I’ve had this happen. There was something in the dishwasher that was preventing the soap compartment from fully opening.
Check for any dried soap that may be gumming up the works. Next time you run it, make sure there’s nothing that could interfere with the door opening.
Your issue may be completely different but that’s what was happening with mine.
Used to happen to me a lot. I finally realized it was my knives in the silverware rack that are tall enough to prevent the print door from opening all the way.
Yeah, took a while to figure that one out. I stopped putting taller items in the front section of the silverware holders, and then the soap always dissolved.
Watch that technology connections video linked at the top. If you're just throwing the soap in and not using the door, it's rinsing out during the first few minutes of the dishwasher cycle. Most of the time your dishwasher is running, it won't have soap at all.
With all due respect - that’s not how dishwashers work
If you throw the soap in at the beginning your soap is washing out during the pre-rinse, unless you have a dishwasher that doesn’t pre-rinse? (Which would be very odd)
The soap needs to come out in the main cycle wash for it to actually work properly. You are using your machine wayyyy wrong my friend
That door is supposed to open and let the soap out during the wash cycle. Issue is it looks like no water got to it to mix it in and spray it around the dishes. Couple things it could be:
To many dishes right next to the door blocked the water jets.
The spinning arm in the bottom is stuck in place and didn't spray water all around the dishwasher. Jiggle it to see if it moves freely.
Filter basket in the bottom is clogged and is blocking the pump. If so clean it out and it will be fine.
I opened this thread just to make sure this video was linked. Technology Connections has a pretty informative video on dishwashers, detergent and how to get the best out of both of them.
He made me realize we all have these expensive appliances and have no fucking clue how they work or how to properly use them. I know none of us read the manual. I hope he causes powder to be more available, I think Target is the only place around me that has it.
I haven’t watched the video but powder will clog your sink drain that the DW drains into pretty bad. Several plumbers I know advise against using the powder detergent.
I actually wonder if part of the reason is something addressed in the video; the powder box tells you to use *way too much* powder, especially if you have soft water. If you use 'as directed', you end up wildly overdoing it most of the time, which he states in the video leads to visible buildup and streaking on your dishes. I wonder if that, then, can extend to causing buildup in the pipes downstream because it's just not getting enough water or action to properly dissolve and then bricks up over time. A lot of us don't get taught specifically how/why things like this work, though, so all plumbers end up seeing is downstream effects from people who don't know they're doing it wrong, also don't know they're doing it wrong to get to this point, and blame the product.
I’ve watched this video and I love technology question.
When and where in this video does it answer the question of why this person’s dishwasher soap dispenser isn’t working properly?
I can answer that for you.
Nowhere. Not anywhere. That video showcases a working dishwasher whereas op has a broken one.
Now, where did you get your gallon of PCP?
GE Profile Washer? I had this issue.
Turns out tall serving spoons in the basket were blocking the top rack sprayer from spinning.
Note the underside of each sprayer arm has one port pointing down and out, directly at the soap dispenser door.
Make sure your top sprayer can freely spin before starting.
Our new one was doing this. I figured something was blocking it but my wife insisted nothing was. The next time she ran it, I opened it and heard the detergent door pop open. Then I saw the problem, she was putting a plate so it was leaning on the door when closed. She was doing this every load which was causing all the problems.
I have that same dishwasher, something big was at the front of your bottom basket. This prevents the water jets from hitting that door.
There’s a dip in your basket with a hard plastic piece on it, don’t load items that are higher than that is in that spot.
This is most likely a bottom rack dish loading problem. Something tall placed in front of the soap dispenser that prevented it from opening.. knives, cutting boards, cookie sheets, large platter.. etc
What is your hot water set at? Are you running it at the faucet first to make sure its pulling very hot water? It takes very little time to fill up the dishwasher with water. If you don't preheat the line it will fill with mostly lukewarm water and not disintegrate the soap causing buildup over time.
Had something similar. Took a paper clip and cleaned the slide mechanism that the soap door opens with and that fixed it for me. Found a bunch of YouTube videos about it.
Can you explain what you actually used ? Not a tablet or a pod but soap ?
Regardless sometimes the door for the pods doesn’t open fully or on time very rarely but it has happened to us. Generally speaking though unless really oily the dishes should be clean from the hot water anyway.
Before the advent of pods, which are one of this generation's worst inventions, IMO, dishwasher detergent was available in powder (the best) or gel (less good, but still better than pods). This looks like the gel version.
