Kitchen Disaster or Brilliant Multitasking? (with pics!)

Published on December 27, 2005 By Texas Wahine In Home & Family

Apparently not all soaps are created equal.

Laundry detergent goes in the washing machine.

Hand soap goes on your hands.

Dishwasher soap (in liquid, gel pack, or powder form!) goes in the dishwasher.

And dish soap goes in the sink.

I am the reason there are warning labels on household products.

I had a lot of post-Christmas dishes to wash. Some, unfortunately, had been in the sink (rinsed!) since Christmas day. And then there was yesterday's dishes that I hadn't yet washed. And the dishes from the (delicious!) Seafood Lasagna from lunch. I'd like to say that I'm usually not such a slob, but I really hate washing dishes, and neither Adrian nor I felt inclined to do more than rinse the food off the dishes before stacking them back in the sink.

It was apparent after lunch today that dish washing was unavoidable.

After cleaning up the kitchen and gathering up stray cups and plates and silverware from the dining room and living room, I began loading the dishwasher. The kitchen was looking better already.

I grabbed the generic dishwasher powder and shook the granules into their little pocket inside the dishwasher. I got about a teaspoon of those brisk-smelling granules out before the box fell silent. We were out of dishwasher soap. Bummer.

I looked under the sink, hoping that a stray gel packet might be lurking under a scrubbing pad somewhere. There were none to be found, but I noticed that I had an abundance of dish soap.

You know where this is heading, don't you? I'll bet you know better than to do something this stupid.

Unfortunately, I didn't know better.

I squeezed the fragrant orange liquid soap into the dishwasher pocket, filling it up. I closed the little latch, and closed the door to the dishwasher, pleased with my resourcefulness.

I went about my business, and stopped back by the kitchen later to thaw out some ribs only to be faced with a fundamental truth about soap and a sad reminder about the perils of not following directions or reading warning labels.

Dish soap doesn't belong in the dishwasher.

I still haven't figured out how I'm going to get all the bubbles out of the dishwasher (the situation has become even more bubbly since the photos were taken), but I did have a really great idea about what I'm going to do with the bubbles I can get out...

I'm going to use them to mop the floor! How brilliant is that? Even Adrian thinks it's a sharp idea (although he may just be saying that because he really, really wants me to mop the floor!).

Despite the mess, I must say...bubbles make me happy.

Comments (Page 1)

mada_ecks

on Dec 28, 2005

WOW, I'm glad I'm not the only one that's done that. When I did it, I was like, "I'm just going to put a smidge in the machine and see what happens", cause at the time we didn't have any dishwashing soap. Well, let's just say that the soup on the floor cut out the middle man, all I had to do was grap a mop.

It's been a while since I've done that and I can't exactly remember what I did to get rid of the bubbles. I think I just let the suds go down after awhile, tried to start it up again, and repeat the process until there were non bubbles left. It took awhile for that though, I was thankful that no one was home to witness what I did and they didn't find out about it.

-mx-

historyishere

on Dec 28, 2005

And such Tiny Bubbles too.... Don Ho would be proud.

Texas Wahine

on Dec 28, 2005

MX: Hey, nice to see you around!

WOW, I'm glad I'm not the only one that's done that.

Me too!!!

When I did it, I was like, "I'm just going to put a smidge in the machine and see what happens", cause at the time we didn't have any dishwashing soap

I really just assumed it would be the same difference. How wrong we were, eh?

It's been a while since I've done that and I can't exactly remember what I did to get rid of the bubbles. I think I just let the suds go down after awhile, tried to start it up again, and repeat the process until there were non bubbles left.

I ran the heated dry cycle twice, and it got rid of all the bubbles...good, I suppose, but I can't mop with no bubbles, hahaha! I do think I'll need to wash the dishes again, though...too much dish soap on dishes can make you sick.

It took awhile for that though, I was thankful that no one was home to witness what I did and they didn't find out about it

Hehehe. Luckily Adrian found it funny...and I'm stupid enough to tell the entire blogosphere about my retarded-ness. Hehe. But you're secret's safe with me! Hehe.

