Alright, let’s set the scene: You open your dishwasher, expecting fresh, spotless dishes, but instead, there’s a funky smell, standing water, or—worse—gunk clogging up the drain. Gross. Naturally, your first instinct is to grab the most powerful thing under your sink: drain cleaner. I mean, if it works for your sink, it should work for your dishwasher too, right?
Well… not so fast. Let’s talk about why that might not be the best idea.
Can You Use Drain Cleaner in a Dishwasher? (Spoiler: No, Don’t Do It)
Short answer? Nope. Not unless you want to risk ruining your dishwasher—or worse, filling your kitchen with toxic fumes.
Here’s the deal: Most drain cleaners are packed with super-strong chemicals like lye or sulfuric acid. They’re designed to break down tough clogs in pipes, but dishwashers aren’t built to handle that kind of harsh treatment. If you pour drain cleaner into your dishwasher, you might end up:
- Damaging the internal parts (those plastic components weren’t made to handle heavy-duty chemicals)
- Leaving behind toxic residue (which could mix with your next load of dishes—yikes)
- Creating harmful fumes (hot water + chemicals = a potentially dangerous reaction)
So yeah, as tempting as it is, using drain cleaner in your dishwasher is a hard pass.
What to Do Instead (Because You Still Need a Fix)
Alright, so if drain cleaner is out, what can you do? Luckily, there are safer (and way more effective) ways to unclog your dishwasher drain. Try these instead:
- Check the Drain Filter – Food bits, grease, and random gunk love to collect here. Just pull it out, rinse it under hot water, and scrub if needed.
- Use Baking Soda & Vinegar – Classic cleaning hack. Pour a cup of baking soda down the drain, follow it up with a cup of vinegar, and let it fizz for about 15 minutes before running a hot rinse cycle.
- Boiling Water Flush – Sometimes, all your drain needs is a good flush. Boil some water and carefully pour it down the drain to clear any grease buildup.
- Plunge It – If you suspect a clog further down the line, a few plunges with a sink plunger might help dislodge it.
These methods won’t destroy your dishwasher (or your lungs), and they actually get the job done. Win-win.
Keep the Drain Cleaner for the Sink
Look, we get it—when your dishwasher isn’t draining, you just want a quick fix. But trust me, drain cleaner is not the move. It’s too harsh, too risky, and there are way better (and safer) alternatives.
Next time your dishwasher acts up, go for the baking soda, grab a sponge, or even call in a pro if things get really bad. Just keep the drain cleaner far, far away.
Got any weird dishwasher cleaning hacks that actually work? Share ‘em—I’m all ears!