How Can I Soften Hard Clumped Dishwasher Detergent?

Marjorie
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March 23, 20110 found this helpful

Probably the best thing to do is carefully open the box or you might have to cut off the top with a pair of scissors. Pour the powdered dish washing detergent in a plastic bag and break up the clumps with a rolling pin or a heavy spoon. Then store it in a plastic container.

Kathe

March 23, 20110 found this helpful

A piece of soft bread works with clumped up brown sugar so it will probably work with dishwashing clumps. Wait a couple of days to see if it worked. The bread will get really hard when used in brown sugar and it makes the sugar stay soft.

bettyj.murphy

November 14, 20160 found this helpful

Best Answer

Doesn't work; brown sugar gets moisture from bread. Don't want moisture in dish detergent; different chemistry. Moisture is what made it hard to begin with. I think hammering it in a plastic bag might be the best solution.

 

judy0603

August 10, 20230 found this helpful

I use a potato masher--works really well.

 

cettina
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March 24, 20110 found this helpful

I agree with MCW except that after you have got it down to clumps, I would put it in a blender to get it back down to a powder. afterwards, store in an airtight container to prevent it happening again.

bhandler45

July 20, 20220 found this helpful

Dealing with rock hard Oxyclean or any powered detergent. This worked great. Pounded the side of the Oxyclean container just to loosed the powder enough to pour it into a paper bag, rolled up the end of the bag and pounded the clumps with my soup ladle, then poured I/2 into the blender and voila....tiny little grains of powder.

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Then put the rest of the container and repeated the process. When you open the top of the blender, do it near an open winder so you don't breath in the dust. The now the perfectly dry powder with not a single lump is stored in my kitchen.

 

trerickson_3

July 27, 20200 found this helpful

There is a suggestion elsewhere to add a teaspoon or two of rice to "home made" dishwashing detergent to keep it loose. If it works for home made it should also work for commercially bought powdered detergent.