How to Use Dish Soap as Laundry Detergent (And Whether You Should)

Download Article

Plus, better soap substitutes for when you run out of laundry detergent

Co-authored by Susan Stocker and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: February 10, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

Can you use dish soap to wash clothes?

|

Doing Laundry with Dish Soap

|

Pre-Treating Stains

|

Better Alternatives

|

Video

|

Expert Q&A

If you need to do laundry now but realize you don’t have any detergent, never fear—dish soap is here! Dish soap is an inexpensive alternative to detergent when you’re really in a bind, but it doesn’t come without risks. Dish soap can overflow your machine with bubbles or even damage your delicate fabrics. Read on to learn exactly how much dish soap to use, what the potential risks are for your clothes and machine, and what other detergent alternatives you can use instead.

Dish Soap as Laundry Detergent: Does It Work?

Liquid dish soap can be used as a laundry detergent substitute in emergencies. Add 1 tsp (5 mL) for small loads, 2 tsp (10 mL) for medium loads, and no more than 3 tsp (15 mL) for large loads. Dish soap may bubble too much and overflow from your machine or damage delicate fabrics like silk.

Section 1 of 4:

Can you use dish soap to wash clothes?

Download Article

Yes, you can do laundry with dish soap in a pinch—just don’t do it often. If you’re desperate to do laundry and have no detergent, you can use a very small amount of liquid dish soap like Dawn to wash your clothes (just a few drops, and definitely no more than about 3 teaspoons (15 mL). However, you shouldn’t make this a regular habit like some viral trends suggest. Here are the risks of using dish soap in your washing machine: ^{[1]
X
Trustworthy Source
Consumer Reports
Nonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testing
Go to source}
- Dish soap suds up way too much. Laundry detergent is low sudsing, while dish soap gets extra sudsy. The bubbles could overflow and flood your laundry room, and the excess soap will just form a smelly film inside your washer that makes your clothes feel soapy.
- Dish soap is harsh on fabric. Detergent is designed to be gentle on fabric and fibers, while dish soap is meant to cut through tough grease, grime, and oil on hard surfaces. Delicate fabrics like silk can be damaged, and your clothes will feel stiff if they aren’t rinsed thoroughly.
- Dish soap can irritate your skin. Fragrance ingredients and other chemicals in dish soap are tough on sensitive skin (especially if you’re someone who uses gentle and.or unscented detergent normally).

Section 2 of 4:

Doing Your Laundry with Dish Soap

Download Article

1
Use no more than 3 teaspoons (15 mL) of liquid dish soap per load. Do not add the same amount of dish detergent as you would when using laundry detergent. If you add too much dish detergent, it will foam up and spill out of the machine. Here’s how much you need based on the size of your load: ^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Add 1 teaspoon (5 mL) for small loads.
- Add 2 teaspoons (10 mL) for medium loads.
- Add 3 teaspoons (15 mL) for large loads.
Once you've measured out the correct amount of dish detergent, you can add it to the wash. Pour the dish detergent into the washing machine just like you would if you were using laundry detergent—it’ll work the same if you pour it into the detergent dispenser or directly into the washer. After the dish detergent is added, you can run your washing machine as normal. ^{[3]
X
Research source}
3
Use gentle or all-natural dish soap, if possible. If you’re really in a bind, any liquid dish soap you have on hand will do (lots of influencers say blue Dawn is their go-to). However, for the safety of your clothes, it’s best to use dish soap that’s phosphate-free and bleach-free. ^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Phosphates help soften water and tackle tough stains, but can be irritating on your skin. Bleach can discolor your clothing (most dish soaps do not contain bleach, but there are some that may—read the label carefully before pouring it into your laundry).
- You can use any scent of dish detergent that you would like.

Section 3 of 4:

Pre-Treating Stains with Dish Soap

Download Article

Rub dish soap into soaked or rinsed stains, then wash as normal. First, soak the stained area of your garment if the stain has dried, or rinse it with cool water from behind if it’s new (hot water may set the stain). ^{[5]
X
Research source} Then, use your fingers or a soft brush to work dish soap into the stain using gentle circular or up-and-down movements. ^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Let the dish soap and water sit for at least a few minutes (and as long as overnight for tough stains). As the garment dries, you should see the stain begin to fade away.
- Launder the garment as normal with your usual detergent and cycle to remove the stain.
- Important: Check the stain carefully before putting the garment in the dryer. If you still see it, do not heat dry the garment (the heat will only set the stain). Instead, air dry your clothes and repeat the stain removal process.
- Dish soap is a very common and effective stain pre-treatment and is safe to use on most fabrics (test a drop on your garment to make sure it won't discolor the fabric before using it, just in case). As long as you only use a drop or two, your clothes should be just fine.
- What kinds of stains can dish soap remove? Dish soap is most effective against grease and oil stains from food or other substances like lipstick. However, it may work for other stains too.

