CLEVELAND — If you've been on Facebook lately, you may have come across a post warning you about dishwasher detergent.
The post, which appears to be from a page about gardening, says that if you use dishwasher pods packed with powder it will cause a cement-like buildup in your pipes that can back up your sink. It's been shared and commented on thousands of times.
THE CLAIM
So let's VERIFY: Do dishwasher pods packed with powder detergent clog your plumbing?
SOURCES
- We ran the photo in the post through Google's reverse image search, Google Lens.
- We checked with a professional plumber from Roto-Rooter.
- We also checked the American Cleaning Institute, which is a scientific and outreach organization representing the cleaning products industry in the United States.
EXPLANATION
Google's reverse image search showed us that this same image and text have been posted by multiple accounts, and each time, it's getting thousands of shares and comments. That's a sign we're probably dealing with a scam and that we need to VERIFY what's true with independent experts.
Here's the simple answer from Corey Vazinski, an experienced service technician with Roto-Rooter Cleveland:
"Those pods, they're meant to dissolve in water. ... I've never had a drain call that actually was clogged due to soap sludge or anything like that from those pods."
And American Cleaning Institute Senior Vice President of Communications, Outreach & Membership Brian Sansoni told us:
"Extensive testing is conducted on dishwasher tablets to ensure compatibility with a wide range of dishwasher types, brands, and water conditions.
"When consumers use dishwashing tablets as directed by both the detergent and appliance manufacturers, they can expect their dishwashers to work effectively, leaving the machines and plumbing intact."
ANSWER
So we can VERIFY that this post is false. Dishwasher pods packed with powder detergent don't clog your plumbing.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
By the way, I tried to reach whoever runs the gardening page where this post came from and the phone number and email listed on that Facebook account don't work.
If you come across something that you're unsure about being true or false, you can send it to us to VERIFY by emailing us at verify@wkyc.com, or texting us at (216) 344-3300.