A woman’s advice about ditching dishwashing pods and soap sparked backlash.
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In a viral video with over 1.5 million views, TikTok cleaning expert, Melissa Pateras (@melissadilkespateras) responded to user @mamataha_402 who advised viewers to ditch dishwasher-specific soap.
“Are you still using dish pods, dishwasher soap, liquid?” the woman asked in the video. “Stop it right now.”
The woman went on to explain that there is a cheaper alternative: Arm & Hammer laundry booster.
“Throw it in the bottom of your dishwasher,” she continued. “Close that lid.”
The tip prompted the cleaning expert to explain exactly how dishwashers work.
Does the Arm & Hammer tip actually work?
According to Pateras, throwing the Arm & Hammer at the bottom of a dishwasher simply does not work.
“For starters, you never want to put anything that you want to clean your dishes with into the bottom of your dishwasher and this is why,” she said.
The expert explained that dishwashers have a pre-wash cycle. During that part of the cleaning process, water is sprayed onto the dishes and then settles in the machine.
The dishwasher uses this water to assess just how dirty your dishes are.
“Most machines have soil sensors so they can detect how dirty the dishes are based on the water,” Pateras explained.
After that part of the cycle, the water from the prewash is drained. So that means any soap put into the bottom of the dishwasher gets washed away during the prewash. For the duration of the time that the dishwasher runs, it will not have any soap left to clean. When it’s finally time to clean, the dishwashing pod will be released into the machine so it can do its work.
Overtime, grease and food residue can build up and dishes and in the dishwasher itself. This can lead to a foul-smelling appliance and a less hygienic environment.
Is the ‘quick wash’ cycle any good?
That was not the only tip Pateras debunked about dishwashers offered up by user @mamataha_402.
The cleaning expert also warned against using the “quick wash” option on dishwashers.
The first woman claimed her dishes came out squeaky clean after running them through the quick wash option and putting detergent at the bottom.
Melissa was not having it.
“I totally get why people think that the quick wash cycle is a good thing,” they said. “But it actually uses more water, energy and heat than a normal cycle does.”
Ultimately, she advised viewers to just stick with the soaps specifically made for dishwashers and regular wash cycles.
Viewers thanked her for debunking
In the video’s comments section, many agreed with the expert and welcomed the explanation of the dishwashing pods.
“Finally someone explained properly why dishes should not be pre-cleaned. I understand, I follow advice, thank you,” user Zwischending commented.
“Why do people need to complicate a simple process – take the damn pod and put in in the holder – set and forget,” user A Lyssa wrote.
“This obsession with ‘tips and tricks’ drives me nuts,” user Mery-ann said.
@melissadilkespateras Dishwasher 101 #dishwasher #cleantok #appliances @MamaTaha ♬ original sound – Laundrytok | Melissa Pateras
Others warned about these bad cleaning habits.
“Sing it with me y’all: ‘You can’t eat at everybody’s house…’” user Holdtoskip wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Melissa Pateras via email and TikTok user @mamataha_402 for comment.
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