Dishwashing detergent

[Beth]

I'm curious about those new detergents like Cascade Comlete. They claim it actually breaks down food particles and makes them cleaner even if you don't rinse. I'll just say I've had my doubts.

I have a new dishwasher that also says you don't have to rinse. Although I am trying to rinse less, I don't think I will ever completely break that habit. Has anyone tried Cascade Complete or something similar? Are they any better for these no-rinse dishwashers, or just more expensive?

[lanie]

That Cascade Complete is a MIRACLE! Get it - I love that stuff! It cleans like you won't believe, your glasses glisten - even ones that were dull - and if you ever have any baked on gunk - I just put dish/whatever in sink, sprinkle a bit in and pour hot water, and in about 5 minutes it is clean - I cannot tell you how many boxes of that stuff I have purchased. I will never buy another d/w soap and have many friends of the same opinion.

[Alisa]

Vote #2 for the Cascade! I never rinse anything - even pots. I have the feeling my dishwasher likes the challenge...I switched to the Electrosol tablets for awhile because Consumer Reports said they were best for the price but I've regretted it ever since. They work well, but not AS well.

[funnybone]

I have used it and regular Cascade, Palmolive and Electrosol. I notice not much difference, and I don't rinse my dishes either. What makes the difference is having a water softener. If you don't have one, then possibly Cascade Complete can make a difference. Give it a try! You'll never know otherwise.

[Beth]

Thanks Alisa....I was wondering if Consumer Reports had something to say about it (my parents subscribe, so we borrow). I haven't been unhappy with the regular Cascade, but I think I will buy some of the complete and at least use if for the gunky loads.

[schuh]

Consumer Reports rated dishwasher detergents (and dishwashers) in April, I believe. They said the new detergents, such as Cascade Complete, really do make a big difference. The Cascade version wasn't the top rated though.

Personally, I like the Cascade Complete but it's a little pricey for me.

[Beth]

Originally posted by schuh:
Personally, I like the Cascade Complete but it's a little pricey for me.

That's the main reason I've thought about posting this for months and just did it. Like I said above, I think I might try it (esp if I find a coupon) and use it on the really yukky stuff. I like the idea of using it to soak those really awful things that might not even go in the dishwasher.

Meanwhile, I did find out that the heavy cycle on my new machine works well. I had dried pasta sauce and cheese on stuff I ran today without rinsing and everything came very clean. Up until now, I have used the normal cycle almost all the time, with some uses on the rinse cycle. Anyone else find that manufacturers keep adding more and more cycles, but we use about the same ones we always have? True at our house.

[pipely]

I've been told that the powder type of dish washing detergent isn't so good for your dish washer. Also, my clear glassware was getting dull and pitted. After switching to a liquid I haven't had that problem. Has anyone else heard this?

[aka]

I don't know what the Cascade Complete costs in the US, but I bought some today (in Canada) for $6(Canadian)(45oz/2.81lb box). It's only 2 people, but even if I ran the dishwasher everyday, I figure that box would last be at least two weeks. Let's say, it would only last one week...all my dishes come out perfectly clean and I don't do any rinsing...I would gladly fork over $6/week for someone to do my dishes if it meant I didn't have to do them myself. I know, I still have to load the dishwasher and put them away (I like putting them away all clean knowing all I did was put them in there through), but still, put that way, I think $6 is pretty cheap.

[funnybone]

The last time I bought some, (about a month ago) it was on sale for around $3.49

[Gail]

Originally posted by pipely:
I've been told that the powder type of dish washing detergent isn't so good for your dish washer. Also, my clear glassware was getting dull and pitted. After switching to a liquid I haven't had that problem. Has anyone else heard this?

Gee, Pipely, I've got a whole other slant on the subject. A couple of years back, I thought for sure my dishwasher had gone belly-up. Nothing was getting clean and the glasses always seemed to have a cloudy residue. I figured I'd probably made a bad decision going with one of Kitchenaid's lower-end models and that perhaps I should have invested more to begin with. Before buying a new one, we decided to call in the service tech. Practically the first thing he asked was whether I'd been using powder or liquid detergent. When I told him "liquid," he immediately responded with one of those nods and knowing looks. Seems he'd had a rash of people with problems due to the longterm use of liquid detergent-- apparently if the water temperature isn't hot enough (ours was turned down to save energy) the liquid doesn't dissolve and little by little starts to gunk up and clog the works. I really hadn't noticed until he pointed it out, but low and behold, the bottom of the mechanism was crusted and disgusting--especially when he took part of it apart. No small wonder nothing was getting clean, all I was doing was circulating dirty water and food particles.

Since scrubbing the heck out of the thing and kicking up the water temperature, I've switched back to powder cleaners. Man, what a difference! No more liquid for this gal after that ordeal...

[funnybone]

Actually, the guy at the appliance store told us that powder is better than liquid, but I don't like powder.

[Beth]

I wonder if the preference for liquid or powder detergents may have something to do with the hardness of your water as well as the water temp? And does whether you use a rinse aid makes a difference in whether the any undissolved gunk would rinse off and out well.

I have been using liquids for a long time and not noticed a problem (but I'm glad to know what to look for if I do). I think I remember switching a couple of houses and dishwashers ago because the powder didn't always dissolve completely. I don't have a strong preference for either one, so I'll watch how they are working more closely. I love the way asking one question leads to other tidbits of knowledge here. Thanks again.

[pipely]

Thank-you for the input Gail! I'm going to check out the dishwasher and see if there's "gunk." It's interesting to see the differences in opinion. I had to call the Maytag guy out (he wasn't busy anyway, tee hee) because my clothes washer wasn't getting my clothes clean. I was finding streaks of detergent on my clothes were it wasn't rinsing out. He said that if powdered detergents are left open in a humid environment (like the laundry room or under the kitchen sink for the dishwasher detergent) that they won't dissolve right. He said to use liquid and I have since then. Also, he said that powdered detergents have silicon (sand) and stuff in it for fillers. I was finding stuff in my white blouses near the button holes that looked like cardboard. The Maytag guy said it was the filler in the detergent building up. After changing to liquid - no more "gunk" near the button holes! I guess the thing to do is to look for problems with either type used. This is great to get lots of good input on a subject. This BB is great!

[Gail]

Beth,

Yes, I think the hardness of the water is a factor. And our water here is disgusting. Very likely if someone is in an area with softer water and/or the water temperature is adequate, the liquid stuff is fine and dandy. Here, though, it's apparently not the case-- even with the rinse agent.

Pipely,

I'm a tad confused. Did your Maytag guy ALSO give you advice about the dishwasher (or do you have the somewhat unique habit of throwing in blouses with the dinner dishes? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif ) Guess I won't get to test the theory on my laundry, though-- due to skin sensitivities, I can't tolerate powdered detergent anyway-- the softening agents make me break out in rashes!

[carolyn.1]

DH and I purchased a new Whirlpool dishwasher
a couple of years back (our first dishwasher) and it clearly states in the manual not to use liquid to always use powder form cleaner. I use Cascade (regular) powder and I do not rinse anything and my dishes come out very clean. Just putting my 2 cents in.
Carolyn--

[pipely]

Whoops, Gail, it must have been late when I responded last and I was probably dozing off. Haven't washed blouses in the dishwasher lately, but I was assuming that if the powder wasn't good for the clothes washer, it wasn't good for the dishwasher either. It looks like the majority of responses have heard that powder is better for the dishwasher.