Cascade Powder w/phosphates VS Cascade non-phosphate w/stpp added

[mark_wpduet]

I bought a case of Cascade institutional w/ phosphates online (6 boxes). Prior to that, I had been using the non phosphate Cascade & adding STPP to it.

I see a pretty big difference!

I have a crock pot that is removable for washing and it's black in color. With the Cascade without phosphates with STPP added on the longest cycle, that black crock pot would NEVER come clean. I had to scrub it HARD afterwards to get it clean. Most all other dishes would come clean though.

I used the crock pot earlier this week and it was baked on beef stew. All I did was scrape it and put it in the DW and I used the institutional Cascade w/ phosphates & pots & pans cycle and it came sparkling clean.

So I guess simply adding STPP (at least in my case) isn't as good as the old formula with phosphates.

 

[tomturbomatic]

There is definitely a difference between the domestic formula and the phosphated institutional product. Like many, I had assumed that the slightly declining performance, even with adding stpp, was my dishwashers' fault, but once I started using the foor-service formula, I saw that it was the Cascade. Having said that, the difference in using what you can buy retail by itself and with stpp is almost like night and day for people in hard water areas. We poor people in Prince George's County are lucky in that our water comes from the Patuxent River and is softer than what they have to deal with in the District and Montgomery County where it comes from the Potomac and carries a higher mineral load. Fortunately, we have access to a wholesale hardware store that sells the institutional formula by the box. If any of you are driving to or through Belchville, let me know ahead of time and I can buy as much of it for you as you want to haul back home.

The only disadvantage to using it is that, unlike some gel formulas, it is not chlorinated so if tea stains begin to buildup on the plastic sports bottles I take to work, I add some of the gel stuff to the powder in the first wash and the stains disappear.

 

[mark_wpduet]

But it is chlorinated............ There is a distinct smell of chlorine when dishes are washing. I notice red wine stains are gone from the tub of the dishwasher whereas they were not with the new formula and STPP added. This is what I bought and it equals to about 9 dollars/box

http://www.restockit.com/cascade-automatic-dishwasher-detergent-85-oz-%2834953pg%29.html?prd=1&refterm=cascade%20with%20phosphates

 

[appnut]

Mark, I ordered this on the 8th and it arrived on the 9th, I couldn't believe it.  Now you got me all excited for sure.  I have the same color crock liner and have the same difficulty with it ocming clean in my dishwasher too.  Just about at the end of the last of my old Cascade, although I still have some phosphated Cascade Complete 4-in-1 pacs.  I tried those on a crock and it didn't come completely clean.  Now I'm anxious about the institutional formula.  I cannot believe I paid $9/box, but I did.  I"m just not ready to start washing my dishes by hand.  Should last me quite a while.  I still probably have about 4 or 5 loads worth of the Cascade with Dwn with phosphates. 

 

[whirlcool]

I noticed the same things too. Non phosphated detergents work better with STTP, but not as good as a true phosphated DW detergent. We usually don't have any problems with our Maytag JetClean DW getting things clean. It was the last of the series before Whirlpool changed the design.

I periodically visit our dollar stores to see what they have in stock. I recently found a few boxes of Sun 5.6% phosphated SW detergent for $1.00 per box. It isn't the best, but it does a good job on just dishes and utensils and pots & pans if they don't have any serious crud on them.

We still have several boxes of 8.0% Cascade with Dawn action packs. They are sealed away in an air tight container. We only use it when we have really, really dirty dishes. But we use the High Temp wash and Sanitize option on our DW daily. I think that has alot to contribute to how clean our dishes are in the end.

 

[retropia]

The institutional Cascade powder can be purchased at our local GFS (Gordon Food Supply) stores. In addition to phosphates, it has chlorine bleach and no enzymes.

I have a similar problem with our crock pot insert coming clean in the dishwasher, especially after making beef stew. What I've started doing is spraying Clorox kitchen cleaner in it, letting it sit for awhile, then rinsing it out before popping it in the dishwasher. It is almost completely clean before going in the dishwasher. The chlorine bleach is apparently the trick in getting it clean.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I see that the formula has sodium dichloroisocyanurate dihydrate as the last ingredient and come to think of it, I have not seen any of the tea stains in the last few months that I was seeing earlier. Maybe I had old product or there was a formula change. I have not noticed as much of a chlorine odor in the steam as from the gel formula which contained sodium hypochlorite, just very clean dishes. This chemical is a water purifier, algicide and rodenticide among other lethal applications. Thanks for the information. Now I don't have to worry about keeping the gel stuff on hand for destaining.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Hey Appnut

Yes.......I notice that too. It was lightning fast shipping. I remember being shocked when it arrived so quickly.

