There is only one difference between dish soap and dishwashing detergent: dishwashing detergent doesn’t create suds while dish soap does. Imagining suds overflowing from a dishwasher might seem funny, but in reality, it is messy and can lead to a pretty big headache, especially if it happens more than once. Soap scum build-up from using dish soap can eventually cause your dishwasher to break entirely. Quality Plumbing of Gainesville Inc is here to help you clean up after you accidentally put dish soap in the dishwasher to prevent you from permanently breaking your dishwasher.
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Turn Off The Machine
When you notice you might have a sudsy problem on your hands, your first step should be to stop the machine right away and cancel the wash cycle. If you got lucky, the suds might not have overflowed. The sooner you turn off the dishwasher, the better your chances are of keeping the suds out of the machine’s inner mechanisms. Once the cycle has been stopped, the dishwasher should start draining, but this won’t clear out all the mess.
Get Some Towels
If the suds have already seeped to the floor, you are going to need a lot of towels to get the job done. Don’t let the water sit because it can seep into the cabinetry or through the floorboards. Using the towels, wipe up the suds that got on the floor and then finish it up using a wet mop because dry towels can leave residue behind.
Take Out The Dishes
Before cleaning out the pipes and drains, there will probably be some more cleaning to do with the dishwasher and the dishes you had in there. Once the dishwasher has finished draining, take all the dishes out and move them to the sink. Make sure to rinse them off before using them to remove any scummy residue that might have clung to them during the overflow.
Clear Out The Dishwashers
If you don’t rinse out and dry the entire dishwasher, you will keep having the same problem with soap and scum until it is completely removed. Get a small bowl or cup and repeatedly fill it with clean water and rinse away the bubbles. Keep rinsing until the bubbles no longer appear when you pour the water into the inside and bottom of the appliance. For this next step, the drawers might have to be removed. After the dishwasher has been rinsed enough, use a towel to wipe down and dry out any remaining water.
Turn On The Rinse Cycle & Let It Run
Even though you don’t have to run a complete rinse cycle, you should run it for at least 3–5 minutes, which should be enough time to let you know if there are any remaining suds. The rinse cycle will take care of any remaining residue. After this, the dishwasher should be back in working condition!