If you've accidentally used regular dish soap in your dishwasher, leading to excessive suds, here is a method based on provided information to clear the machine. The key is to stop the cycle, remove the dishes, and use cooking oil to break down the suds before running a rinse cycle.
Addressing Dish Soap Suds in Your Dishwasher
Using liquid dish soap, like the kind for hand washing dishes, in an automatic dishwasher is a common mistake that results in a machine full of suds. Unlike dishwasher detergent, dish soap creates a lot of foam, which can overflow the machine and damage components. Removing this foam is crucial before you can use the dishwasher again.
The Recommended Method: Using Cooking Oil
A practical approach to eliminating dish soap suds involves using cooking oil. This method, as outlined in the reference, helps to collapse the suds.
Step-by-Step Process
Follow these steps precisely to clear the dish soap suds from your dishwasher:
- Stop the dishwasher immediately. As soon as you notice excessive suds or foam, halt the cycle to prevent further overflow.
- Cancel the wash cycle. Ensure the machine is fully stopped and the current cycle is cancelled according to your dishwasher model's instructions.
- Remove dishes from the dishwasher. Carefully take out all dishes, utensils, and racks. They will likely be covered in suds and may need to be rinsed by hand.
- Add ΒΌ c of vegetable or other cooking oil to the bottom of the dishwasher. Pour the oil directly into the bottom tub of the empty dishwasher. The oil helps break down the suds.
- Run a Quick Cycle with no detergent or dishes. Close the dishwasher door and run a short or "Quick Cycle" without adding any detergent or loading any dishes. This allows the oil to circulate and help clear the suds.
- If suds are still present, repeat the above steps. If after the cycle finishes, you still see significant suds, you may need to repeat the entire process of adding oil and running a quick cycle.
By following these steps, you should be able to effectively remove the dish soap suds from your dishwasher and prepare it for proper use with automatic dishwasher detergent.
