Do not put dish soap in your dishwasher. The difference between dish soap and dishwashing detergent is that dishwashing detergent does NOT create suds, but dish soap does. The idea of a dishwasher overflowing with bubbles might paint a funny picture but, it’s also big, messy problem.
Putting dish soap in a dishwasher once is a headache. When it happens more than once, that soap scum build up could eventually damage your dishwasher.
If you find yourself facing an endless soap avalanche, don’t fret. We’ll tell you how to clean out a dishwasher with dish soap in it and more importantly, we’ll tell you how to restore your dishwasher to prevent future problems. If your dishwasher doesn’t work properly after following these steps, call the pros at Mike Diamond for fast and professional dishwasher repair service.
What Do I Do If My Dishwasher is Overflowing?
First things first, turn off the dishwasher immediately. Cancel the wash cycle.
Hopefully you don’t have a dishwasher overflowing with soap suds just yet. The sooner you turn off the dishwasher, the better your chance is of keeping the suds out of the machine’s inner workings.
Once you’ve canceled the cycle, your dishwasher should start draining. This won’t clear everything out, but it may give you a less messy kitchen and make the clean-up process a little easier.
How Do I Clean Up This Kitchen Disaster?
If you couldn’t stop the cycle in time, you’ll have some cleaning up to do. Don’t let water seep into cabinetry or floorboards. Use a wet mop to clean up the overflow. Since the mixture is water and soap, wiping it up with dry towels can leave residue behind.
Wondering how to get rid of soap bubbles everywhere? Spray a solution of white vinegar and water on the foamy mess. The vinegar will reduce the bubbles quickly.
Silver lining: your floor is now clean.
What About My Dishes?
Before you clear out your dishwasher pipes and drain, you’re going to have more sopping up to do. Open the dishwasher after it finishes its initial draining. Remove the still dirty dishes and move them into the sink.
Rinse off the dishes in the sink to remove any scummy residue that might have clung to them during the overflow. Consider washing the dishes by hand just this once, while your dishwasher recovers. Otherwise, once you’re done cleaning, you can simply put the dirty dishes back in the washer for another cycle!
How Do I Get Suds Out of The Dishwasher?
This is the labor-intensive part. You’re going to have to rinse out and dry the inside of your dishwasher. If you don’t clean it fully, you’ll continue to have problems with suds and soap scum.
Use a small bowl or pan and repeatedly fill it with clean water to rinse away bubbles. If your dishwasher is close enough to your sink, use your faucet sprayer to rinse it out. Your white vinegar spray will come in handy here to reduce the foam factor.
Keep rinsing until bubbles don’t appear when you pour the water into the inside and bottom of the appliance. After you’ve rinsed enough, use towels to wipe down and dry out any remaining water. You may have to remove the drawers to complete this step.
Is My Dishwasher Safe to Use Now?
Almost. Add a cup of white vinegar and run the rinse cycle for three to five minutes. It should be enough to remove any remaining suds. If you’ve done everything else listed here, you should be free of dish soap in your dishwasher. If there are suds, the rinse cycle will wash out any remaining residue. Once that’s done, your dishwasher should be back in working condition.
Bonus Question: What Happens if You Put Laundry Detergent in the Dishwasher?
Let’s hope you’ve learned your lesson and don’t experiment with any other types of soap in your dishwasher. Laundry detergent – like dish soap – will likely create a sudsy deluge across your kitchen floor. Don’t do it! Pods, liquid detergent and powders are all designed for a different type of wash cycle.
What kind and how much soap you can put in your dishwasher should be outlined in your owner’s manual. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and avoid any future debacle.
Don’t Put Dish Soap in Dishwasher!
Now you know what happens if you put dish soap in the dishwasher and that putting regular dish soap in a dishwasher isn’t such a great idea! Hopefully, you’ve successfully flushed your dishwasher after the soap suds fiasco and lived to tell the tale.
The next time this or any other plumbing emergency happens give us a call. The team at Mike Diamond is happy to service your dishwasher to ensure you have clean dishes for a long time.
