Hey guys, what is everybody's favorite dishwasher detergent and rinse aid? For years, I have been a huge fan of Cascade products, until late 2023 when I switched to Finish Ultimate and Jet Dry. The cleaning power is amazing and so is the smell. I dearly miss the Finish Jet Dry in the green apple scent. It surely freshens my dishwasher.
Favorite dishwasher detergent and rinse aid...
- Thread starter gelaundry4ever
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Cascade complete powder seems to work very well in my machine. I use jet dry rinse aid. I don't really have a favorite for dishwashing detergent. All I know is in these new machines it doesn't pay to go cheap.
cascade
When I'd use Cascade, I'd seek out anything citrus. Not only do I want my detergent to clean, I want it to smell fresh too.
When I'd use Cascade, I'd seek out anything citrus. Not only do I want my detergent to clean, I want it to smell fresh too.
Depends on price. I usually buy multiple packs when there's a decent offer.
I mostly use Finish Ultimate or Finish ultimate plus infinity shine, but I prefer Fairy Platinum plus, seems to wash very slightly better. Cheaper dishwasher tablets are hopeless since phosphates were phased out.
I try to avoid lemon and other scents, unless that's all that that's going at a decent price, because I don't like my washing up and dishwasher smelling of anything.
Rinse aid, lately I've been using Crystale Rinse Aid, again it was on offer, £1.20 for 500ml.
I mostly use Finish Ultimate or Finish ultimate plus infinity shine, but I prefer Fairy Platinum plus, seems to wash very slightly better. Cheaper dishwasher tablets are hopeless since phosphates were phased out.
I try to avoid lemon and other scents, unless that's all that that's going at a decent price, because I don't like my washing up and dishwasher smelling of anything.
Rinse aid, lately I've been using Crystale Rinse Aid, again it was on offer, £1.20 for 500ml.
scent freak
Is it just me, or am I the only scent freak on this forum?
Is it just me, or am I the only scent freak on this forum?
You might be.
I wash plastic containers and some drink bottles, although not as many as when I was packing my lunch, and HATED having drinks and foods flavored by detergent residue from strong flavors and fragrances.
I mix Cascade complete gel with about a scant tablespoon of STPP. In the first wash, I add about a tablespoon of oxygen bleach if a stained tea pitcher is in the machine.
I wash plastic containers and some drink bottles, although not as many as when I was packing my lunch, and HATED having drinks and foods flavored by detergent residue from strong flavors and fragrances.
I mix Cascade complete gel with about a scant tablespoon of STPP. In the first wash, I add about a tablespoon of oxygen bleach if a stained tea pitcher is in the machine.
scent freak
If I'm the only scent freak on here, that's fine. as a side note, I wish they'd brought Cascade plastic booster back and Finish made one to compete.
If I'm the only scent freak on here, that's fine. as a side note, I wish they'd brought Cascade plastic booster back and Finish made one to compete.
mark_wpduet
Well-known member
i'm starting to think any dishwasher detergent with a little STPP added...
It's CRAZY what adding like 1/2 tbs of STPP can do for a crappy dishwasher pod/tablet/powder/gel and even top shelf ones.
I'm about to buy another 1lb of STPP on Amazon because my ten year stash I bought LONG ago is down to about 1 cup left.
It's CRAZY what adding like 1/2 tbs of STPP can do for a crappy dishwasher pod/tablet/powder/gel and even top shelf ones.
I'm about to buy another 1lb of STPP on Amazon because my ten year stash I bought LONG ago is down to about 1 cup left.
Cascade`
I use Cascade powder, fill up the dispenser and a little on the door for pre-wash. Pods are expensive, and liquid is gooey. My local Kroger no longer has the Cascade or their private label powder, so I buy it from Amazon.
I use Cascade powder, fill up the dispenser and a little on the door for pre-wash. Pods are expensive, and liquid is gooey. My local Kroger no longer has the Cascade or their private label powder, so I buy it from Amazon.
STPP
Miele used to have an article on their site about banning STPP in dishwasher detergent. It was basically saying it was more important and difficult to replace in a dishwasher than in washing machine detergent, and that dishwasher detergent only used a small amount so had negligible contribution towards phosphates in waste water.
