People like to clean with dish soap, but here are 6+ things you should for sure avoid

Dish soap is tough on grease and gentle enough for use on most products. It may be used for all sorts of cleaning and maintenance tasks in the home. For example, squirt it on a stain before laundering clothes, or mix it with hot water and rubbing alcohol to make a sidewalk de-icer. Although dish soap’s versatility, safety and effectiveness make it a must-have cleaning product, some things can be damaged when cleaned with dish soap.

Before using dish soap as a substitute for any other type of soap, make sure it’s safe to use. Never use dish soap on any type of appliance. Rather than regret using dish soap in a specific situation, educate yourself on the things you should never clean with dish soap.

Do not use dish soap to wash a cast iron skillet; soap will remove the oils that protect the pan. Unlike most skillets, a cast iron skillet requires special care. Scrub the pan with hot water and a soft brush. Allow the skillet to air dry. Once the skillet is dry, apply vegetable oil to the surface with a paper towel. Coat the entire skillet with a thin layer of oil.

Never attempt to use dish soap in the washing machine to wash clothes. Dish soap is not like laundry soap⁠—it will likely cause the washing machine to overflow with bubbles. Removing dish soap suds from a washing machine is a tedious process.

Avoid filling the soap dispenser in a dishwasher with dish soap. Dish soap creates a ton of suds. The dishwasher will quickly fill up with these bubbles, and the suds will come pouring out of the top, bottom and sides of the machine.