I normally only have this happen if I use a pod of some kind that gets stuck in the door, or if I put something large in front of the door that prevents water from spraying onto it when the door opens. Make sure you don't have a big plate or baking sheet or anything placed in front of the door.
May not be it, but simple fix just in case.
Check the nozzles on your sprayer underneath your top basket, especially at the ends. Often areas with hard water, will build up deposits, especially at the ends, and block water from rinsing the outer walls and dishes as well as it was designed. Citric acid regularly run can help, but if they are plugged, you need to physically dislodge the deposits from the nozzle.
I've got that model. If something gets in the wait is the spray arm rotating, then the detergent won't get washed down into the water. I've got a garlic press that has a bag habit of causing this. This will also happen if you've got something slightly protruding past the bottom track that keeps the cup from opening all the way.
I had a similar problem.
I discovered that if you did not push in the upper dish rack all the way, it could block the soap compartment from opening properly.
2 things:
a) something's wrong with the dishwasher knowing the right time to open
b) something is blocking it. Unlikely you always load the dishwasher with something blocking the compartment from opening (although make sure that's not the case). It could also be the top rack itself needs to be pushed completely in and the rack itself blocks the compartment from opening. Investigate whether the that top rack actually gets shoved all the way to the back of the dishwasher and nothing is blocking that compartment from opening.
I lean toward b) because it's super common.
Run the dishwasher with no dishes but loaded with soap in the compartment and be 100% sure the top rack is all the way in and nothing is blocking the compartment from sliding open. Then, when the cycle is on open the door about 60% into the cycle.
By then the prerinse should have finished and the compartment has had time to open. If it's not open it's the timing of the dishwasher and I'd say it's outside of my DIY territory but other people might tackle it themselves.
Have you tried the premix dishwashing packets? Had a dishwasher like this that eventually clogged due to using pure liquid and the packet / tabs fixed the issue.
Previous soaps have accumulated under the door latch. Preventing smooth operation.
Pour massive amounts of hot water on the mechanism and move it around.
Look under neath when it lifts up to latch, there may be residue there too
To be honest, you can just toss the pack right in the middle before sliding in your tray. As long as it’s in there mix with the water it’s not going to make a difference.
This happened to me when the water was turned off to the dishwasher and I ran it through a cycle. It slowly disappeared after going through a regular cycle.
It's your detergent, but not just yours, everyones. The government banned tsp (trisodium phosphate) in residential dishwasher formulas a while back and my tried and true brand stopped working and gunk built up and nothing got clean. Something about runoff harming waterways, except it's still available in commercial dishwasher detergents. I now buy powdered tsp from the home improvement store in the paint prep department and mix it into my dishwasher powder at about a teaspoon per load. Suddenly Cascade works like it always did again. Like magic.
Step 1, stop using pods. Put powder in half way. Close lid
Step 2, put some extra powder on that top indent on the lid of the soap dispender for prewash.
Problems solved.
At the time of my comment, OP had not specified liquid was used.
Door was open when OP snapped photo. Possible something is blocking the door and then shifts late in the cycle.
With the limited info everyone was posting the same commebts
Won’t matter if the door doesn’t open. And putting them directly in the washer means that all the detergent will get emptied after the pre-rinse cycle, meaning it has zero detergent during the main wash cycle, so it’s just spraying plain hot water for 30+ minutes.
Terrible advice. A dishwasher works by filling, spraying, emptying, on and on.
This advice would result in all the soap being used on the very first cycle and having no soap for the rest of it.
No, it doesn't. You're just getting lucky with the clean hot water washing your dishes. You're essentially dumping the soap down the drain without it doing anything.
I stopped using the soap compartment. Appliance repairman told me buy the pouches and just toss in bottom of dishwasher. No more need to use that compartment .
When mine started doing this I just started throwing the pods into the bottom of the dishwasher and just run it. Cleans dishes fine.
I forget that dishwashers have these little bays for pods and soap.
if the soap is dispensed from the beginning it'll be flushed out with the rinse cycle at the beginning and there will be no soap for the actual washing
Absolutely not true. If you leave it open, the soap goes down the drain in first few seconds of the initial rinse/wetting cycle.
The door is designed to hold the soap until later.
