You Should Never Do THIS With Your Dishwasher Pods

CleanTok, the TikTok community, is focused on sharing cleaning tips and tricks, and it always has something new up its sleeve. Some of the advice is good, like teaching people how to make simple homemade cleaners. But other advice is dangerous, like encouraging people to mix ammonia-based cleaners with other products including bleach. So whenever there’s a new trend, it’s worth investigating it carefully. This time, CleanTokers are suggesting a new way to use your dishwasher pods.

What’s the Hack?

The latest CleanTok hack has to do with where you put your dishwasher pods. According to many users, it’s more efficient to toss the pods in the bottom of the dishwasher or in the silverware portion instead of the detergent dispenser.

Their reasoning is that residue from the pods can damage the dispenser. They also fear that the residue will build up and stay on your dishes or cause clogs in the plumbing. By keeping the pods in the center, these TikTokers argue, the pods will dissolve better, and the risk of a clog will be much lower.

Where Is the Best Place for Dishwasher Pods

Individual machines may vary, so it’s always best to double-check your dishwasher’s manual to confirm its instructions about where to put dishwasher pods. But as a general rule, the pods will work best when they’re put in the detergent dispenser. Familiarize yourself with your machine and it’s manual. Unless your machine has a dedicated pod slot, use the detergent dispenser.

Maytag’s instruction manual explains that the pods have a coating that dissolves when it comes into contact with water. By putting them in the detergent dispenser, you can ensure that the pods dissolve at the right point in the dishwasher cycle for maximum efficiency.

The manual even directly addresses some of the TikTokers’ concerns, saying, “Although some believe that throwing a pod in the dishwasher protects your dispenser, pods are designed to dissolve when they touch water and may not work if not properly dispersed via the dispenser.”

We can’t stop you from trying the hack out for yourself. But dishwasher manufacturers, who are the experts on this subject, say that you’ll be making your pods less effective, and your dishes won’t come out as clean as they would if you used the pods correctly.