Section 4 of 4:

Better Alternatives to Dish Soap

Download Article

1
Baking soda Baking soda is all-natural and won’t harm your washing machine, so it’s OK to use it long-term. Add about ½ cup (170 g) to 1 cup (340 g) directly to the drum before you start your load, then launder as normal. ^{[7]
X
Research source}
- You can also add up to 1 cup of baking soda to your laundry with your usual detergent for an extra cleaning boost.
- Try adding ½ cup (118 mL) of white vinegar to then wash when the rinse cycle starts for a natural fabric softener. ^{[8]
  X
  Research source}
- Baking soda is a natural deodorizer that can cut through acid and grease on your clothes.
Just add 1 cup (237 mL) of distilled white vinegar to your detergent dispenser or directly to the drum or water, just like you would with normal laundry detergent. The acetic acid in vinegar can break down stains and odors, leaving your clothes smelling fresher than when they went in (don’t worry about the vinegar smell—it will fade as your clothes rinse and dry and the vinegar evaporates away). ^{[9]
X
Research source}
3
Shampoo Like dish soap, shampoo has the potential to over-suds and flood your laundry room with bubbles. So, only use 1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 mL) of shampoo to be safe. Add it to the detergent dispenser or directly to the drum or water and run your wash cycle as normal. ^{[10]
X
Research source}
- Alternative: Shampoo works well for handwashing clothes (especially delicate fabrics). If you just need to wash a garment or two, fill a lean sink or tub with cool or warm water, squirt in a small amount of shampoo, and gently agitate the garment to work the shampoo into the fabric. Let it soak for 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly.
4
A grated bar of soap This method isn’t perfect, but it will help lift light stains and remove odors from your clothes in a pinch. Grate about 1 cup (340 grams) of any bar of soap or body wash you have and mix it with hot water to dissolve the shavings. Add the mixture to your detergent dispenser like normal to wash. ^{[11]
X
Research source}
- When you get to the rinse cycle, add ½ cup (118 mL) of white vinegar or lemon juice to the cycle to help remove the remaining soap residue. You may need to rinse the load twice to make sure your clothes aren’t sappy or stiff afterwards.
5
Vodka Choose vodka if you have slightly smelly (but otherwise clean) clothes that just need a refresh before you can wash them more thoroughly. Just add 3 ounces (89 mL) of whatever unflavored vodka you have to your wash cycle. ^{[12]
X
Research source} Or, if you’re in a huge rush, just spray a 50/50 mix of vodka and water on your smelly clothes—as the mixture dries, the odor will vanish. ^{[13]
X
Research source}
- Keep in mind that vodka will not improve stains.
6
Hot water If you’ve got absolutely nothing to use for detergent, turn to the cleaning power of hot water as a last resort. Set your wash cycle to Hot and the soil setting to Heavy (if your machine has that option). Or, select steam options like normal, bulky, or sanitizing. ^{[14]
X
Research source}
- To dry, set your dryer to heavy-duty or sanitizing and dry for at least 40 minutes on high heat.
- Avoid the delicate or speed settings when you’re only using hot water.
- Warning: Some synthetic fabrics, like polyester or nylon, can be damaged in high heat. Check the labels of your clothes before throwing them in the wash to make sure they can withstand high temperatures.
- Tip: If you have just a bit of detergent left (not enough for a whole load), try running a cup of hot water through the detergent dispenser after you add detergent to dissolve and carry and lingering soap into the washer.

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

Does dishwashing liquid get stains out of clothes?

Susan Stocker
Professional Cleaner
Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.

Susan Stocker

Professional Cleaner

Expert Answer

Sure it does, specially for acrylic, latex, and water-based paint stains. If the paint is still wet, immediately put dishwashing liquid on it. Scrub and then rinse in cold water. If the paint’s already dried, it can still be done, but is a bit more time-consuming and you'd need to scrape the paint before washing.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 4 Helpful 11
Question

Why does the dish detergent need to be bleach-free?

Community Answer

If the detergent contains bleach, it will ruin your clothes' colors by creating white spots.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 8 Helpful 52
Question

The images seem to portray a dessert spoon, which is about twice the capacity of a teaspoon. Do I need three teaspoons or three dessert spoons of soap for a large laundry load?

Community Answer

If you want to be precise, use a measuring teaspoon - like the kind you use for cooking. And remember, 3 teaspoons equal one tablespoon. So if you are doing a large load, you can use a measuring tablespoon.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 26 Helpful 79

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

[1]

Trustworthy Source

Go to source

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

Log in

How to Use Dish Soap as Laundry Detergent (And Whether You Should)

Dish Soap as Laundry Detergent: Does It Work?

Steps

Can you use dish soap to wash clothes?

Doing Your Laundry with Dish Soap

Pre-Treating Stains with Dish Soap

Better Alternatives to Dish Soap

Expert Q&A

Video

Tips

You Might Also Like

References

About This Article

Reader Success Stories

Did this article help you?

Quizzes

You Might Also Like

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Featured Articles

Featured Articles

Watch Articles

Trending Articles

Quizzes

Explore Categories