The Kitchen Essential That Can Quickly Fix An Overflowing Washing Machine

Doing laundry isn't exactly what most of us call fun. What may look like an easy task of simply throwing clothes into the washer and waiting for them to come out clean and ready for the next wear is actually a series of steps that require care and accuracy, as well as correct handling and maintenance of the machine. One or more wrong moves, and you could end up with a messy mishap like an overflowing washing machine. That's when mountains of foamy bubbles suddenly ooze out of the tub, flowing out, and if not caught on time, can end up in a flood. Luckily, this issue can be tackled using a kitchen essential you probably already have somewhere in your pantry: baking soda.

You've already heard of several baking soda cleaning hacks that praise this sodium bicarbonate powder for its abilities to clean this, deodorize that, and polish the other. It often lives up to the expectations, and in this washer overflow instance, it really does come through. But to be clear, it's not that baking soda will fix the cause of the overflow. The most common causes of an overflowing washing machine with too many suds are: using excess detergent or the wrong type, or structural issues with the machine, such as clogged drains, burst hoses, or faulty valves. What baking soda does after you sprinkle it on the suds is help break up the bubbles, and make cleaning up the soapy mess much easier.

If you catch the washing machine overflow early enough before it turns into a flood, you're in luck because not too much water will have pooled on the floor. Therefore, cleanup will be much more manageable, and you'll probably have minimal to no resulting damage. The first and most important action is to switch off your machine to at least stop any more soapy water from pouring out, and then disconnect it from the power as a safety precaution.

Next, grab the baking soda from among your kitchen essentials and generously sprinkle it on the foam. You'll see the bubbles burst and collapse as the mountain of suds subsides. Get a few dry towels and start wiping up any water on the floor. As you do this, the baking soda will continue to absorb the water it dropped on, and that will help slow the water flow and make your cleaning efforts easier.

You can now tackle the suds inside the washer drum. Most of the foam will have subsided thanks to the baking soda you sprinkled on top, and you can scoop out what's remaining. If this incident was due to too much detergent, you can switch your machine back on at this point and run a rinse cycle to remove the remaining soap. However, if you suspect a structural issue with your washer, remove the clothes from the washer, rinse using a hose, wring them out, and hang them to dry outside. Then, you can now focus on repairing or shopping for a new washing machine with all the best features.