If you've ever accidentally put your regular dish soap in the dishwasher's special soap holder, you know exactly what disaster could be. Foam will be everywhere and cannot be removed by simply turning on the dishwasher. If you're dealing with a relentless soap scum like this, check out these tips for removing regular dish soap from the dishwasher.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Cleaning Soap Foam
Step 1. Turn off the machine and cancel the wash
If you realize you have put the wrong soap in the dishwasher, turn it off immediately. By turning off the machine immediately, you can stop the soap suds coming out of the dishwasher and soaking the floor or giving yourself time to lay a towel on the floor to deal with the soap puddle. By turning off the machine immediately, you can also prevent the remaining dish soap from entering the other parts of the dishwasher. The machine will dry the water in the machine once the wash cycle is cancelled.
Step 2. Take some towels to absorb the foam
If the foam has soaked the floor, take a few towels and wipe off the foam. You must prevent the foam from entering the back of the washing machine and damaging your washing machine or kitchen cabinets. By cleaning the foam, you also prevent yourself from slipping when you start cleaning the dishwasher.
Step 3. Take out all the cutlery you want to wash
When the dishwasher has drained the water in it, open the door and remove all the cutlery you want to wash and place it in the dishwasher. You will find it easier to clean the dishwasher that has been emptied. There may be traces of ordinary dish soap on your cutlery and you will need to clean as much soap residue in the washing machine as possible to control the build-up of soap suds.
Step 4. Use a small bowl or container and the remaining towels to remove any excess water and suds from the dishwasher
If the water in the dishwasher is too hot, add ice cubes to cool it and remove as much water from the dishwasher as possible. Wipe the walls and the top and bottom of the washing machine to remove any residual suds and soap.
- Make sure you also clean the place to put the soap in your washing machine.
- If you have one, you can also use a wet-dry vacuum to suck up water and foam. However, make sure your vacuum is suitable for sucking water and only use a special wet filter.
Step 5. Dry the bottom of the dishwasher with a towel
The heating element may still be very hot. Therefore, dry the bottom as carefully as possible to remove any soap residue.
Step 6. Start the wash cycle for a few minutes
Run the wash cycle for a few minutes to rinse off any remaining soap. Soap suds may continue to form depending on how effectively you cleaned the machine and how much dish soap was added to the machine.
- If you have an extra towel and you don't mind the soap suds constantly coming out of your washer, run it continuously until all the soap is rinsed off..
- If you want to be fast, use one or more of the following methods.
Part 2 of 2: Cleaning Dishwashing Soap Using Cooking Ingredients
Step 1. Pour 120 to 240 ml of vinegar into the dishwasher
One way to reduce foam in your washing machine is to use white vinegar. Pour 120 ml of white vinegar directly into the bottom of the dishwasher.
- Run the dishwasher for a few minutes on the normal setting. After a few minutes, check the inside to see if the foam has begun to reduce. If there is a lot of foam, pour another 120 ml and restart the machine with the normal wash cycle.
- If nothing changes, add another 240 ml of white vinegar and repeat the normal wash cycle. Use another method if there is still no change.
Step 2. Spread the table salt over the suds
You can use table salt along with white vinegar to neutralize the foaming agent in dish soap, or you can use table salt alone.
- If you want to use the vinegar and salt together, pour 240 ml of vinegar and about 2 tablespoons of salt over the soap suds or in the bottom of the dishwasher. Start your dishwasher on a normal cycle and let the machine run for a few minutes. If the foam starts to reduce, you can continue to run the engine until the cycle is complete. If not, repeat the wash cycle until the foam reduces.
- If you're using only salt, spread as much salt as possible over the foam. The salt will break down the suds and act as a neutralizing agent that can stop the foam from accumulating. Run the normal cycle for a few minutes before seeing if the salt works to reduce the amount of foam.
- If the foam builds up, sprinkle some more salt on it and restart the machine. Check after a few minutes to see if the added salt helps reduce the foam. If not, repeat the process again until the foam reduces.
- If you see any of these methods work to reduce suds, run the machine on a normal cycle all the way through to rinse all the soap and suds out of the dishwasher.
Step 3. Add ice cubes
Ice cubes and salt can help remove excess soap suds. If the machine is on the hot water setting, hot water will help increase the amount of foam. Using ice cubes will help cool the water and stop the foam from building up.
- Add the ice after you add the salt and let the two ingredients work together as a foam neutralizer. Let the ice melt in your washing machine.
- Remove the melted ice and salt water from the washing machine and start the machine on a wash cycle. You can repeat this process if the foam is still visible after the wash cycle is complete.
Step 4. Pour 240 ml of olive oil into the bottom of the machine to remove the foam
Olive oil can also work as a neutralizing or anti-foaming agent. Some dishwasher manufacturers even recommend using olive oil as an effective solution if regular dish soap is accidentally used. If olive oil is not available, you can also use other cooking oils.
- If as much soap, suds and water have been removed from your washing machine, pour 240 ml of olive oil into the bottom of the washing machine.
- Start the engine on a normal cycle. The oil will break down the suds and wash off any remaining dish soap.
Step 5. Add a full cap of fabric softener to your washing machine
Another method you can use to remove dish soap from your washing machine is to add liquid fabric softener to the machine. You only need one full cap to help break down the suds. After the fabric softener is added, run the machine on a normal cycle for a few minutes to activate the fabric softener. You can press the button to cancel the cycle to remove the water and suds from the dishwasher or change the normal cycle to a water drying cycle.
Tips
- To prevent this from happening again, make sure everyone in your household knows the difference between regular dish soap and special dish soap.
- If the water in your dishwasher is still hot, add ice cubes to the dishwasher before trying to remove the excess water and suds.
- While this product is not for household use, commercial antifoaming agents can quickly remove dish soap from your dishwasher. Just add a few drops of this ingredient in your dishwasher and let your machine run on its normal cycle. The antifoam material will work immediately.