I'm sure TONS of people are buying this cascade. When you google "cascade with phosphates" that site is the very first link in the search.

I remember bookmarking that site a long time ago (around the time Cascade changed their formula) and there were ZERO reviews.....Now there are over 200 (LOL)

 

[mark_wpduet]

Here is a case of (24) count 20oz boxes of cascade with phosphates for 61.99 w/ free shipping.

This looks like the old formula that used to be avail in the market. I thought they stopped making this. This company is selling it by the case.

If you want a good LAUGH, there is a seller selling ONE box of the institutional Cascade for 24.95....with FREE shipping!

Anyway, here is the link to what I mentioned above:

http://www.officechase.com/p/14667/PAG00801CT.html?src=googlebase

 

[launderess]

Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate Dihydrate

Is dry chlorine bleach used in everything from swimming pools, laundry, dishwashing, biocides, disenfectants and so forth.

As always where you find chlorine bleach there won't be enzymes as the former attack the latter. However some chlorine bleaches do destroy protein which makes it good for automatic dishwashing.

For years many housewives complained of their kitchens reeking of chlorine bleach when the dishwasher was on, to the push was on to find a better way to sift stains/foods and thus we had enzyme automatic dishwasher detergents. Indeed once Cascade began to use enzymes Consumer Reports touted dishwasher products with gave better results than those without.

The other benefit of enzymes in automatic dishwasher detergents is that like with laundry products one could use lower temperatures. Instead of the 140F or above of old, you could turn the dial down to 120F. Again however as with laundry the stuff takes time to work properly which can translate into longer cycles.

 

[mattl]

I've been using the Commercial Cascade for 6 months now and am very happy with it.  No issues what so ever, but I have hot -160 degree water...

 

[frigilux]

Thanks for the link, Mark! I've been curious about giving this a try, and your glowing review has convinced me to go for it.

 

[polkanut]

The HYTRON dw detergent I buy @ Mills Fleet Farm is very heavily chlorinated, and phosphated.  It is approved for institutional & home usage.  It is manufactured by the Stearns Packaging Corp. Madison, WI.

Error 404 - Stearns Packaging Corporation

Dispenser-Free Control Systems

www.stearnspkg.com

 

[mark_wpduet]

I'm not sure I've ever heard of Mills Fleet Farm

Does anyone know what type of store would be like this in Lexington? I have no clue

 

[maytagbear]

Possibly---

Tractor Supply Company, or Quality Farm and Fleet.

I have been very disappointed with the phosphate free dishwasher detergent I tried. Fortunately, I can get to a GFS nearby whenever I need real Cascade.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[DADoES]

 
I bought a case of it yesterday, didn't catch that it's a bleach formula instead of enzymes.  Be interesting to see if it works well on lower-temp cycles.

 

[toploader1984]

cascade

i was going to try the food service cascade last year when phosphates were banned, i emailed proctor and gamble and asked them if phosphates were still in the commercial cascade and they responded and said they do not put posphates in the commercial formula. i do know the phosphate ban does NOT go for food service..... i guess it could have just been a case of the person that responded to my email just did NOT know what they were talking about.

 

[sudsmaster]

Luckily one can still get phosphated home version of Cascade at places like Grocery Outlet around here - for very reasonable prices (less than the online institutional versions, at least) and it works very well. I also built up a stockpile of it last summer when it looked like it was going to disappear forever. It will take me years to work through it!

 

[mark_wpduet]

My water heater is set to 130 (I think)

My dishwasher has hi temp wash that says it raises the temp to 145 or something close (cant' remember exactly) and it works really good.

One thing I notice is that if I used the normal cycle (which only rinses once) that it doesn't rinse quite as well. But pots & pans rinse twice so it rinses off and everything comes clean in that cycle.

I was shocked that the black crock pot insert came clean.

I love the bleach smell (not too overpowering)