Make sure that you don't use the washing up liquid to grease up the hatch earlier in the game. To get down the hatch, try to fit through once to get stuck, then go run on the treadmill to get sweaty. That will allow you to fit through the hatch and keep hold of the washing up liquid.
Later in the game, after meeting the French and distracting them away from their ship, you'll find the washing machine inside.
Use the rock (which you get from the crashed rover) and throw it at the shutdown button. After that, equip the washing up liquid and put it in the washing machine before it starts up again.