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toploader55

toploader55

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As a Child I always remebered Cascade for it's chlorine wicked clean scent. I also remember it had a silicone additive to lubricate the pump, impeller, or any thing that was pumping water. My two choces at this time owning a Kenwhirl, Kd2, and Mobile Maid is either Cascade Powder or Electrisol Powder. Gel pacs and little soap blobs (gel pacs) power balls don't do it for me. What do you guys think ? Especially for older machines ?
 
I use Wal Mart's Great Value detergent...does a great job. Cascade Pure Rinse also seemed to work pretty well for me.
 
I'm a recent convert to Cascade gel packs (blue ones). I refused to use them for the longest time---despite great cleaning reviews from Consumer Reports---because I couldn't get past not having detergent in the pre-wash. Now, I use them for all but my grungiest pots/pans loads (which get a big dose of Quixtar's "Dish Drops", the only detergent I've found that outcleans the Cascade gel packs on pots/pans.

Talk about easy; just drop one in the main wash compartment. No muss, no fuss. Great results. Some people have complained about their sudsiness, but I haven't found that, even in my ultra-soft water.
 
The active ingredient in a product like Jet Dry is mixture of low or no foaming surfactants. To my knowledge these surfactants have not been shown to be carcinogenic. The concentrated product is described in the MSDS as possible minor irritant to skin or eyes.

If your machine has a rinse aid setting, try setting it to the lowest dose that still prevents water spotting and promotes drying.
 
I have found Cascade gel paks with Dawn to be the best detergent I have ever used. It stripped ground-in greasy fingerprints from a water glass that my mom uses all day long to keep hydrated. I have scrubbed the outside of the glass with a brillo pad and could not cut through the greasy film. I have run it through the d/w quite often, but it always came out with a cloudy film on the outside of the glass. When I used the gelpaks with dawn, it came out almost squeaky clean..you could see where it had stripped the film down. I never thought that glass would come clean again. Also Walmart Great Value brand performs very well, as does Sunsations at the dollar store. Enzymes in the formula really make all the difference.
 
I use Fairy Active Bursts (UK version of Cascade/Dawn Action Pacs) - currently using the Pure Clean ones - not sure what the difference is to normal Fairy Active Bursts, but anyway....I also have a couple of packets of Cascade Action Pacs from a recent trip to NYC.

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I've been using the Great Value stuff for some time and no matter what else I try, gelpacs, tabs, etc., I always go back to the GV because it's so darn inexpensive and performs superbly! Less than two dollars for a box that lasts for over a month - how can you go wrong?

I don't use Jet-Dry very often - I have softened water and combined with the KitchenAid forced air drying and sani-rinse temps, I found it really isn't necessary.
 
Powder for me

Electrasol. I formerly used the 2-in-1 tabs, but since the KDS17A came to live in my kitchen I switched to plain Electrasol powder and have no complaints.
Greg I will have to try a box of the GV stuff..
 
I haven't used powder ever since liquid came out. Not gel--that is a useless product--but liquid. My mom had a BOL portable Signature top loader when powders were still the only thing on the market. It was routine to find bits of detergent still on glasses, etc. Same thing happened with her MOL Kenmore later on. When I got my KA DW new in 1990, there was no question about detergent, no powder would be allowed. We have fairly hard water in my area so that could definitely be a contributing factor.

If I find a deal on Cascade/Dawn gel packs I may try them, but thus far gel has been very disappointing.

Re: Jet Dry, I am not sure if it's the problem, but I have found that after my glass coffee maker carafe has gone through the DW, when I fill it with water for coffee the surface of the water will have some light suds/foam accumulation. I now routinely rinse out the carafe before filling it after it has been run through the DW. I have to assume whatever residue is on the carafe is on everything else and I may forego Jet Dry for a while to see if that's the problem.
 
Bosch owner too,

I use Palmolive gel, it works very well. I have tried many other brands and keep coming back to the Palmolive. Cleans great, is very low in phosphates, and the baking powder scent basically has no scent, which I prefer. For rinse aid I use Ecos brand Wave Jet. It is a "natural" product, no petrochemicals in it. Ingredients are: "Water, earth salts, coconut oil derived surfactants. Does not contain SLS". I have the Bosch set on the lowest setting for rinse aid, and with my slightly hard water have no spotting at all. I am going to try the Aldi brand diswasher gel next time, as it is even lower in phosphates than the Palmolive. I'll let you know how it works out.
 
Kitchenaid Imperial Dishwasher w/o Rinse Aid Dispenser

Hey Guys!

