# Another dishwasher question: soap dispenser not working; can I put the pod in the dishwasher? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 9, 2024, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847 "2024-01-09T19:23:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/1 "2024-01-09T19:23:20Z")
The little pod-holder on my dishwasher door isn’t working. It only opens half-way, or not at all, and when I open the dishwasher after running a cycle, the pod is hard; hasn’t melted and dispensed any soap. I’ve got a service call in a few days, but in the interval, would it work if I put the pod in the cutlery rack? And no, Discourse, my question is not similar to: “I’ve got a chance to work in Turkey! Any Dopers been there?” ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/2 "2024-01-09T19:34:51Z")
Does your dishwasher have a prewash or rinse cycle? If so, can you turn it off? Usually the dishwasher will rinse your dishes, then drain the nasty water, then add more water, dispense the soap, and cycle for a long time. If that’s what your washer does most of the soap will be wasted in that quick rinse. If it does not, or if you turn it off, then dropping the pod straight in is fine! ---
**Author:** ![superwombat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superwombat/32/16616_2.png) [@superwombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superwombat)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/3 "2024-01-09T19:37:40Z")
Some dishwashers do a pre-wash, mini-wash-drain cycle then trigger the detergent release for the main wash, might need to wait for that pre-wash to finish so the detergent isn’t drained away too soon. Edit: Ninja’d! ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/4 "2024-01-09T19:38:57Z")
> [@](#): > > CAN I PUT DISHWASHER PODS IN THE SILVERWARE CADDY? > Pods are engineered to dissolve when they come into contact with water, so putting a pod in the silverware caddy can cause the pod to begin dissolving too early in the cycle and may lead to poor wash performance. > > A dishwasher’s detergent compartment is typically designed to pop open once the dishwasher completes a rinse cycle, allowing the pod to begin dissolving during the wash cycle. [**SOURCE**](https://www.kitchenaid.com/pinch-of-help/major-appliances/how-to-use-dishwasher-pods.html) ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/5 "2024-01-09T19:50:28Z")
Liquid detergent instead of a pod might work given that the door opens part way. Maybe not worth schlepping to the store for a bottle of detergent if it’s going to be fixed soon. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/6 "2024-01-09T20:04:51Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Liquid detergent instead of a pod might work given that the door opens part way. Or the old-fashioned powdered stuff. Do they even still make that? ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/7 "2024-01-09T20:28:29Z")
I had a similar situation a while back, what I ended up doing was waiting about an hour into the 2.5 hour cycle to open the door and toss the tab in. It did . . . okay. Not nearly as well as prior, but the dishes were pretty clean, and there wasn’t a residue on the dishes. But that presumes your dishwasher door doesn’t lock at some point in the cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/8 "2024-01-09T20:31:16Z")
My little soap door didn’t open for a while. Then I realized I needed to put the long wooden spoons on the other side of the silverware basket! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/9 "2024-01-09T20:46:33Z")
Just checked the online manual. Looks like all the cycles include a pre-rinse. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/10 "2024-01-09T20:46:46Z")
Dissolve the pod in a small amount of hot water pour in the dispenser and cross your fingers. Or break out the Dawn and do em the old fashioned way for a couple days. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/11 "2024-01-09T21:02:32Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Or break out the Dawn and do em the old fashioned way for a couple days. At first I thought you were suggesting Dawn in the dishwasher which would make a giant bubble monster. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/12 "2024-01-09T21:14:16Z")
But but …clean floors after Look on the sunny side.😊 ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/13 "2024-01-09T22:23:12Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > clean floors after Wait, were you one of my college roommates? I’m sure the genius, then fail, then genius of Dawn in the dishwasher has been independently discovered many times. Our floors were never so clean before or since. > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > It only opens half-way, or not at all My dishwasher (Bosch) did the same, and I needed to clean the dispensing slot. Turns out it could be removed pretty easily, and it grooves and tracks that had gunked up a bit. Cleaning helped a huge amount, and I’ve not found an undissolved tablet after a wash since the cleaning, but sometimes the door doesn’t open all the way. It seems to open enough, though. At some point I’ll probably replace the soap dispenser assembly. If you already have a service appointment set, you might prefer to just let them mess with it. No thread about dishwashers would be complete without: https://www.youtube.com/embed/_rBO8neWw04?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=PLFOQW4J4mT3E4f_Y6O7H4OFq2SXKpWLF2 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Ll6-eGDpimU/maxresdefault.jpg "I messed up. You're using too much detergent.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll6-eGDpimU) ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/14 "2024-01-09T22:27:04Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Or break out the Dawn and do em the old fashioned way for a couple days. Hey hey hey, let’s not go crazy now! ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/15 "2024-01-09T22:56:18Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > No thread about dishwashers would be complete without: I thought about posting this but wanted to seem smart 😛 ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/16 "2024-01-10T06:04:35Z")
Okay, i have a confession. The catch on the soap dispenser door in my Bosch dishwasher broke in May of 2020, when no one at the appliance store was doing service calls. I googled the problem to see if it was something I might be able to fix myself (bottom line: not without parts), and I discovered that it’s a common problem. I also found out that the prerinse lasts 15 - 16 minutes. So, for almost four years, we’ve been setting a timer when we start the dishwasher and listening for the sound of it draining once the timer goes off. We then pop the pod into the little handle on the top rack where it would fall if the dispenser released it. Yes, I could get someone out to repair it now. Maybe I’ll remember to call tomorrow! ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/17 "2024-01-10T14:18:08Z")
We had a repairman out to work on our newish GE dishwasher last year, and he told us to drop the pod in the tank directly - that the little bay for it rarely works correctly, and that using detergent during the pretense is actually better. We’ve been doing it that way for a year, and haven’t noticed any difference in cleaning quality. Save yourself a whole bunch of trouble and just throw it in there. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/18 "2024-01-10T16:14:16Z")
The dispenser on our previous dishwasher stopped functioning, so for quite awhile we just tossed the pod inside before starting the cycle. Worked fine. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/19 "2024-01-10T20:42:41Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > My little soap door didn’t open for a while. Then I realized I needed to put the long wooden spoons on the other side of the silverware basket! I had a similar problem. Sometimes the door on the dispenser wouldn’t open, and the dishwasher would finish with the remnants of a pod still in there, half disolved. Then I noticed it only happened when I had large plates in the rack just in front of the dispenser. I put the small plates there now and it works fine. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2024, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847/20 "2024-01-11T00:28:07Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > > [@hajario](#): > > > > Liquid detergent instead of a pod might work given that the door opens part way. > > Or the old-fashioned powdered stuff. Do they even still make that? Yes they do, because that’s what we use. It’s not easy to find though. Our local grocery stores don’t carry it, but we’ve found it at Target.