# Clothes washing liquid in my dish washer



## Leffe NL (Jul 14, 2015)

So, I've basically made a huge error... I didn't know that you could buy those sachets of dish washer washer liquid for a clothes washing machine. Must have seen them, assumed they were for a dishwasher and have been using them for a month 

Anyway, there's been a strange smell coming off the dishwasher, which I assumed to be these new sachets. I noted to buy a different brand.

Now I've realised my mistake BUT the machine doesn't want to rinse the old liquid out, the stench is bad enough, but everything that's been through the machine tastes and smells of this stuff. It infects my food and currently all I can taste and smell is this stuff (all the time 24x7).

Any tips as to how I can clean my dish washer?

(No need to point out that I'm an idiot, I'm aware :smile2


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

hi,

i,d first buy one of the dishwasher cleaners,you just open the top of the bottle, put it inside, and let it go through a full cycle.

after that i would be looking at cleaning all of the insides etc with bicarb, it works on sinks and fridges, so it could work on dishwashers,to help get rid of smells.

or lots of lemon juice in a hot wash, set the machine going, and when it is halfway through open door and squirt a lot of lemon out of those little bottles inside, and let it finish its run.

all these are what i call housewife ideas, might work but cant do any harm, and dont cost more than a few pennies to try.

mags


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## randonneur (Jan 25, 2007)

Buy a dishwasher cleaner bottle (1 use only) and put on highest level, this should (should) help, can't guarantee it, you may need to do it twice.


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## Leffe NL (Jul 14, 2015)

Thanks, will try to find a cleaner bottle! I think it's left a very difficult to remove film of this stuff over everything it's washed. I just scrubbed a plastic container, still smells.

And it's all around my mouth, I'm unable to remove the taste - yuck!


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## Matchlock (Jun 26, 2010)

Well at least you now have linen fresh breath!


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Vinegar? You can use it in a clothes washer toget rid of mould and it doesn't leave a smell after rinsing.


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## Brock (Jun 14, 2005)

My missus agrees with Mags although she says read the manual first - usually get them on line from the manufacturer's website if you don't have one.
The cleaner should rid you of the smells - bicarb unlikely to do so, but it does clean.

Have a look at this site where I go for advice sometimes

http://www.dri-pak.co.uk/cleaning-products/bicarbonate-of-soda/

The surplus water may be due to excessive suds. If the machine has an eco cycle or rinsing cycle, run without any additional powders [read your annual first to see if it forbids this] and this ay clear away the suds.

Whatever you do, keep plenty of towels near the dishwasher until it is resolved. They can flood just as easy as a washing machine.

Missus says you are not an idiot. Look on the internet and you will see others have done this. At worst, you were probably distracted and its not as bad as putting petrol in a diesel engine! You may need to replace all the pots affected though as the taint ay not go for quite a while.


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

hi,

try and find a big size of bicarb, fill your sink up and put quite a large amount in hot water, and soak your dishes etc in the solution,it should take away the smell, you could even use some wahing up liquid,as well

mags


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Dishwasher cleaners are available most places now

Aldi, pound shops etc

I use a hot wash and bleach to clean mine, but always domestos 

Don't know why except if I use bleach with clothes cheaper brands tend to yellow 

Bi carb available on line in bulk, we use it with epsom salt in the bath as a detox, especially following radiotherapy

I doubt your pots are holding the smell, they are not absorbent so it must be the machine 

Maybe a few hot washes with an empty machine mixed with white vinegar 

Aldra


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Read carefully what Sandra has said - she is always reliable and I would agree with her advice, white (cleaning) vinegar works well at descaling too but does need rinsing well afterwards - we use it for our cappuccino maker and our kettle as we are in a VERY hard water area and many machines give up after a couple of years....

The smell could be coming from food particles trapped in the bottom filter basket - check it and make sure it is clean, check also all the seals are clean.

Dave


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

hi sandra,

i think we must have tried all the old cleaning tricks,dident buy cleaning bottles until a few years back,and had a very clean and sparkling home, but vineger,newspapers windows,bi carb most cleaning jobs, stains lemon juice etc, now i go to quailty save with the rest of the world, but still use lavender for bites bruising et al, arnica for pain.

mags


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## TeamRienza (Sep 21, 2010)

I found that after prolonged use, our dishwasher gave off a bad smell. We were using Lidl's own brand.

The solution was to use a branded product for a while, Finish, if my memory is correct. I have to say that it is the only product from Lidl that has been disappointing.