Are those Rinse Aid baskets that were used in dishwashers without the built-in dispenser still available anywhere?

I cannot find them. What does one substitute? Is there a detergent that has the rinse aid built?

Louis
 
dishwasher detergent

We use Costco liquid. It comes 2 bottles in a bundle. It works very well even with the biggest and dirtiest loads. It usually runs about $6.00 and some change. We also use the HI-TEMP wash setting on our Whirlpool dishwasher.
 
Rinse Aid Baskets

Louis,

Jet Dry rinse aid is still available in basket form at various grocery stores in my area. If you don't see it on the shelf, ask them to start stocking it. They should have no problem getting some in for you.

Ralph
 
Hi Peter,

Finish powder is now enzyme based and still has a hint of the original smell. We buy it in 3kg bottles every few months and love it to bits :)

There is no longer the levels of chlorine that used to make my eyes water if you opened the door mid cycle, you now just get a wiff.

If I can buy the 1L bottles of Finish rinse aid I do, otherwise I just use the store brand.
 
I remember

In my Dad's restaurant,(Back in the mid-late 60's) We used a "Soap' in the commercial machine from DuBois Chemicals (WR Grace Co.) called KloroKol. It was a chlorine based powder and that stuff would clean dishes fantastically. Never a coffee stain, and the whole kitchen would smell so clean when you opened the hood of the machine and the steam would cleanse the air in the kitchen. (I'll probably get a collapsed lung form that stuff a few years down the road) but man that stuff was great !!!
 
Dish Powders in the DishDrawer

In our Dish Drawer I have started to use the new Morning Fresh Aqua Save "Eco" powder designed for machines that have short washes or when you use the Eco cycles. & Aldi brand rinse aid. Does a BRILLIANT job with no re-washes or soaking required.

I have noticed Cussons have introduced a range of Morning Fresh dish powders & tablets for Eco users & they have also introduced a range or Radiant Aqua Save washing detergents (still stinks & makes me sneeze!)that are designed for Eco cycles I think they are getting into the range of products as the USA have done I.e. "HE" (High Efficiency?)stuff.

I used to use Kwit For Dishes & Finsih powder... they were good but the chlorine smell was almost more that you could stand! & it etched glasses v.badly
 
Calgonit!

I bought a packet of those Calgonit Powerball tabs for 6.99 €, this is about 10$!
They´re great but expenisve!
How much is dishwashing detergent in the US?

1-23-2008-07-56-40--Lavamat78800.jpg
 
Biokleen

Careful with the Biokleen. If you use it on anything aluminum, it will turn it black. Learned that the hard way on my small pressure cooker. Had to boil it in a cream of tartar solution to clean it back up.
 
Dishwasher Detergent

I like the Cascade Pure Rinse formular powder. I don't use the tablets or jel pacs. I like to add as much detergent as needed. With the tablets or jel pacs you can't add extra or less. I did used to like calgonite but it hasen't been made here in the USA for over 20 years. Does that calgonit powerball come in powder? The one we had over here years ago was called calgonite formular 211. I don't know why they took it off the market.
Peter
 
Calgonit is now called Electrasol in the US and Finish in the UK. European Calgonit and Finish are identical products.

They do make powder and liquid versions but the tablet forms are the most popular.
 
I do use those tabs...we call it the Electrosol Tabs with Presoak Ball. They do a great job. I also use the Miele Tabs and Quixtar's Dishdrops. Love the smell of the Dishdrops...smells like soap. Much like an Ivory soap scent...at least to me it does. The Miele Tabs are made by Claro in Austria and so far I have several people hooked on them. They clean better than Cascade and I would have to say that the Electrosol Tabs are on a the same level as the Miele Tabs. With the Miele Tabs they can be split in half unlike most tabs out there. The wrapper is also self disolving.
I have also used the Great Value stuff from Walmart and it does a good job. But one detergent that surprises me is the Pure Power detergent from Stop and Shop. Its cheap and does a fantastic job cleaning.
I never use Gels or Liquids...tried them from Palmolive and sunlight and wasnt impressed. I am a Powder and Tab kinda guy.
For awhile I could find the Canadian Calgonite at National wholesale Liquidators and that cleaned well even though it was chlorine based.
 
Last time I was in Canada I saw Calgonite and all dishwasher detergents. I wanted to bring home some all but I was not sure if the chemical was too caustic to be in my luggage during air travel... I can get laundry detergents home fairly easily though.
 

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