The Hack You'll Want To Know If You Wind Up Using The Wrong Soap In The Dishwasher

It happens to the best of us: we distractedly load the dishwasher, adding the wrong soap. This might not seem like an issue initially, but eventually, you'll see a foam party in your kitchen — minus the disco ball. You don't want to let the suds wreak havoc on your kitchen, so you immediately turn your dishwasher off. Now what? Luckily, you can use this incredible salt and vinegar hack to remove stubborn suds left by the dishwasher. And the best part? You most likely have both items in your pantry, especially since vinegar is a versatile cleaning tool. But why does this hack work? Vinegar breaks down suds, thanks to its acidity. The same goes for salt, reducing suds with a neat chemical reaction. 

Even if you deliberately added the wrong soap — you desperately needed clean dishes, and the only thing available was regular hand soap — try not to panic. You can easily rectify this issue, and your dishwasher won't be any worse for wear. Just remember to use the correct dishwashing detergent moving forward, and you'll be all set with nothing more than vinegar and salt. The result is a sparkling clean dishwasher thanks to an environmentally friendly, affordable fix that keeps chemicals out of waterways and your home. Ready to tackle those suds? Here's the simple process of getting your dishwasher prepped for its next cycle, minus the influx of foam.

First things first: remove all the suds from your dishwasher. If you notice the suds mid-cycle, immediately turn your dishwasher off and remove the dishes. If water or suds have spilled onto your kitchen floor, clean this first because you don't want water ruining your floors or cabinets. Next, run a rinse cycle to remove as many suds as possible from your dishwasher. If this doesn't get rid of the suds and they continue seeping out, add vinegar and salt. Pour white vinegar into a cup and place it in your dishwasher with a few tablespoons of salt sprinkled on the base. Run it again from the beginning, letting the mixture remove any suds. You can also pour one cup of vinegar and a handful of salt directly onto the bottom of your dishwasher before rerunning it.

However, if these tricks don't work independently, you may need to manually remove the suds leftover from using the wrong dishwasher detergent. If so, mix warm water with vinegar in a bowl and use a sponge to wipe away suds with the mixture. Then, run your dishwasher's rinse cycle once more to remove any residual soap. Whether you pour the vinegar onto the bottom of your dishwasher or put it in a cup, you'll find that this incredible hack eliminates overwhelming suds after using the wrong soap.