Whether you’re cooking for a large dinner party, meal prepping, or baking from scratch, the dirty dishes accumulating in your sink can start to feel like a strategic game of Jenga. Thankfully, dishwasher pods have made it quicker and easier than ever to get dinnerware spick and span—simply load the dishwasher, toss it in, and press start! While pods are super convenient, one homeowner warns that using the wrong type of pod could result in serious damage to your kitchen pipes and, consequently, a hefty plumbing bill.
RELATED: Plumber Shares "Worst Drain Blockers" That Destroy Your Pipes in New Video.
A TikToker named Jill (@gracefullgrit) is urging followers to switch from dry detergent pods to liquid detergent after her kitchen sink got clogged due to leftover remnants of undissolved powdered soap. In a new video, Jill revealed that her plumber had to use “a special machine” to fix the issue, and now, she’s passing along his expert advice.
“PSA to anyone using packed powder dishwasher pods,” Jill began her video, which has amassed 520,000 views. “My kitchen sink backed up this week.”
Like anyone else, Jill turned to the internet for help—but unfortunately, no DIY hacks could unclog her pipes. A visit from a plumber and “a couple of hundred dollars” later, Jen had a functioning kitchen sink again and a new disdain for powder detergent pods.
According to the plumber, the sink failed to drain because it was caked in soap-like concrete. “He said this stuff actually starts building up on the edges of your pipes just like cholesterol in your arteries,” Jill explained.
“When it’s activated with water, it gets stuck on the sides of the pipe and creates this concrete-like barrier. Then it has to be scraped off with a special machine,” she continued.
Jill said the plumber admitted that “he gets calls like this all the time.”
So, how do you prevent this from happening again? “He recommended that we switch over to the liquid dishwashing detergent or liquid pods,” shared Jill.
@gracefullgrit ⛔️WARNING⛔️ stop using these in your kitchen! #dishwasherpods #tipsandtricks #kitchenhacks #savemoney #cloggedsink #cleaningtips #cleantok #homehack #cleanwithme #fyp #foryou
More than 1,200 people have responded to Jill’s video, many of whom said they've experienced similar kitchen sink catastrophes due to power pods.
“My plumber says liquid only too!” shared one user, while another added, “I switched to liquid 4 years ago bc of this.”
“My husband has never let me use those because they don’t completely dissolve. Guess he was right,” reads a comment.
Meanwhile, several users argued they’ve been using powder dishwashing soap for years without issues. One reason for this could be because of the amount of minerals in the water. For instance, Ron Shimek, the president of Mr. Appliance, told Martha Stewartmagazine that powdered soaps achieve better results with hard water. Additionally, dry pods don’t fully dissolve in cold water, so if your dishwasher uses cold, soft water, that could be the culprit.
Consumer Reports expert Larry Ciufo also noted that dishwasher pods need longer wash cycles to dissolve all the way. Short cycles may contribute to congested pipes and leave your dishes only partially cleaned.
