My washing machine is out-of-order after I attempted an experiment to wash the dishes in it. The experiment was a cracking failure, mainly (I think) because I forgot to disable the spin mode the machine uses to dry the dishes at the end of a wash cycle. The machine is now full of pieces of smashed plates and dishes and refuses to operate, I’m thinking small particles have escaped into the guts of the machine.

My clothes need washing for work tomorrow and, as you might imagine, I have an empty dishwasher. So I’ve decided to load it up with clothes, add the detergents, and see if my dishwasher can serve as the ultimate 2-in-1 home device.

Not long into the experiment, I note foam escaping from the dishwasher. I called heads on using clothes detergent, and not the dishwasher solution, and it seems my coin has landed on tails. But I’m not giving up - I put towels all across the surrounding areas and let the dishwasher continue working its magic.

Things seems to be going great, for about an hour. (I’m already drafting a howto guide to help other dishwasher owners wash their clothes). And then I hear a loud bang, the dishwasher starts beeping for about a minute and then it falls silent. Uh, oh.

I open the door, the dishwasher hasn’t drained properly so more water pours out. But I think I see the problem. Clothes have gotten tangled in the mechanics that help push the water around, and I guess this resistance caused the dishwasher to take a temporary timeout.

I rectify the problem but the dishwasher won’t turn on. Maybe that burning smell isn’t the toast from breakfast?

My clothes do smell pretty clean though and look okay, so I hang them to dry. Down a washing machine, and now seemingly a dishwasher, I still feel pretty content that at least my clothes will be washed and ready for work tomorrow.

That smug satisfaction only lasts until the next morning. I quickly realise my clothes have shrunk quite substantially, and I can’t fit into any of the items from my stylish wardrobe. Oh, and the dishwasher still isn’t working after attempting another quick test run.

Now down a pile of expensive clothes, a washing machine, and a dishwasher, here’s what I have subsequently learned and concluded:

  • Water Temperature: Dishwashers use much hotter water (often 120–160°F or 49–71°C), which damages delicate fabrics and/or shrink clothes.
  • Water Jets: The high-pressure jets in a dishwasher are designed for hard, flat surfaces (like plates), not soft, flexible items like clothing.
  • Detergent Type: Dishwasher detergent is not safe for fabrics and can cause irritation, residue buildup, or even damage to clothes. (So I made the right choice using the clothing detergent, woo hoo!!!)
  • Mechanics: Dishwashers lack an agitation or tumbling mechanism, so clothes wouldn’t get properly cleaned anyway.

Risks:

  • Clothes could block the spray arms or filters.
  • Fabric fibers might trap food particles or get damaged.
  • Could void the warranty or damage the dishwasher.

I can confirm the dishwasher is damaged, so the “could” is “did” in my case. The dishwasher is out-of-warranty, anyway, so no loss there. Using the detergent intended for the washing machine was a great choice, but everything else was an abject failure.

To finally answer the question I posed myself, DO NOT try washing your clothes in the dishwasher.

✏️