher?
If you accidentally added laundry detergent instead of dishwasher detergent into your unit once or twice, you may find the mess you have to clean up frustrating. However, if you are thinking about using one soap to do both your laundry and dishes, you may want to reconsider.
A dishwasher has a smaller capacity than a washing machine and is not designed to tolerate large amounts of suds caused by detergents. When they are exposed to foamy conditions for an extended period, the dishwasher seals and other components can be damaged.
The chemical composition of laundry detergents is designed to clean dirt and grime off of clothes, soften them, and keep them smelling fresh. Because of these ingredients and the space in a washing machine, they combine to form suds that help in the cleaning process.
Because of this, laundry detergent, when added to a dishwasher, can result in a foamy mess that often spills out onto your kitchen floor. This is because the small space of the dishwasher cannot contain the foam and therefore it expels it leaving you with a clean-up situation.
Not only can this be annoying to clean up, but over time the dishwasher components can begin to wear down. The reason for this is typically because of the excess buildup that remains on the various seals and other parts of the unit.
Additionally, since there are so many suds caused by laundry detergent, it can block the spray arm that is used to disperse water on the dishes during and after the washing process. Since the suds are blocking the spray arm, the water designed to rinse the dishes does not occur.
With continual use of laundry detergent in your dishwasher, the spray arm can get clogged with certain residue that can prevent it from spraying at all. A clogged spray arm means the dishes will not be cleaned effectively.
What Should I Do If I Put Laundry Detergent in the Dishwasher?
If you find yourself in a situation where you realize you put laundry detergent in the dishwasher, the important thing to remember is that you should not panic. If you caught it early enough, you can often prevent a huge mess from happening.
If you realize the mistake before the dishwasher has gone through its cycle, then you may be able to remedy the situation with just a few simple steps. Follow the instructions below to discover what you should do if you put laundry detergent in your dishwasher.
If your dishwasher has a “Cancel” or “Stop” button:
- Press “Cancel” or “Stop”
- Allow the water to drain from the unit
- Restart the dishwasher to allow it to fill with water again
- Press “Cancel” or “Stop” again
- Repeat the process as long as there are suds in the dishwasher
If your dishwasher is an older unit with a setting dial:
- Turn your dishwasher to the “Rinse & Drain” Setting
- Allow the water to drain from the dishwasher
- Turn the dishwasher dial to fill with water (this is usually the beginning of the cycle)
- Once it is filled with water, turn the dial to the “Rinse & Drain” setting
- Repeat the process until all suds are removed from the unit
While these remedies often are the best solutions, the best fix depends on the type of unit you have. Additionally, keep in mind that it may take several of these cycles for your dishes to be cleared of the residue left behind.
How Can I Get the Smell of Laundry Detergent Out of My Dishwasher?
While there are several remedies available to remove the smell of laundry detergent from your dishwasher, the best method is time. This is because you can use quite a bit of energy and water by running your dishwasher over and over with different products which can result in unnecessary waste.
There are many recommendations to remove the smell of laundry detergent from a dishwasher, all of which require you to run your unit over and over.
Keep in mind that while using these methods may reduce the fragrance, they most likely will not remove it completely.
Once recommended method is to put a cup of vinegar in a bowl and place it on the top rack of the dishwasher. You should then run a normal load of the washing cycle with or without dishes to remove any residue and odor.
Another method of removing the laundry detergent odor is to flush it out with hot water a few times. This requires you to run your dishwasher as many times as it takes to remove the smell.
The only sure-fire way to get rid of the smell is to wait out the time it takes for it to go away on its own. Over time, the dishwasher detergent and hot water will remove the trace of any buildup, residue, and fragrance that is left after using laundry detergent in your unit.
The bottom line when it comes to accidentally putting laundry detergent in your dishwasher is that you should not think that it is a lost cause.
Even though it is an annoyance to have to clean up the mess made by doing this, the problem can be fixed by taking a few simple steps to get things back in proper working order.