5 Things You Should Never Clean With Dish Soap

dish soap on sponge — Credit:
Mariya Borisova / Getty Images

When you’re on a cleaning spree, do-it-all products that can handle a variety of tasks allow you to keep scrubbing away—and can save you both money and space in your cleaning cabinet. Dish soap is one of these multifaceted cleaning agents. However, it's not suitable for every surface.

We’ve consulted a cleaning professional to help you more efficiently and safely clean your home and properly utilize all the tools in your arsenal. Here's what not to clean with dish soap, an otherwise versatile essential.

Stephanie Phillips, cleaning professional and owner of Phillips Commercial and Residential Cleaning Service in Nashville, TN

01 of 05

Wooden Furniture

Person wearing blue gloves dusting wooden table — Credit:
Getty Images / Suwannar Kawila / EyeEm

Dish soap may seem like a convenient option for cleaning wooden furniture, but it can do more harm than good. The strong detergents in dish soap can strip away the natural oils that protect the wood’s surface, leading to a dry, dull finish. Over time, this can cause the wood to crack, warp, or lose its luster, and it can leave a hard-to-remove residue that causes discoloration.

"Once a month or so, I use a little wood polish on a clean cloth just to keep it looking nice and to keep the surface protected," shares cleaning professional Stephanie Phillips. "But I’d avoid using dish soap on any wood surface. I also encourage my clients to keep their wooden dining tables covered while eating to avoid the need for serious scrubbing."

02 of 05

Leather

Leather is a sensitive material that requires special care. Dish soap is wonderful for breaking down oily and greasy stains—but when it comes to leather, breaking down the oils that make up its protective coating is not what you want. Emollients are essential for soft, well-preserved leather, and dish soap can cause leather to become dry, brittle, or cracked.

"I keep a designated leather cleaner on hand and always follow cleaning with conditioning," says Phillips. "It’s one material where I limit my free-styling and stick to products formulated to keep the leather nice and soft."

03 of 05

Carpet

Dish soap isn't the best choice for tackling carpet stains. It's hard to rinse out of carpet and can leave behind a residue on the fibers that attracts more dirt and grime, which can make your carpet look dirtier faster.

"I always use a carpet cleaner with very hot water," explains Phillips, "I use an enzyme-based cleaner for biological stains and a general carpet cleaning solution for other stains, then I hit it with my carpet cleaning machine.."

04 of 05

Laundry

Using dish soap in your washing machine can cause many problems. Take note: Dish detergent is not laundry detergent. Dish soap creates way more bubbles than washing machines are designed to handle. Too many suds can overflow, making a mess and potentially damaging your appliance. Plus, all those extra bubbles can prevent your clothes from rinsing properly, leaving a soapy residue behind.

"Dish soap is amazing for treating oily stains, but you shouldn’t use it in place of laundry detergent," says Phillips. "Just dab what you need onto the grease spot and launder as usual." Your washing machine is built to work with specific detergents designed to clean without creating foam overload.

05 of 05

Dishes (in a Dishwasher, That Is!)

Pouring dishwashing liquid into dishwasher — Credit:
Getty Images

You should never use regular dish soap in a dishwasher for the same reason you shouldn’t use it in a laundry washer—it creates too many suds. Dishwasher detergents are low-sudsing and specially formulated to work with the appliance’s spray mechanisms and water pressure.

If you’re out of dishwasher detergent, hand-washing is a much better option than putting dish soap in the machine. "I learned this lesson the hard way when I was a teenager," shares Phillips. "I was mopping up suds for hours!"