Gray Matters by Stuart Carlson and Jerry Resler for February 05, 2024

Been there, done that (when I was 14).

Laundry detergent is also a bad idea….

This is an excellent method of being relieved of further dish washing responsibilities.

Our dishwasher nags for rinse liquid. I fill the little tank with water. It doesn’t know…..What a racket! And those little expensive colorful soap bags. It’s a scam to sell lots of “soap”. I find that I only need 1 or 2 TEASPOONS of dishwasher POWDER. Dishes, utensils and pans look great.

In a pinch, I’ve used a scant teaspoon of liquid dish detergent mixed in a little bowl with a tablespoon of baking soda. The baking soda cuts down the bubbles. I wouldn’t do it all the time but it does work. I put it in the cup.

Did that once at 13 years old. NEVER again.

My mom did that with her//our first dishwasher long, long time ago: what a mess!

Like the Doris Day movie where soap powder gets into the swimming pool filter.

Reminds me of an episode of The Brady Bunch.

I use dish soap in a dishwasher occasionally. Every few years I run out of the right kind of soap. Just don’t put very much in and it’ll be fine. As Grace said above, maybe a teaspoon. Don’t slop in a half a cup — you wouldn’t use that much dish soap if you decided to the handwash those dishes. Why do you think the machine needs so much?

You can also use Dawn dish soap to wash clothes. I wouldn’t recommend it all the time, but it works. Again, put in about a teaspoon, or a bit more for a big load. For heavens sake, don’t put in a cupful! Doing laundry with dish soap requires so little, and is therefore so cheap, there are people who do it all the time. But don’t wash delicate fabrics this way.

Nope. Lucy knew better.