Why does my dishwasher leak using certain powders?
Just guessing here: Many soaps work by breaking the surface tension of water. If your dishwasher has gaskets, o-rings or seals that are not tight, they will leak if the water in the washer contains a cleaner that breaks the water’s surface tension. Sometimes, with a marginal seal, it’s only the surface tension that is keeping it from leaking. The wash chamber isn’t under pressure, and the seals generally don’t have to support the weight of much standing water, so that one small factor could make a lot of difference in a seal with a very minor leak. EDIT: I’m totally talking out of my butt on this answer, but a small experiment suggests itself. Find a powder that doesn’t cause the washer to leak. Also, find a powder that DOES cause it to leak. Get a glass of water, fill it to the very top and add water until it bulges over the top of the lip without spilling over. Add several grains of the powder that makes the machine leak. If the water runs over the top, down to a level even with the
