Your dishwasher pods may be leaving behind a secret mess.
Dishwasher pods have become so popular over the last several years that many modern dishwashers are now designed to accommodate them.
Powder and liquid detergents used to dominate the market, and while most homes still use these same cleaning agents, they now come in convenient little proportioned dissolvable pods.
But if you don’t use them carefully or pick the right kind, these very pods could lead to hundreds of dollars in recurring plumbing bills—at least according to this woman.
In a viral video with nearly 400,000 views as of Saturday, influencer Jill (@gracefullgrit) shared a PSA, and if you have a dishwasher in your home, you’re gonna wanna listen up.
A dishwashing nightmare
In the TikTok, Jill explained that her sink was backed up. After trying and failing to solve it with a bunch of DIY hacks, she bit the proverbial bullet and gave a plumber a call, knowing solving her issue was about to get much more expensive than she anticipated.
“A couple of hundred dollars later and some advice, he told me this,” Jill said about her plumber.
According to Jill’s plumber, dishwasher pods with powder in them build up on the edges of your pipes, “just like cholesterol in your arteries.”
The plumber explained to her that when the powder is activated with water, it gets stuck on the side of the pipes and creates this “concrete barrier” that needs to be scraped off with a special machine.
“He actually says he gets calls like this all the time,” Jill recounted, adding that the plumber recommends people switch to liquid dishwashing detergent or liquid pods.
“I hope this helps you guys avoid a kitchen plumbing catastrophe,” Jill said.
@gracefullgrit ⛔️WARNING⛔️ stop using these in your kitchen! #dishwasherpods #tipsandtricks #kitchenhacks #savemoney #cloggedsink #cleaningtips #cleantok #homehack #cleanwithme #fyp #foryou ♬ BIRDS OF A FEATHER – jessica
Is it true?
However, according to appliance experts at Power Advisor, while pods may cause buildup, they usually fully dissolve as intended. But if you put in more than the recommended amount, they may not fully break down, causing issues.
Buildup is more likely if you live in an area with hard water (which contains high levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium).
But, the majority of drain clogs are caused by a build-up of food scraps, grease, and other debris.
“Some even assert that using pods can help maintain cleaner drains by effectively breaking down food particles, thereby reducing the likelihood of blockages,” Power Advisor reported.
To prevent this buildup from occurring, experts recommend running a dishwasher cleaning cycle regularly to remove buildup and checking the dishwasher filter for debris.
The best thing you can do is read your dishwasher’s instruction manual to confirm what the recommended cleaning solution is and where to place it.
People in the comments section had a lot to say.
“I’ve been using those for 17 years bc that’s what my dishwasher brand recommended. I’ve never had an issue,” a person said.
“I cut mine open and [pour] them in,” a commenter shared.
“I switched to liquid 4 years ago bc of this,” another wrote.
“Tip from a house cleaner , if you have these and no longer want to use them in your dishwasher, use them in your mop bucket for your tile floors,” a person recommended.
The Daily Dot reached out to Jill and Cascade’s parent company, Proctor and Gamble, for comment via email.
Update 9:48am CT June 24: In an email to the Daily Dot, a leader of the American Cleaning Institute spoke on the use of powder dishwasher tabs.
“Powder dishwasher tabs are used safely and effectively in millions of homes on a weekly basis when they are used as directed and dishwasher appliance recommendations are followed. Powder dishwasher tabs are designed to dissolve in water and have been extensively tested for compatibility across a wide range of dishwasher types, brands, and water conditions,” Brian Sansoni, said senior vice president of communications, outreach and membership of the American Cleaning Institute, the trade association for cleaning products.
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