Pros and cons of pouring detergent directly onto clothes vs. into detergent dispenser?
You almost certainly will stain the clothes if you do that. Concentrated detergent is very caustic, and you shouldn't put it on clothes directly. However, what you can do in place of the dispenser if you don't have a door safety switch, is pour the detergent into the cap and hold it under the water during the fill cycle.  By doing this, you dilute the detergent as intended.