A Kitchen Suds Disaster: How to Fix a Foaming Dishwasher

It’s a mistake that can happen in any household. You run your dishwasher, only to return to a kitchen floor covered in soap and a machine overflowing with foam. While it can be a shocking sight, the cause is almost always the same, and the solution is straightforward.

Here at Authorized Service, we are the experts for leading brands like Wolf, Sub-Zero, and Cove. While we typically handle complex repairs, we also believe in empowering our clients in the Greater Dayton and Cincinnati areas to solve simple issues. As we enjoy this beautiful October weather, the last thing you want is a kitchen cleanup project. This guide will walk you through the steps to get your dishwasher back to normal.

Step 1: Stop the Cycle and Contain the Mess

First things first, let’s stop the problem from getting worse.

1. Cancel the Cycle: Press the “Cancel” or “Drain” button on your dishwasher. This will stop it from adding more water and will activate the drain pump.
2. Power Down (If Needed): If suds are near the controls or the cycle won’t cancel, it’s safest to turn off the power to the dishwasher at your home’s circuit breaker.
3. Clean the Floor: Use towels to soak up the suds and water on your floor to prevent slipping hazards or water damage to your cabinetry and flooring.

Why Did This Happen? The Usual Suspect

More than 99% of the time, an overflowing suds situation is caused by one simple error: using the wrong kind of soap.

Hand-washing dish soap (like Dawn®, Palmolive®, etc.) is formulated to create rich, long-lasting suds. Automatic dishwasher detergent is specifically designed to be a low-suds, high-cleaning formula. Even a tiny amount of hand soap will react with the water jets in your dishwasher to create a mountain of foam.

Another less common cause is using far too much automatic dishwasher detergent or rinse aid.

Step 2: How to Get the Suds Out of Your Dishwasher

Now that you’ve contained the mess, you need to clear the soap out of the machine.

1. Remove All Dishes: Take out all the dishes, racks, and utensil holders. They will be soapy, so you can rinse them in the sink.
2. Scoop Out the Suds: Manually scoop out as much of the foam and standing water from the bottom of the dishwasher tub as you can.
3. Run a Rinse Cycle: Place a few old towels in the bottom of the dishwasher to help absorb the suds. Then, run a “Rinse Only” or “Rinse & Hold” cycle. The towels will become saturated; you may need to wring them out and repeat the rinse cycle 2-3 times until you no longer see foam.
4. Try Vinegar or Salt (Optional): To help break down the suds faster, you can add about a cup of white vinegar or a few tablespoons of table salt to the bottom of the tub before running a rinse cycle. These agents help to neutralize the foaming action of the soap.

Once the suds are gone and the machine has been thoroughly rinsed, you can run an empty cycle to ensure it’s completely clear.

When to Call a Factory Certified Professional

If you’ve followed the steps above and your dishwasher continues to foam, or if you suspect there might be a different issue at play (like a drain problem or a faulty sensor), it’s time to call in the experts. Using the wrong soap doesn’t typically damage the machine, but it can sometimes reveal underlying issues.

If you’ve tried everything or simply want a professional to handle the situation, don’t hesitate. Request service online with Authorized Service today for the peace of mind that comes with factory-certified expertise.