Can You Use Dishwasher Pods for Laundry?

Both dishwasher and laundry detergents are meant for cleaning. So, does it mean that dishwasher pods can be used for laundry or vice versa?

This is a question asked by the majority of household owners, and if you’re one of them, you’re in the right place. Besides answering the question at hand, this article explains its answer to help readers understand the reasons behind it. Stay tuned.

Differences Between Dishwasher and Laundry Detergent Pods

There is a wide range of differences between the dishwasher and laundry pods. However, this doesn’t erase the fact that they also share some properties. For example, both of them contain surface-active agents (popular as surfactants), which are substances that reduce the surface tension of water to enhance the underlying detergent’s cleaning properties.

To begin with, there is a difference in the types of surfactants between the dishwasher and laundry detergent pods. While dishwasher detergent pods contain non-ionic surfactants, laundry pods contain anionic types.

The main difference between the two is that the former carries agents that target lipids, fat, and other deposits in food while the latter has agents that remove stains and dirt.

Another difference between the two lies in their chemical composition. For example, laundry pods may contain additional stain removers, fragrances, and brighteners. Moreover, laundry detergent pods are known for creating more suds than their dishwasher counterpart.

So, Can You Use Dishwasher Pods For Laundry?

No, you cannot use dishwasher pods for laundry. There are several reasons for this and we explain them here.

Why Can’t I Use Dishwasher Pods For Laundry?

The first reason why you should avoid using a dishwasher pod for laundry is because of its unique chemical composition. The two types of detergents (dishwasher and laundry) are made for different functions; hence, they contain different chemicals with different behavior.

Dishwasher pods often produce more foam meant to dissolve fat and get rid of oil. When used for laundry, these pods will lead to more-than-enough bubbles that become difficult to rinse.

Secondly, dishwasher pods do not have the power to clean your clothes properly. Instead, some of them contain bleach, which can leave your clothes with a permanent stain.

The third reason revolves around your laundry machine. Dishwashers and their pods often work at higher temperatures, unlike laundry detergent pods and the laundry machine. Therefore, adding dishwasher pods to laundry machines means that you’re giving room for the residue to form.

And when there’s residue, it builds on your clothes and the machine alike. No one wants this to happen to them.

The bottom line is that using dishwasher pods for laundry comes with more harm than good. You should avoid it to keep your machine and dishes safe, as well as avoid extra work.

Top 3 Dishwasher Pods

How To Use The Dishwasher Pods

Since they’re pre-measured, dishwasher pods usually make the dish-washing process convenient, less messy, and fast. But someone may ask, “how do I use the dishwasher pods?” To use them, here are a few steps.

Step 1: Confirm that all the items you want to wash are labeled “dishwasher-safe.” Items that aren’t safe to be cleaned in the dishwasher will usually get ruined by the high heat or detergent. Please avoid them.

Step 2: Measure a “normal load” of dishes according to your dishwasher capacity and March it with one pod from the packaging. One pod is usually designed to suit a single load of dishes.

Step 3: Throw the pod into your dishwasher’s detergent dispenser and ensure that it’s properly positioned. Now, close the latch, and then the main door. Please do not break the pod.

Step 4: Add water and dishes as you normally do to the machine. Turn it on and let it run at the right temperature. Ensure that you adjust heat settings according to the instructions.

Now, Can I Use Detergent Pods For My Dishes?

What if someone asks our main question the other way around? Is it safe to use laundry pods for the dishwasher? The answer is no.

The fact remains that these two types of detergent have different chemical compositions which makes it impossible to use them interchangeably. The reasons are as follows;

1. The enzymes that break down food, fats, lipids, and other contaminants in dishwasher pods aren’t available in laundry pods. Therefore, they won’t clean dishes as clearly as dishwasher pods.

2. Fragrances stain removers, brighteners, and other substances contained in laundry pods will leave residue on dishes. Such residue can block drains and force you into washing the dishes again.

3. Moreover, more suds created by laundry pods can block the water spray from reaching the dishes. They can even ruin your machine in extreme cases.

What Can I Turn To When My Laundry Detergent Is Used Up?

If you have an urgent need to clean your clothes without any laundry detergent left, don’t fret. Some alternatives will get your clothes cleaned perfectly while keeping your machine safe from damage. Here are some of the best examples.

1. Firstly, you should understand that the machine’s detergent container isn’t often completely emptied when you have finished washing. Therefore, you can add some warm water to the container and shake it well. The amount of detergent gathered in this case is sufficient to help you clean quite a huge load of clothes.

2. You can also add borax to the process above to improve its efficiency. Baking soda is an effective additive, too.

3. If there’s no detergent left in the container at all, you can resort to homemade detergent using soap, baking soda, and borax, among other ingredients.

What Are Other Uses Of Dishwasher Pods?

Now that we can’t use the dishwasher pods for laundry, are there other uses of this convenient detergent? Yes, there are. Below are a few of the cleaning activities you can do using dishwasher pods.

• The pods contain bleach as seen before. Therefore, they can be used to get rid of stains from white clothes.

• You can also use them to clean outdoor furniture with warm water due to their undisputed strength.

• Use dishwasher pods to loosen dirt in your toilet before starting your normal cleaning. It’s strong enough for this in case you haven’t any options left.

• Dishwasher pods are also very good at giving metals a clean polish due to the type of surfactants that they contain. Use them for metallic cutlery and sink among other metallic surfaces.