You Might Be Putting Dishwasher Detergent Pods in the Wrong Place — Here's Where Manufacturers Suggest They Go

Hint: it's not the silverware basket or loose at the bottom of the dishwasher, despite what TikTok tells you

Dishwasher detergent pods should go in the most obvious spot — despite what social media users may tell you.

In recent years, TikTok has seen a community form around cleaning tips, commonly referred to as #CleanTok. Since 2022, when some users suggested placing dishwasher detergent pods in non-traditional locations like the silverware basket or simply at the bottom of the dishwasher, the platform has been home to an ongoing debate about the correct way to use the pods.

Southern Living recently examined the science behind dishwasher pods, and how they function once the dishwasher is turned on. Ultimately, the outlet concluded that TikTok might not actually know best.

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Each pod contains chemicals and cleaning agents that soften water and break down starches, proteins and stains, Southern Living reported. Maytag, an appliance company, noted in their own post on the topic that these pods are generally covered in a dissolvable plastic. The company said that if the plastic comes in contact with hot water too early in the dishwashing cycle, it may not work properly.

This is where the dishwasher's dispenser comes into play — the little container typically attached to the door keeps the pod contained until the right moment, according to appliance company Bosch.

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KitchenAid's own post on the topic stated that the prewash cycle, where water rinses away remaining food from dishes, does not use detergent. If the pod is not contained in the dispenser — if, as TikTok has suggested, it's loose in the machine — it will dissolve too soon.

This would leave too little detergent to properly sanitize the dishes during the remainder of the dishwasher's cycle.

GE, too, recommends sticking to the "main wash cup" in a post on their website.

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All three appliance companies agreed that pods should almost always be placed in the dispenser — but when in doubt, users should consult their own machine's manual.

If placed anywhere else, the dishes won't be harmed, per se, but they won't be clean enough to use.