We’ve all heard of making food in the dishwasher by now, haven’t we? If you haven’t seen it, the process is quite interesting. There’s also the well known hack of putting plastic toys in the dishwasher to get squeaky clean, too. I’ve even heard of people cleaning their canvas sneakers this way! Hint: it doesn’t work with faux leather Keds-type shoes as I sadly found out one time. So, given that your dishwasher can clean the dishes and do all these other tasks you might be wondering if you can pop some clothes in there if you’re desperate.
Dishwashers and Washing Machines Work Very Differently
Washing machines work by soaking the clothes, then agitating them, then spinning them dry. This process not only removes stains and dirt, it also gets out odors and then partially dries the clothes so they can be hung up on the line or put into the dryer.
On the other hand a dishwasher sprays the dishes with soapy water then sprays clean water over them to rinse the soap away. It can also dry by sending hot air across the upper and lower racks. All this happens at a very high temperature, about 140˚F to 155˚F. This is much hotter than a washing machine, which even on a hot wash is only about 110˚F to 130˚F. That’s because there is a separate heating element in the dishwasher that can heat it above what your water heater is set to. This is too hot for many fabrics to withstand without undergoing some damage.
The Cleaning Solutions Are Different
The difference in both the process and the temperature means that you risk ruining your clothes if you put them in the dishwasher. It is not recommended at all. Furthermore, dishwasher liquids and tablets are formulated to not develop suds during washing. If you were to put laundry soap in the dishwasher it would bubble up, creating suds, and sometimes this can result in the machine leaking onto your floor! You certainly don’t want that! By the way the same goes for regular dish soap as well, it should never go in the dishwasher because it creates suds.
Clothing Emergencies
If you’re in a tough spot and need to wash a garment urgently you’re better off washing it by hand in the sink or doing a spot removal in just one area. There are several reasons for this. In the sink you can control the temperature, ensuring your item doesn’t get battered. And, the action of a dishwasher simply won’t clean your clothes very well. It takes more than soapy water to clean fabrics, and the best replacement for the agitation of a washing machine is hand washing.
With a hand wash, you can twist dry or gently press the piece of clothing between two towels. But, the drying action of a dishwasher isn’t the best drying method for clothes and won’t fully dry them anyways.
Washing in the sink won’t typically result in bleached spot or color fading, but if you were to subject a garment to the dishwasher cycle the results will be unpredictable and can be quite harsh. You simply won’t know what result you’ll end up with.
So, to sum up: while you can use the dishwasher for other items besides dishes, you really should never use it to wash clothing- no matter how drastic and urgent the situation might seem. After all you won’t get to wear that garment if it gets ruined in the dishwasher!