History: Another long lost pal!

And such Tiny Bubbles too.... Don Ho would be proud.

Hahhahaa. He did cross my mind as I wrote this! (I read that he recently had a health scare, but is doing well.)

Chaos Manager

on Dec 28, 2005

Hehe. Too funny.

I passed this on to my wife and her response was "Unfortunately, I've done that, too."

Funny, it must've been while I was away on business, 'cause I don't remember that one. And as mercilessly as I tease her, I would remember that one.

I mean, I still, to this day, tease her about something that happened at her Senior Prom. See, I'm 6'2" and she's 5'2". When we went to get pictures taken there at the Prom, the photgrapher asked her if she wanted a plastic crate to stand on, so the height differential wouldn't be so obvious. Oh, man. If looks could kill ... they'd've been looking for a new photog. It's usually good for a slug in the shoulder (or worse if she's got something throwable in her hands). I've learned not to do it when she's got the cast iron skillet (the 16" one) in her hands. That sucker hurts!

dharmagrl

on Dec 28, 2005

Shea did that once. I used a cup of bleach to get rid of the bubbles, and used ever towel in the house to mop up the mess.

Nice pics!

garsgolfer

on Dec 28, 2005

You're not the lone ranger. I recall a few major hicups of rational in years past.

To much soap in the dishwasher and washing machine... all over the floor. However, a few mr fixit friends will quickly recall my best.... Trying to unplug the kitchen sink with a bicycle cable. Can you imagine the result... I ended up getting the cable stuck in the trap then calling buddy for help, and when he laughed, then a very expensive plumber

Dr Guy

on Dec 28, 2005

Thanks for the housekeeping tip!

Trudygolightly

on Dec 28, 2005

,
ROFL
geez, now I know I won't try THAT ......
and I had considered doing it once........

it's good to be resourceful,

btw, you CAN combine liquid dishsoap with dishwasher detergent to get out stains from clothes.
The dishsoap that works that way comes in big tall yellow round bottle. I forget the name but it comes
in a citrus scent.

just john

on Dec 28, 2005

The easiest way to kill the bubbles is actually with dishwasher soap. It contains an anti-sudsing agent. Laundry detergent has the same sort of agent. It's not as effective either.

We had a temp at our office do this to our dishwasher once. All of the engineers started calling her bubbles. She asked for a different assignment the next week.

Gideon MacLeish

on Dec 28, 2005

Car wax works in a pinch...teeheeheee.

There's a special place in hell reserved for folks like you, ya know, LW? (lol)

foreverserenity

on Dec 28, 2005

And just run the washer through with plain water a few times (leave the dishes in so they get a good rinse) and add a bottle of plain white vinegar the last time to get any soap residue out of the machine-works.

Yep, this works always. We were out the other day, my hubby did this and walla, clean dishes. But I didn't even think of doing that. Oh Tex, you live and you learn. I'm glad you're taking it in stride and being quite resourceful too!

Dr Guy

on Dec 28, 2005

I'm glad you're taking it in stride and being quite resourceful too!

maybe we should start calling her Don Ho? Or Tiny Bubbles?

Aint I a stinker!

JillUser

on Dec 28, 2005

Hey, at least you made the best of it and were able to laugh about it! It will probably be a story your boys will tell there kids some day

AvantiTexan

on Dec 29, 2005

That's so awesome! I bet you could trick the kids into helping you out by making it a game with bubbles! (Like you used to do to get me to clean out from under my bed!)

Despite the mess, I must say...bubbles make me happy.
Sorry, but for some reason, I didn't have a quote option. But, wow, what an attitude!

Love ya sis!

AngelaMarie88

on Dec 29, 2005

I learned my lesson about that from a friend who put shampoo in her laundry. Same result. Not a good idea. So I've been cautious to use soaps for their intended purpose. She saved my butt...and by sharing your story here, Tex, you might be saving a lot of other "resourceful" people from going down that bubbly path

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