Can You Use Laundry Detergent to Wash Dishes | What Are the Health Hazards of Using Laundry Detergent

Can you use laundry detergent to wash dishes? The answer is between yes and no because if you are planning on using your lay dry detergent to wash your dishes, then you have to be prepared for the potential health hazard or risks that you are exposing yourself and the people around you to when you are using it. 

Dishwasher Warranty

You are probably asking about using your laundry detergent in your dishwasher. If you do use your laundry detergent in your dishwasher, you might make void the warranty that comes with your dishwasher should it get spoilt during the process. Yes, we know that your laundry detergent doesn’t have the powers of directly ruining your dishwasher. But did you also know that your laundry detergent contains chemicals such as fragrances, brighteners, stabilizers, and other ingredients that your dishwasher can heat? 

These ingredients become gasses, and when this happens, it can become toxic to your system if you inhale it. Laundry detergents can’t dramatically ruin your dishwasher, but they can contribute to ruining your health.

Can You Use Laundry Detergent to Wash Dishes

Stabilizers are added to laundry detergents so that they don’t degrade quickly. The stabilizers are added to the laundry detergents so that they can last longer. The stabilizers are potentially harmful to your body, and this us what no manufacturer will tell you. They deliberately skip this piece of information so that people don’t get worried. Your dish soap doesn’t have stabilizers because they are made with your dishes and health in mind. 

The manufacturers of dish soaps know that you will be using your plates to eat so they wouldn’t want to add synthetic ingredients that can potentially harm you because they can be sued.

Allergies and Reactions

Many people have different allergies or reactions when it comes to certain chemicals. Many people don’t take the smell of fragrance well. Imagine washing your dishes with a laundry detergent that is heavily scented and then serving a guest. You might regret that decision for as long as you live if you are unaware of the person’s health condition or allergies. The best thing to do is to skip using a laundry detergent entirely. Stick to using dish detergents and soaps to avoid this happening to you or anyone.

Can You Use Laundry Detergent to Wash Dishes

Laundry detergents are also made of bleach. The bleach is what makes your clothes whiter and neater when you wash them. If you use your laundry detergent to wash your dishes, you will be exposing yourself to the bleach, which is a chemical. Imagine eating bleach while you are eating. No amount of rinsing when it comes to your dishes can rinse away the bleach from the laundry detergent. The bleach will find it’s way to your food. I am not trying to scare you, but it is what happens.

Toxicity of Chemicals 

One thing you must note is that the chemicals from a laundry detergent can be toxic and harmful, and you don’t want to be exposing yourself to them. If you use laundry detergent to wash your dishes, you are exposing yourself faster to them.

Okay, if you are into DIY projects, you probably know that dishwashing soaps and laundry detergents are quite similar. Yes, they do have surfactants in them, and these surfactants are what dissolves oils, grease, and dirt from your clothes and dishes, respectively. What you probably don’t know or haven’t given serious thought to is that the surfactants used are quite different and are not interchangeable. The surfactant that is used in making a dishwashing soap is quite different from that of laundry detergent.

You might also notice that whenever you are using your laundry detergent that it foams more. The foaming quality of your laundry detergent allows you to wash your clothes properly and get out stains. Your dish soap doesn’t have this excessive foaming quality because your dishes don’t need it. Your plates only need to be rinsed after you have used them and then washed with mild soap, in this case, dish detergent or soap. The foaming quality of laundry detergents is made from a combination of some chemicals that you should avoid when it comes to your dishes.

Did you also know that using laundry detergent to wash your dishes can make your hands sore and flaky? No one probably told you this, but you notice that your hands start to peel after a few days of using a laundry detergent because of the chemicals in the laundry detergent. The chemicals are supposed to take out stains, peeling them off your clothes and fabrics. If you must use laundry detergent to wash your clothes, put on gloves to do so, and make sure that you rinse your dishes properly when after cleaning them.

Alternatives

So, what other alternatives are there when you can’t use a laundry detergent? Do you leave your plates as they are, dirty and greasy? No, you have to be extremely hygienic when it comes to your environment. If you can’t get a dish soap or detergent, you can reach for other natural cleaning solutions that you may have at home. An example of one of this cleaning solution is a mixture of vinegar and water. This mixture has been used for ages by many cultures, so you don’t have to be worried about using it.

Vinegar is known for cleaning tough stains and making things shiny and smooth. To make your cleaning solution, fill your washing sink with water, or fill a bowl of water with water and add your vinegar after you have done that. Rinse your plates properly in clean water then submerge your dishes in the vinegar water for about ten minutes. When you come back to check on the plate, you will notice that the oil and grease have come off the plates. 

The next thing that you will want to do will be to rinse the dishes in a clean bowl of wanted and use a dishcloth to dry them off. It is better than using a laundry detergent.

Conclusion

Can you use laundry detergent to wash clothes? You can, but there are potential health risks that you might be exposing yourself to when you do that.

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