Can You Use Dishwasher Pods For Laundry? (Read First)

When you have a full load of dirty laundry to deal with, there’s nothing worse than discovering you’re short on detergent. While there are potential alternatives you can use, you need to be careful what you add to your laundry machine to avoid a soapy disaster. 

Many people assume cleaning products such as detergents are interchangeable when they start running low on supplies. If you’ve ever been short on laundry detergent, you may have found yourself wondering.

So, can you use dishwasher pods for laundry?

Never use dishwasher pods or dish soap as a substitute for laundry detergent. Dishwasher pods produce more bubbles than laundry detergent because they are designed to remove fat and grease from food. Laundry detergent, on the other hand, works to remove stains with minimal suds.

It’s usually best not to substitute cleaning products for one another. Using the wrong type of cleaner can have disastrous consequences. Swapping your laundry detergent for dishwasher pods may end up ruining your washing machine, your clothes, and even your laundry room if you’re not careful. 

In this post, we’re going to explain the differences between dishwasher pods and laundry detergent and why it’s best not to substitute one for the other when cleaning. Let’s get started. 

Why Can’t You Use Dishwasher Pods for Laundry

Dishwasher pods might look similar to some laundry pods, and they may even fit in the dispenser drawer without trouble. However, there are a couple of reasons you should never use dishwasher pods in your laundry machine. Here are three reasons why you should not swap laundry detergent for dishwasher pods:

1. It Produces Too Many Bubbles

Dishwasher detergent has a formula designed to remove fat and grease from food.

Unlike laundry detergent, dishwasher pods lathers up to lift and separate grease before washing it down the drain. On the other hand, laundry detergent works to remove stains with minimal suds.

Using dishwasher soap in a laundry machine will produce more lather than a dedicated detergent. These suds prevent clothes from moving freely in the drum to remove dirt and debris. Most laundry machines will also have trouble clearing out foam after the rinse cycle, resulting in soapy clothes.

2. It’s Tough On Your Washing Machine

In some instances, dishwasher detergent may even produce enough foam to make its way out of your washing machine. Suds may end up on the floors, the walls, or nearby furniture and cabinetry.

If there is any water damage, it can be costly to fix.

Dish detergent can also leave residue inside your washing machine, especially when used with cold water. You need to clean inside and underneath the drum to remove leftover soap scum before washing your next load. 

3. It’s Harsh On Clothes

Dishwasher detergent can ruin not only your washing machine but the clothes inside. Many dish detergents contain harsh chemicals that can cause stains or discoloration on fabrics.

Bleach, ammonia, and more can irreversibly ruin an entire load of clothes.

Can You Use Laundry Pods for Dishes?

When low on detergent, plenty of people wonder: can you use dishwasher pods for laundry? You may also be wondering if the reverse is true. Will laundry pods work in your dishwasher?

You shouldn't use laundry pods for dishes any more than you should use dish soap for clothes. Unlike dish soap's grease-fighting formula, laundry soap's formula works to clean clothes and remove light stains.

A soap needs to be able to lift and separate fats from the surface to remove grease from dishes. Doing so requires strong hydrophobic components and plenty of lather. Laundry pods or detergents won't get your dishes clean the same way as a specialized soap and may leave grease and residue at the end of a wash cycle.

What's more, laundry soaps may contain harmful chemicals that can make their way into food. Dish soap washes away during the rinse cycle, but laundry detergents can leave leftover residue.

There's a risk that you and your family may ingest dangerous chemicals found in common laundry detergents. You can find harmful acids, alkalis, and phosphates in components such as fragrance or stain removers. 

Difference Between Dishwasher Pods and Laundry Detergent

While dishwasher pods and laundry pods may look similar, the two contain vastly different detergents inside. The two cleaners use different surfactants, which are compounds that remove grime, oil, and dirt.

Laundry pods have anionic surfactants, which means that they use charged particles to attract dirt particles. This formula helps to remove stains and other grime from fabrics.

Dishwasher pods, on the other hand, use non-ionic surfactants. Uncharged particles break apart fat, oil, and grease, allowing it to lift and separate from dishes. If you swap out an anionic cleaner such as laundry detergent for a non-ionic cleaner such as dishwasher soap, the two will work differently inside your machine. 

Dishwasher pods will not have the charged particles they need to attract and lift stains from clothing. Similarly, laundry pods don't have the emulsifying and hydrophobic qualities they need to clean dirty dishes. 

Why Shouldn’t You Wash My Clothes With Dishwasher Pods?

At best, washing your clothes will result in a bigger mess than you had before you started cleaning. Dishwasher pods will produce huge amounts of lather in your washing machine.

Even if suds don’t escape through the door, they may stick to clothes or your washing machine drum. It can be tough to remove leftover soap residue, especially from fabric.

At worst, your dishwasher detergent may end up discoloring or ruining your clothes. Dish soaps often contain components that are harsh on dyes or fabrics. Mostly, the damage dish detergents cause is irreversible. 

Wrapping Up

Now you know whether you can swap laundry detergent for dishwasher pods or not.

Swapping out your laundry detergent for dishwasher pods can have catastrophic consequences. Not only can harsh chemicals in dishwasher fluids ruin your clothes, but they may end up destroying your expensive washing machine. In some cases, overflow can even result in costly property damage. 

Instead, stick to a safe and gentle alternative when you run out of detergent. There are many household products that you can use to clean your laundry, including baking soda, borax, and oxygen-based bleach.

Related articles:

• What happened to Bounce Dryer Bars?
• Does laundry detergent expire?