How I almost ruined my kitchen before it is even finished

15 years ago

Our kitchen is not really set up to be used, but our appliances are installed and working. So we actually cooked a little bit this weekend, and I decided to use my new dishwasher for the first time to wash the pots and pans we used.

I loaded the dishwasher, and then I don't know what came over me. I looked up and there was a bottle of dishwashing soap. Since the pans were pretty dirty, I thought I'd fill the dispenser all the way.

Have any of you noticed yet that I said "dishwashING soap" and not "dishwashER soap." Yep. It has been so long since I used a dishwasher (7 months) that I put dishwashing soap in my dishwasher.

I turned the dishwasher on, and left it, and had no plans to return. Luckily, I went back down there for something about an hour later, surprised at how long the cycle was, but happy at how quiet it was. While I was standing there, suds started pouring out of the dishwasher. Like crazy. I screamed for my husband, thinking our brand new dishwasher was malfunctioning. My husband took one look and said "oh my God, did you put dishwashing liquid in there?" And then it hit me -- my dishwasher was not dysfunctional, I was.

The suds were EVERYWHERE. Our kitchen floor is still covered in boards to protect the floor from the workmen. The suds were underneath and over them. They were piled up on my new cabinets. It was a MESS. And I had caught it and turned off the dishwasher IMMEDIATELY. I shudder to think of what would have happened if I had not come down at all.

You know your kitchen reno is taking too long when you forget how to use your dishwasher!

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Comments (13)

trudymom
15 years ago
Thanks for the warning. It sounds exactly like something I would do.
phoggie
15 years ago
I am glad you come back. This reminds me of an old "Lucy" show....she did the same thing....suds all over the place, but I can see how it could certainly happen....especially if you keep them both in the same area.
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busybme
15 years ago
I've done that same thing myself in the past. Who knew that Dish liquid could produce soooo many bubbles!!! : )

Hope you don't have any lasting damage to your beautiful new kichen!
pbrisjar
15 years ago
I did that back when I was young and poor. I had just moved into a new apartment with a dishwasher - first one I'd had in many years. I had dishwashing soap but not dishwasher soap. Loaded it up and yup - it was a mess. I complained to the management that the dishwasher was malfunctioning. They came and checked on it and did some "fix". Happened to me (surprise) again a few days later.

For some reason about a week later the management company distributed a letter i=on proper dishwasher usage.

Glad to hear you caught your mess in time.
vizslalover
15 years ago
My MIL did that at my cousins house one of the first times we had both families together for a big holiday dinner. She was mortified. Although everyone else thought it was funny and we all get along great she still doesn't like people to mention it :)
pharaoh
15 years ago
LUCYYYYYYYY....!!!!!!!
josie724
15 years ago
OMG jeannie, thank goodness you caught it....I've done something similar, when we first moved into our present house, we had hardwood installed in the kitchen and adjoing LR and DR. The first week we had the floor I overflowed the sink, the floor buckled and we had to have it sanded down and refinished, needless to say my DH wasn't too happy.
Jean Farrell
Original Author
15 years ago
I guess I would have been embarrassed if I did it in someone else's house, but I thought it was hysterical that I did it in my own house, first time I used my brand new dishwasher.

I noticed last night that the soap I used was superconcentrated, and I used a ton, so I'm REALLY lucky there weren't more suds. I think that this proves that my Miele really does use a small amount of water.
josie724
15 years ago
Hey jeannie, which one did you get? I can't get over how quite they are.
budge1
15 years ago
Not to cause you any more stress than you''ve already given yourself, but I've read that even a little bit of dishsoap in a dishwasher can ruin the seals on a dishwasher. The next few times you run it, I'd watch to make sure you don't get any leaking.
deep1084
15 years ago
I actually did a similar thing, but I didn't knowingly put dish soap in the dishwasher. I did something I had done a million times before--I put the squirter to some hand soap in the silverware tray. This time apparently it had more soap in the straw thingy. I turned on the dishwasher and left. In about 10 minutes I was going to work. That's something I have not done again--turn the dishwasher on and leave. Well, considering it was just a little pump, there were so many suds, I couldn't believe it. Luckily it was before the renovation and I had laminate floor which was not ruined. I haven't done that again, either.
Jean Farrell
Original Author
15 years ago
It is the Miele Optima, josie, and I sure hope that I didn't actually ruin it with the soap! We ran it a few times after the debacle just to clear out any remaining soap and I didn't see any leaking. My dishes were sparkling, however!

I didn't actually KNOW I was using dish soap. In my head, it was dishwasher soap. Why I thought that this was dishwasher soap, I don't know. I just did.
josie724
15 years ago
Me too Jeannie, the Optima that is. Just chalk it up to Remodeleritis, I actually poured iced tea in my coffe the other morning instead of milk.....Our minds are elsewhere.

I don't think you've done any damage.

How I almost ruined my kitchen before it is even finished

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How I almost ruined my kitchen before it is even finished

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