Davy


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## scept1c (May 10, 2005)

I remember a topic on one of the Watchdog type programmes about 30 years ago when people using liquid detergents in their washing machines noticed a nasty smell and a scum build up on the inside of the drum.

I remember it because it happened to our washing machine.

The main source of the smell is a grey sludge which gathers in the sump and pipes. There's no real advantage in manually cleaning the drum in a washing machine or the interior walls of the dishwashing machine.

The grey sludge can also block the pipe to the pressure switch which governs the water level in a washing machine causing a possible overflow or more likely sticking on the drain stage during a wash cycle because the switch still senses that the machine has not emptied.

I think the remedy was to do a very hot wash cycle with vinegar and of course stop using liquid detergents.

I think the suggestion to buy a dishwasher cleaner is possibly the best as the cleaner is probably released during the hot washing stage. Depending on the dishwasher type and wash cycle if vinegar is used it may be flushed out during a cold water pre-wash phase before it has the chance to properly clean the machine.

We do an occasional clean cycle using a dishwasher cleaner purchased from a Tesco store. In your case it may be necessary to run the cleaning process two or three time to fully clean the whole machine.


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## Leffe NL (Jul 14, 2015)

Thanks everyone for the advice!

I cleaned out the machine filter and stuff; it was full of white detergent smelling gunk. Then ran wash cycles with a cleaning liquid, then vinegar, then a cleaning power. It's better but there's still a wiff of this stuff. Am now running again with vinegar.

I hand washed all ceramics and stainless steel things, which removed the smell, but plastics seem to retain it...

I might well need to take the mechanism apart under the filter unit, but will try repeating the wash cycles for a bit yet.


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## teljoy (Jul 4, 2005)

Leffe NL said:


> Thanks everyone for the advice!
> 
> I cleaned out the machine filter and stuff; it was full of white detergent smelling gunk. Then ran wash cycles with a cleaning liquid, then vinegar, then a cleaning power. It's better but there's still a wiff of this stuff. Am now running again with vinegar.
> 
> ...


We have used this company for a few years and their cleaners are excellent. Also good for spare parts.

http://www.espares.co.uk/product/es...-detergent-remover---6-d?ApplianceTypeId=1083

Terry


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

:crying::crying::crying:One last point

The filter was full of gunk??

You should clean that every couple of days whether you use the right or wrong cleaner

Two minute job

I despair :crying:

Aldra:wink2:0


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

As to the use of plastics - one should ONLY use/re-use/wash/heat plastics with visible triangular recycle codes 
5, 4, 1 or 2 (all the rest are bad for you!).

Plastics not coded as above contain Bisphenol-A which give off carcinogenic chemicals when heated. Proven!! viz. the banning of plastic baby bottles. Plastics used cold and never washed in hot water are fine. 

Bin the rest!!!!


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Another tip - buy tablets for the dishwasher.


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## Leffe NL (Jul 14, 2015)

aldra said:


> :crying::crying::crying:One last point
> 
> The filter was full of gunk??
> 
> ...


Yah, I'll get right on that! [/sarcasm]

For the record, I'm a single bloke living alone. Domestically speaking, I strive to survive! :wink2:


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## Leffe NL (Jul 14, 2015)

Did a normal wash cycle last night, everything is smelling again, so looks like I'll have to dismantle the bottom of the washer this weekend *sobs*


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Poor you. Have you asked a dishwasher repair 'man'? He might give you advice - free possible if you're lucky.


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

hi,

try going to the back of the machine and see if you can reach the pipes, you might be able to take them off and rinse them out,including the waste pipe, might work.




mags


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## Leffe NL (Jul 14, 2015)

If you see the gunk, it's a very strange consistency, almost alien blood in consistency... It would stick to anything, and under the bottom of a dishwasher there are mechanical parts, which this stuff would love!

On a side note, a clothes washer of mine sheared off the drive spindle a while back. When I looked inside, all the webbing at the back of the drum had huge amounts of dried washer liquid, which caused the shearing. Hence you should monthly use a 90deg wash, to clean your machine - washing liquid is strange stuff!


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Oh well leffe

You will just have to try a hot bleach wash 

Use domestos followed by a hot wash to rinse the machine

I had a call trying to sell me a washing machine cleaner

I use a hot bleach wash I said

You shouldn't use bleach in your machine she replied 

Excuse me I said it has a container for adding bleach to the wash
She rang off

Aldra


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