9 Things You Should Never Ever Wash With Dish Soap

You shouldn’t be using your dish soap on anything except for your dishes. It might sound like an obvious statement, but desperate times call for desperate measures. During such times, never subject your clothes or your dog to this torture.  Even if you have a dishwasher and have run out of dishwasher liquid, it’s not a good idea to use regular dish soap inside your dishwasher. The thing about dish soap is that it creates suds i.e., the bubbly foam.  This makes it really easy to flood the house and create a gigantic mess. Not only this, but you can also cause massive damage to the equipment you use. Dish soap also leaves a pretty resilient residue on the surface you use it on. Hence, it’s a bad idea to use it to clean certain types of equipment. So here are a few things that you should definitely not be washing with dish soap:

1. A Dishwasher

Dish soap can cause quite a few suds and can potentially damage your dishwasher machine. If you own a dishwasher, you need to purchase special dishwashing fluid instead of your regular supermarket bottle. Rather than using dish soap, it’s a smarter idea to invest in the future of your machine by using the right kind of fluids for it. The dishwashing fluid is specially formulated so that it doesn’t create too many suds but also rinses through dishes pretty well. Make sure to read the manual and add an amount that is required instead of pouring half a bottle.

2. The Washing Machine

Just as with a dishwasher, adding dish soap into the washing machine will cause it to overflow with soapy suds. Plus, it will leave marks on your clothes and make them crusty, unlike a detergent. You might think that the more foam/suds, the better, but this is highly inaccurate. It’s best to stick to using a regular laundry detergent. Even if you’re in a tight spot and don’t have access to laundry detergent, do not replace it with dish soap.

3. A Car

Although dish liquid can be a great alternative for a car washing soap, it contains harsh chemicals and leaves behind a residue. This can strip off the protective waxy layer that most cars have and thus make it more prone to damage, and it can even impact the paint job of your car. It will become more prone to scratches and wear off the glossy finish of your car. The residue it leaves on your automobile can be quite difficult to clean off.

4. Your Hair

We can imagine you’d have to be in an extremely desperate situation to resort to having to use dish soap to wash your hair. However, no matter how desperate your situation is, we’d advise you not to use dish soap in your hair. Dish soap is way too harsh to be used on a person’s scalp. The salt that is present in dish soap will cause your scalp to itch terribly and get flakey and irritated. It’s an entirely different story if you’re pranking someone.

5. Mirrors And Windows

While you might think dish soap would be the go-to item that would be needed to wipe down mirrors and a window, the issue lies in the fact that the soap will leave behind streaks of residue after you are done wiping it down. You have to put extra effort and double dilute to get a squeaky clean surface. If shiny windows and mirrors are what you aspire for, then fret not, all you need is a classic glass cleaning liquid.

6. A Cast-Iron Skillet

When it comes to taking care of a cast-iron skillet, you need to be extra careful about how you wash or clean it. All the roasting, saueting, and pan-frying needs something stronger. Using dish soap to clean a cast-iron skillet is a bad idea as it will leave residues from the seasoning and oils on the skillet. Instead, it is a better idea to use salt to clean the grease and oil off your skillet and rub it down with a paper towel.

7. Leather

Leather may look and feel like it is extremely sturdy, but sadly it is not the case. There is a reason why you don’t wear leather items during the monsoon. Leather is a pretty delicate material, and it’s not a good idea to ever use dish soap to wash it. Leather products require a lot of upkeep, and you will also require a moisturizing cream to make the material soft and make it last for a longer period of time.

8. A Pet

If you’re a real pet lover, then you will absolutely not touch dish soap to your pet’s fur or skin. Since your pet’s skin is super sensitive and delicate, you will notice that with regular usage, the skin will get dry and flaky. Even if your pet made a mess and you’re in a bit of a rush to give your pet a bath, but don’t have the right pet products, it’s still a better idea to use your own cleaning products on the pet than use dish soap or dishwashing fluid of any kind.

9. Fruits And Vegetables

As tempting as it may be, it’s a bad idea to clean your vegetables and fruits with a block of dish soap or dishwashing liquid. This is because fruits and vegetables have pores in them and thus can easily absorb any soap or fluid that comes in contact with it. Consuming fruits/veggies that have been tainted with dishwashing liquid can cause you to suffer from gastrointestinal issues.

We tend to substitute many products to make things work, be it hair, skin, or bath. But the fact remains that each product has ingredients that will be suitable for that particular body part or object. Let the “dish” in dish soap serve its original purpose. In the end, as useful and multi-purpose as dish soap may be, it is important that you know when the right time to use it is. Some of the ingredients present in dish soap are quite toxic and can be pretty dangerous if used on things like clothes and body. Do tell us if any of the items on this list were surprising to you in the comment section below!

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Niharika NayakBA (Media & Communication)

 

Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing video games, and hanging out with stray animals.

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