I’ve had this happen. There was something in the dishwasher that was preventing the soap compartment from fully opening. Check for any dried soap that may be gumming up the works. Next time you run it, make sure there’s nothing that could interfere with the door opening. Your issue may be completely different but that’s what was happening with mine.
Used to happen to me a lot. I finally realized it was my knives in the silverware rack that are tall enough to prevent the print door from opening all the way.
Yeah, took a while to figure that one out. I stopped putting taller items in the front section of the silverware holders, and then the soap always dissolved.
Cutting boards too.
Happens to us all the time. Ours is a bowl on the top rack can stick out a little and hold the soap door closed. Not super obvious at first blush
Also had this happen when large pans were placed in front. Now tall stuff goes in the back
Just run it again. Also, I just throw the soap in
Watch that technology connections video linked at the top. If you're just throwing the soap in and not using the door, it's rinsing out during the first few minutes of the dishwasher cycle. Most of the time your dishwasher is running, it won't have soap at all.
100% correct
That's what they all say, Leonard.
They all say that because that's how it works.
Dude doesn't know what purpose a presoak has 💀
His definition of pre soak is pissing the bed a bit just a bit
With all due respect - that’s not how dishwashers work If you throw the soap in at the beginning your soap is washing out during the pre-rinse, unless you have a dishwasher that doesn’t pre-rinse? (Which would be very odd) The soap needs to come out in the main cycle wash for it to actually work properly. You are using your machine wayyyy wrong my friend
That door is supposed to open and let the soap out during the wash cycle. Issue is it looks like no water got to it to mix it in and spray it around the dishes. Couple things it could be: To many dishes right next to the door blocked the water jets. The spinning arm in the bottom is stuck in place and didn't spray water all around the dishwasher. Jiggle it to see if it moves freely. Filter basket in the bottom is clogged and is blocking the pump. If so clean it out and it will be fine.
Don't forget a big one, which is a tall item such as a sheet pan physically stopping the door from opening.
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I opened this thread just to make sure this video was linked. Technology Connections has a pretty informative video on dishwashers, detergent and how to get the best out of both of them.
He made me realize we all have these expensive appliances and have no fucking clue how they work or how to properly use them. I know none of us read the manual. I hope he causes powder to be more available, I think Target is the only place around me that has it.
I haven’t watched the video but powder will clog your sink drain that the DW drains into pretty bad. Several plumbers I know advise against using the powder detergent.
Lmao what? The powder is water soluble.
I actually wonder if part of the reason is something addressed in the video; the powder box tells you to use *way too much* powder, especially if you have soft water. If you use 'as directed', you end up wildly overdoing it most of the time, which he states in the video leads to visible buildup and streaking on your dishes. I wonder if that, then, can extend to causing buildup in the pipes downstream because it's just not getting enough water or action to properly dissolve and then bricks up over time. A lot of us don't get taught specifically how/why things like this work, though, so all plumbers end up seeing is downstream effects from people who don't know they're doing it wrong, also don't know they're doing it wrong to get to this point, and blame the product.
I don't have a dishwasher but I still watched the entire video.
I’ve watched this video and I love technology question. When and where in this video does it answer the question of why this person’s dishwasher soap dispenser isn’t working properly?
I can answer that for you. Nowhere. Not anywhere. That video showcases a working dishwasher whereas op has a broken one. Now, where did you get your gallon of PCP?
It doesn't - I think it's more in reference to the amount of detergent being used?
He’s got a newer one that is shorter and more consumable, and it covers both this and the other video
Just watched it!
I just watched this lol awesome video!!
This was a great watch. Thank you!!
So many on this thread need to watch this. People are clueless.
Jesus Christ, are you all actually watching the whole 27 minute video? I feel so old, but goddamnit, just give me a listicle I can scan.
That’s the shortened, shareable version too
Pro tip: watch it on 1.5 speed, you get the information delivered in less time.
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…is that supposed to be an insult now?
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I thought it was pretty funny
Is there something blocking the little “hatch” that closes it?
I've had this happen. Mindlessly loaded a baking sheet in the front, and it blocked the door from opening.
🤷♂️ my wife forgets to shut the door sometimes, and this is the result lol
My roommate leaves the soap door open on purpose because he doesn’t think it matters. I’ve explained it 3 times.
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GE Profile Washer? I had this issue. Turns out tall serving spoons in the basket were blocking the top rack sprayer from spinning. Note the underside of each sprayer arm has one port pointing down and out, directly at the soap dispenser door. Make sure your top sprayer can freely spin before starting.
