Don’t Try This Viral Dishwasher ‘Hack’

I hate washing dishes and I hate buying dishwashing supplies. Two soaps may seem like overkill, but you can’t have a clean kitchen without dish soap (for hand washing) and dish soap (for the dishwasher). If you feel the same way, you might want to give it a try. This viral dishwashing detergent hackbut don’t do this.

This hack has been around for a while, but was recently shared by the popular Instagram account @brunchwithbabs (The one I always stun!), mix 3 drops of Dawn dish soap with 3 tablespoons of baking soda to create a detergent powder to substitute. But that’s a terrible idea.

On a chemical level, Dawn and dish soap are formulated to work in completely different ways. Dawn (and other similar liquids) rely on manual scrubbing and pH-neutral surfactants, whereas detergents made for dishwashers use enzymes and a small amount of bleach to disinfect dishes. dependent on the drug.

Four years ago, when this hack first gained traction, kitchen We reached out to Travis Robertson, Knowledge Manager at Sears Home Services, and Dirk Sappok, Head of Product Development at Miele, for their input.

“Dishwasher detergents are specifically designed for the cleaning action found in dishwashers,” says Robertson. They have high pH chemicals and often small amounts of chlorine bleach.” So while these detergents are great for cleaning dishes, It’s too harsh to wash the dishes by hand. Sappok further explains: There is a mechanical action when washing by hand. Enzymes are important in dishwashers to break down stains as there is no mechanical movement. “

Then there’s the foam issue. Even a small amount of Dawn can generate a large amount of foam, which can fill the washer and make it difficult (or impossible) for the spray mechanism to completely wash off the surfactant. Foam can leak out of the machine, leave residue on your dishes, or worse, damage your dishwasher and void your warranty.

Luckily, the “hack” here is easy. Just buy and use dish soap, don’t try to make your own. Chemistry is real, pH matters, and not all surfactants are created equal.