detergent advice

[cehalstead]

If a person is going to use both bleach based and enzyme based detergents in the same load, should the bleach based detergent go in the first wash cup or the second? Should I use the temp. sensing setting so that the water is super hot? My water is hot already. I never pre-rinse, even if the load is going to "wait" for a day or two to be washed. The machine I am using is a TOL '98 Maytag Jetclean (an absolutely fantastic machine).

 

[appnut]

I just use Cascade complete. I had some electrasol with bleach and wasn't as impressed with it. If you insist on using both kinds, I would hope there's a rinse between the pr-rinse and main wash. So on your machine, that most likely is only Pots & Pans cycle. My stuf can sit for up to a week with no probs, even in the new Kenmo Elite.

 

[cehalstead]

rinse between washes

My machine does have a rinse between the washes on both the regular and pots/pans cycle. I have been using Cascade Complete for a while and am very please with the results. Think I'll stick with it. I was just going to give the dual detergent blend a try since so many sing its praises.....

 

[maytagbear]

I love the new variaton of Cascade Complete

This version has oxygen based bleach in it, and works very well in my water (4 grain) and machine (GE Nautilus).

Chlorine deactivates enzymes, so when I did chlorine/enzyme combinations, I would use the chlorine based detergent first, in the open cup.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[nmaineman36]

I agree Cascade Complete does a great job. The Electrosol isnt the same as what it once was in the Powder...the Tabs are another story...they are great cleaning. If you want to go green the Ecover Powder and Tabs clean well but it is somewhat challenged at pots and pans that are filthy. If you have a cheap streak like I do at times I will use Great Value from Walmart. Lately I bought the Pure Power Powder from Stop and Shop and I find it does a great job.. right up there with Cascade for half the price. I think the box i got costs 2.29 which I think isnt bad.
Stay away from gels. I have not used the Cascade gels but I have used the Palmolive gels and you might as well be washing in plain water.

 

[maytagbear]

The Cascade COMPLETE gel

is very good, though very expensive. The Cascade Pure Rinse gel is not nearly as good.

A well-meaning friend gave me a bottle of the Wal*Mart gel, and it is a chlorine based one, and not nearly as good as the Wal*Mart powder.

I try not to spend time or money at Wal*Mart, but a woman friend wanted me to come with her this past Tuesday evening.
So I did.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[tomturbomatic]

I think that the enzyme products would do better in the first fills when the water and machine are not as hot as they should be by the main wash. Then with the hotter water and the chlorine, after the enzymes, you don't have to worry about keeping them active. With my water and water temps, the gels work fine, but I do not use any of the scented powders or gels; the scent permeates my Rubbermaid water bottles and gives my tea a funny off taste. It is interesting that some detergents are coming back with chlorine formulations. Looks like the stains left behind by no-chlorine products were not acceptable. I wonder what that does to the government mandate that machine dw detergents cannot contain chlorine after some time in the future, or maybe that date has already passed.

 

[launderess]

Unless your dishwasher reaches uber-hot water temperatures for the wash cycle, enzymes are fine. According to both Cascade's and Electrasol's websites their enzyme detergents are designed to work in water temps of 120F to 140F.

Now that enzymes do need is time to work, hence I really do not add that much detergent (Cascade Pure Rinse) to the first cup. Do add a nice healthy dose, depending upon load size/stain level to the main wash cycle which by nature is longer. This is probably the rationale behind all those dishwaher detergent tablets, liquid pacs and so forth that are designed for use in the main wash only.

L.