Accidentally using dish soap in a washing machine instead of laundry detergent is a common mistake. While it may not be ideal for your clothes, the situation is not irreversible, and your clothes should be okay with some proper steps taken.
Dish soap is designed to remove grease and oil from dishes, and it tends to create a lot of suds. When used in a washing machine, the excessive suds can cause issues, such as:
Oversudsing: The excessive suds can overwhelm the washing machine, leading to leaks or even malfunctioning of the machine.
Incomplete Rinse: Dish soap is not formulated to rinse out easily, so it might leave residue on your clothes even after the washing cycle.
To minimize potential damage and prevent further issues, here's what you should do:
Stop the Washing Machine: If you notice the suds building up quickly, stop the washing machine immediately. This will prevent any overflow or damage to the machine.
Do Not Add More Detergent: Adding more detergent to counteract the dish soap can worsen the problem. Instead, proceed with the following steps.
Rinse Cycle: Run an extra rinse cycle without adding any detergent. This will help dilute and remove the soap from your clothes.
Remove Suds Manually: If you still see excessive suds, manually remove them from the machine using a cloth or sponge.
Re-Rinse if Necessary: If the clothes are still soapy after the first rinse cycle, repeat the rinse cycle until the soap is mostly washed away.
Inspect Clothes: Once the washing machine has completed the rinse cycles, check your clothes for any soap residue. If you notice any, you can try rinsing them by hand or rewash them with a small amount of laundry detergent.
Dry Thoroughly: After the proper rinsing, dry your clothes as you normally would.
In most cases, your clothes should be fine after following these steps. However, if you notice any lingering soap residue or have concerns about the fabric's integrity, you may want to consider rewashing the affected clothes separately with the correct laundry detergent.