A woman who thought she had discovered the perfect dish detergent learned two months later that she had been washing her plates, cups and silverware with laundry detergent.
The 34-year-old original poster (OP), Reddit user Familiar-Reading2637, explained that she received the detergent as a Christmas gift and put it straight to use in her kitchen.
She used it for handwashing dishes and ran it through her dishwasher, impressed by how effortlessly it removed stuck-on food.
“Dishes come out sparkling clean,” she wrote. “Cheese, coffee stains, etc. slide off like it’s nothing. I don’t even have to scrub.”
But when she went to order some more, she realized she’d been washing everything with laundry detergent.
The OP recalled, “I went to Google to search for places that sell this. Cue the search results offering ‘other laundry detergents’…
“I retyped in the search again, ‘Easy dose dish detergent’ because I have been thinking how cool it is that the dose automatically stops at the exact right size for my dishwasher detergent spot… no results for this.
“I went back to my kitchen to use my old-a** eyes to zoom in. And zoom in again. And zoom in again… to discover right there on the front of the bottle…
“I have been washing my dishes with laundry detergent for months.”
One of the photos included with the post shows that the bottle is a compact, clear plastic container filled with pale yellow liquid.
The front label reads “Seventh Generation EasyDose Ultra Power+,” with green leaf imagery and a clean, minimalist design that would not look out of place near a sink.
Prominent text on the label says “4X bio-enzymes fight tough dirt & stains,” alongside a circular badge that reads “66 loads.” Lower on the label, in smaller text, it states “Ultra concentrated laundry detergent.”
The bottle also features a push-style dosing top, similar to dispensers often seen on dish or dishwasher soaps.
Reddit Reacts
Responses poured in, and while one Reddit user noted that the label itself offered clues, at least the OP now knew she’d also like it when used on clothes.
Another pointed out, “Your dishwasher will have a rinse cycle at the end, which will wash off any laundry detergent residue. You’ll be fine.”
“How else are your dishes going to come out whiter than white but still strokably soft?” one commenter quipped.
Potential Health Hazards
Outside the thread, cleaning experts warn that laundry detergent and dish soap are not interchangeable.
According to a Puracy article, “Experts strongly discourage using laundry detergent to wash your dishes due to its composition and potential health hazards,” noting that residues may remain on plates and cookware.
The same article cites concerns from health authorities, stating that ingredients such as optical brighteners and fragrances are not meant for ingestion and can build up over time.
A separate explainer from Dropps echoes that guidance. In its article, the Dropps Research & Development Department states, “Laundry detergent should never go in your dishwasher,” warning that the suds can overflow and potentially damage the appliance.
The article also cautions that even handwashing dishes with laundry detergent isn’t advised because those formulas are designed for fabrics, not surfaces that come into contact with food.
Newsweek has reached out to Familiar-Reading2637 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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