Can you wash dishes without detergent in the dishwasher?

Today on the market there is a huge number of all kinds of tablets and powders for dishwashers. These products have very different prices, but according to dishwasher users, they still have to spend a “tidy” amount on them per year. Some “economists” generally prefer to use products from time to time, washing dishes simply with hot water without any additives. Is it possible to wash dishes without detergent at all? What will be the result? Will this harm the dishwasher? We will look for answers to all these questions.

The consequences of such washing

The manufacturer insists that the dishwasher must be used correctly, that is, according to the instructions. And the instructions inform us that it is impossible to start washing dishes without salt and dishwashing detergent. What does this mean? Let's figure it out. Suppose we load dishes into the dishwasher and run it without salt and powder. The following may happen:

• the dishes will wash well and sparkle clean;
• the dishes will wash well, but there will be stains and drops of dried water on them;
• the dishes will be washed satisfactorily;
• The dishes will remain completely dirty.

As you can see, washing dishes without means is a lottery; either it will wash or it won’t. Most often, the washing result is far from perfect. You will waste time and resources, but the expected result will not come. If you constantly wash dishes without salt, this threatens to destroy the ion exchanger, which in turn will lead to breakdown of the dishwasher and the accumulation of lime deposits in it.

To better understand the effect of washing dishes without detergents, open a hot water tap and place a dirty plate under the stream. After holding the plate for a while, you will see that the stream of water has washed away most of the dirt. The same thing happens in the dishwasher.

If you put salt in the dishwasher, but do not put detergent, there will be no harm to the equipment, however, you will not wash heavily soiled dishes either. Conclusion: wash dishes in the dishwasher without powder and tablets, but with the addition dishwasher salts quite possible. But this procedure will be extremely ineffective, although, of course, it is up to the user to decide.

How to replace powder and tablets?

What should you do if you run out of dishwashing detergent and you have to wash a whole mountain of dishes in the dishwasher without detergents? How can I replace dishwashing detergent until I can get to the store and buy normal tablets or powder, that is, for a couple of times? Some suggest replacing PMM powder with regular washing powder. We don't recommend doing this.

1. The powder (for hand washing) foams a lot. Creeping clouds of foam can seriously damage the electronics of the machine, leading to serious damage.
2. Any washing powder contains quite toxic components that can enter the human digestive system from dishes. Nothing good can be expected from this chemistry.
3. The washing powder will leave white stains on the dishes, which will then have to be washed by hand.

Other “experimenters” suggest putting a small amount of mustard powder instead of dishwashing detergent.This option is completely out of the question, since mustard powder not only does not wash dishes, but it also tends to swell and clog the spray nozzles. As a result, you won’t even wash the dishes properly, and all the filters with the dishwasher nozzles will be clogged with mustard. Then you will have to scrape it out of all the cracks.

Another suggestion is to add a little baking soda instead of dish soap. They say that it dissolves dirt well and helps improve the washing result significantly. We tried this option and didn’t notice any significant difference. At least the baking soda won't harm the dishwasher, so you can try putting it in the detergent drawer. But it’s best to buy a normal product and wash the dishes properly, and not engage in outright nonsense.

So, you can wash dishes in a machine without a special product, but with the addition of salt you can. This will not harm the equipment, but the quality of dishwashing will be very questionable. In our opinion, it is better to wash dishes as written in the dishwasher instructions, so as not to regret anything later. Good luck!

2 reader comments

1. 09.21.2021 at 21:22

   Natalia:

   I thought for a long time and bought it. And I don’t regret it, although very dirty pots are not always washed.

   Answer
2. 10.31.2021 at 18:36

   Natalia:

   I don't like the smell of dishwashers. I will try without them, but with salt.

   Answer