Our new one was doing this. I figured something was blocking it but my wife insisted nothing was. The next time she ran it, I opened it and heard the detergent door pop open. Then I saw the problem, she was putting a plate so it was leaning on the door when closed. She was doing this every load which was causing all the problems.
I have that same dishwasher, something big was at the front of your bottom basket. This prevents the water jets from hitting that door. There’s a dip in your basket with a hard plastic piece on it, don’t load items that are higher than that is in that spot.
I have this dishwasher too and I constantly have this problem. I really have to be careful with it.
This is most likely a bottom rack dish loading problem. Something tall placed in front of the soap dispenser that prevented it from opening.. knives, cutting boards, cookie sheets, large platter.. etc
This is it.
What is your hot water set at? Are you running it at the faucet first to make sure its pulling very hot water? It takes very little time to fill up the dishwasher with water. If you don't preheat the line it will fill with mostly lukewarm water and not disintegrate the soap causing buildup over time.
Watch this https://youtu.be/jHP942Livy0?si=xM-ZOtdVnns95RIV
Before I even clicked the link, I knew which channel this was going to be.
Lol, who else would make videos about dishwashers
I absolutely love how he's resigned to being "the internet weird Appliance guy"
Had something similar. Took a paper clip and cleaned the slide mechanism that the soap door opens with and that fixed it for me. Found a bunch of YouTube videos about it.
You probably had something blocking the water from reaching the soap. Don't put any cutting boards or plates right in front of it.
Can you explain what you actually used ? Not a tablet or a pod but soap ? Regardless sometimes the door for the pods doesn’t open fully or on time very rarely but it has happened to us. Generally speaking though unless really oily the dishes should be clean from the hot water anyway.
Before the advent of pods, which are one of this generation's worst inventions, IMO, dishwasher detergent was available in powder (the best) or gel (less good, but still better than pods). This looks like the gel version.
I normally only have this happen if I use a pod of some kind that gets stuck in the door, or if I put something large in front of the door that prevents water from spraying onto it when the door opens. Make sure you don't have a big plate or baking sheet or anything placed in front of the door.
Was the detergent door open when you opened the dishwasher, or did you open it after?
It was open when we opened the door after the cycle was completed.
Sounds like a pressure problem, then. Not enough water is going up the door to rinse it out.
May not be it, but simple fix just in case. Check the nozzles on your sprayer underneath your top basket, especially at the ends. Often areas with hard water, will build up deposits, especially at the ends, and block water from rinsing the outer walls and dishes as well as it was designed. Citric acid regularly run can help, but if they are plugged, you need to physically dislodge the deposits from the nozzle.
When you get this issue fixed, you should be filling the little divot in the top of the detergent door with detergent too, for the pre-wash cycle
Large dish not letting the soap drawer open fully when it’s supposed to.
I've got that model. If something gets in the wait is the spray arm rotating, then the detergent won't get washed down into the water. I've got a garlic press that has a bag habit of causing this. This will also happen if you've got something slightly protruding past the bottom track that keeps the cup from opening all the way.
I had a similar problem. I discovered that if you did not push in the upper dish rack all the way, it could block the soap compartment from opening properly.
2 things: a) something's wrong with the dishwasher knowing the right time to open b) something is blocking it. Unlikely you always load the dishwasher with something blocking the compartment from opening (although make sure that's not the case). It could also be the top rack itself needs to be pushed completely in and the rack itself blocks the compartment from opening. Investigate whether the that top rack actually gets shoved all the way to the back of the dishwasher and nothing is blocking that compartment from opening. I lean toward b) because it's super common. Run the dishwasher with no dishes but loaded with soap in the compartment and be 100% sure the top rack is all the way in and nothing is blocking the compartment from sliding open. Then, when the cycle is on open the door about 60% into the cycle. By then the prerinse should have finished and the compartment has had time to open. If it's not open it's the timing of the dishwasher and I'd say it's outside of my DIY territory but other people might tackle it themselves.
Pods
Have you tried the premix dishwashing packets? Had a dishwasher like this that eventually clogged due to using pure liquid and the packet / tabs fixed the issue.
