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You’ve filled up the washing machine with a full load of clothes. You’ve got the fabric softener ready to go and all you need is the laundry detergent. That’s when you realize there is no laundry detergent. Before you grab the Dawn dish soap from the kitchen as a substitute, beware that you’re risking a big mess if you use it.
That’s because Dawn dish soap is not designed to be directly used in a washing machine. Doing so could produce too many suds in your washer, creating something of a foamy waterfall effect. While that may not sound very serious, the problem is that too many soapy suds inside the drum can lead to an overflow. An excessive amount of suds can not only cause a washer to leak, but it can also lead to draining problems.
The reason Dawn and other dish soaps are never a good substitute for laundry detergent is due to their formula. Dish liquids are meant to break down food and grease from dishes, cups, silverware, and other cooking utensils using foamy soap suds. But while your kitchen sink can handle that, your washing machine cannot. So, if you need a laundry detergent substitute, it’s best to leave the Dawn in the kitchen and consult your owner’s manual for other options instead.
How to safely use Dawn on your laundry
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Dawn dish soap can be useful for taking care of certain stains on a piece of clothing before it goes into the washing machine. This is especially true for greasy stains caused by food. In fact, Dawn recommends applying its Platinum formula to stains on certain fabrics like cotton and polycotton, then finishing the job in the washer using regular laundry detergent. In this case, Dawn isn’t being used to wash the clothes, just pretreat them.
Another Dawn formula, Powerwash, can be used to pretreat stains as well. This product is also safe to use on cotton and polycotton, as well as poly-blend fabrics. Once the stains are treated, you can finish cleaning the item in the washer on the correct setting using regular detergent, just as you would with regular Dawn dish soap. However, Dawn Powerwash is not meant to be used on clothing that is labeled dry-clean-only, and you also shouldn’t apply it to delicate materials like silk and velvet.
But before you use any Dawn dish soap on clothing, you should always check the garment’s care instructions. You can also test some of the product on a small area of the clothing first, before using it to fully treat any stains. This will allow you to see if there is any negative effect from the Dawn on the fabric.