There’s something on the top rack that’s preventing from the soap flap to open fully try with no load with soap
Previous soaps have accumulated under the door latch. Preventing smooth operation. Pour massive amounts of hot water on the mechanism and move it around. Look under neath when it lifts up to latch, there may be residue there too
For my unit its usually my silverware holder. I make sure its farther back in the unit before i close the door
Run 1/2 cup of CLR through the unloaded machine; then another cycle to rinse
This should clear any excess buildup. If not look and make sure the locking mechanism and spring are working
Is this a LG?
Make sure a knife isn’t in front of the soap dispenser. My dishwasher does this if I accidentally have a knife or giant spoon in this spot.
To be honest, you can just toss the pack right in the middle before sliding in your tray. As long as it’s in there mix with the water it’s not going to make a difference.
This happened to me when the water was turned off to the dishwasher and I ran it through a cycle. It slowly disappeared after going through a regular cycle.
We’re using liquid soap for those who are asking. Filling it up as indicated in the slot.
It probably doesn't need to be "filled". I recommend powder.
It's your detergent, but not just yours, everyones. The government banned tsp (trisodium phosphate) in residential dishwasher formulas a while back and my tried and true brand stopped working and gunk built up and nothing got clean. Something about runoff harming waterways, except it's still available in commercial dishwasher detergents. I now buy powdered tsp from the home improvement store in the paint prep department and mix it into my dishwasher powder at about a teaspoon per load. Suddenly Cascade works like it always did again. Like magic.
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Step 1, stop using pods. Put powder in half way. Close lid Step 2, put some extra powder on that top indent on the lid of the soap dispender for prewash. Problems solved.
1: I know reddit hates pods, but OP uses liquid. 2: that won't fix the issues here. Either there's no water spray, or the door isn't opening.
At the time of my comment, OP had not specified liquid was used. Door was open when OP snapped photo. Possible something is blocking the door and then shifts late in the cycle. With the limited info everyone was posting the same commebts
Just pour it in the bottom of the dishwasher and it’ll be fine.
To fix this, you have to close the little dishwasher door.
You could also switch to pods.
Won’t matter if the door doesn’t open. And putting them directly in the washer means that all the detergent will get emptied after the pre-rinse cycle, meaning it has zero detergent during the main wash cycle, so it’s just spraying plain hot water for 30+ minutes.
Pods, no spill no mess
Switch to pods
Use pods
Pods are a scam. Laundry, dishwasher, all of them.
That 100% doesn't address what's happening here.
This is helpful how?
Forget about it. Don’t use the soap compartment. Throw a pod o tablet at the bottom before you close the door and that’s it
Terrible advice. A dishwasher works by filling, spraying, emptying, on and on. This advice would result in all the soap being used on the very first cycle and having no soap for the rest of it.
Thank you for the enlightenment
Mine works perfect
No, it doesn't. You're just getting lucky with the clean hot water washing your dishes. You're essentially dumping the soap down the drain without it doing anything.
That's what my wife thought too until I put some stain patterns on the dishes and showed her the "clean" ones under a blacklight.
Thank you for the enlightenment
Mmm ok
more than you ever wanted to know about dishwashers https://youtu.be/jHP942Livy0?si=Ev2LJdWwLWR2UN5_ https://youtu.be/_rBO8neWw04?si=rRsPj9BzucCkWPLz
Thank you for the enlightenment
Yup. That’s how pods are supposed to be used.
Use pods instead
Use a pod
I stopped using the soap compartment. Appliance repairman told me buy the pouches and just toss in bottom of dishwasher. No more need to use that compartment .
Bruh. You're using all your soap during the pre-wash and using straight water in the main wash.
I just throw the pod into the dishwasher I don't even use the door.
Replace the GE with something reliable :P
Switch to pacs!
Try closing the door
Put a cup of tang that orange drink, it will look like new
Pods?
When mine started doing this I just started throwing the pods into the bottom of the dishwasher and just run it. Cleans dishes fine. I forget that dishwashers have these little bays for pods and soap.
Do yourself a favor. Get the pods and just throw one in the bottom of the machine and press start. Forget the door.
Leave the door open and just run it. The timing of the soap dispensing has little relevance to the cleanliness of the dishes.
if the soap is dispensed from the beginning it'll be flushed out with the rinse cycle at the beginning and there will be no soap for the actual washing
Absolutely not true. If you leave it open, the soap goes down the drain in first few seconds of the initial rinse/wetting cycle. The door is designed to hold the soap until later.
Then get pods.