I've been thinking about trying cheaper tablets and adding STPP myself. Lidl own brand dishwasher tablets were much cheaper and worked almost as well as the premium brands before the phosphate ban, but the phosphate free version was rubbish. With the amount of untreated raw sewage now illegally dumped straight into our waterways since the water companies were privatised, the ban on phosphates seem pretty pointless here.
One of the very worst dishwasher detergent I've tried was a very large box of low end new formula Finish powerball classic tablets, I bought several years ago, which the retailer had apparently imported from Poland, post the phosphate ben, Which left a grey residue, that was difficult to scrub off splattered over knives and forks and other stainless steel items in the dishwasher. I believe the residue was whatever they had substituted for the STPP, possibly a zeolite.
Another bad one was a liquid detergent my mum was given as part of a trial a long time ago when dishwashers were far less common in the UK. I would put the dishwasher on a timer so it ran during the small hours on cheap rate electricity, and it turned out that the liquid detergent sitting in the dispenser for all that time, had attacked the bottom section of the rubber seal on the detergent flap and was leaking out and running down over and also attacking the rubber seal between the detergent dispenser and the stainless steel door, letting detergent and wash water get in the door and rot all the wiring eventually tripping the power. I had to replace most of the wiring inside the dishwasher. Probably wouldn't have been a problem for any more modern dishwasher with more chemically resistant rubber seals.
Miele used to have an article on their site about banning STPP in dishwasher detergent. It was basically saying it was more important and difficult to replace in a dishwasher than in washing machine detergent, and that dishwasher detergent only used a small amount so had negligible contribution towards phosphates in waste water.
I've been thinking about trying cheaper tablets and adding STPP myself. Lidl own brand dishwasher tablets were much cheaper and worked almost as well as the premium brands before the phosphate ban, but the phosphate free version was rubbish. With the amount of untreated raw sewage now illegally dumped straight into our waterways since the water companies were privatised, the ban on phosphates seem pretty pointless here.
One of the very worst dishwasher detergent I've tried was a very large box of low end new formula Finish powerball classic tablets, I bought several years ago, which the retailer had apparently imported from Poland, post the phosphate ben, Which left a grey residue, that was difficult to scrub off splattered over knives and forks and other stainless steel items in the dishwasher. I believe the residue was whatever they had substituted for the STPP, possibly a zeolite.
Another bad one was a liquid detergent my mum was given as part of a trial a long time ago when dishwashers were far less common in the UK. I would put the dishwasher on a timer so it ran during the small hours on cheap rate electricity, and it turned out that the liquid detergent sitting in the dispenser for all that time, had attacked the bottom section of the rubber seal on the detergent flap and was leaking out and running down over and also attacking the rubber seal between the detergent dispenser and the stainless steel door, letting detergent and wash water get in the door and rot all the wiring eventually tripping the power. I had to replace most of the wiring inside the dishwasher. Probably wouldn't have been a problem for any more modern dishwasher with more chemically resistant rubber seals.
maytaga806
Well-known member
I’m a freak for scents too but the flavoring of dishwasher on my thermos cups and plasticware was awful from Cascade pacs and gel. I have had to stop using cascade now, unfortunately. It ruined so many foods and drinks for me. The finish Ultimate smells wonderful and doesn’t leave any traces of that gross dishwasher flavor on dishes upon trying it last year I think I’m gonna go back to using that. For now I’ve stopped using the tub of cascade I have and have been using Walmarts great value advanced pacs which smell amazing and work flawlessly and also don’t leave any flavors or scent behind. You can only smell it coming out of the vent in the main wash and that’s it, the way it’s supposed to be. Idk what cascade has been up to but they are adding way too much fragrance to the pacs and gel. Walmarts great value lemon gel smells absolutely disgusting, I cannot believe people use it. It smells like dirty mop water with traces of slimy squid, but their pacs are truly a “great value” as most store brand products are, in soft water atleast.
Manufacturers and retailers are selling to their fastest growing demographic, Hispanics, and to them things are not clean unless they smell like a holly roller funeral on a hot afternoon.
When I used those lemon and orange scented dishwasher detergents, I used them in machines with 2 or 3 after rinses. The scent must be awful in dishwashers with only one after rinse.
When I used those lemon and orange scented dishwasher detergents, I used them in machines with 2 or 3 after rinses. The scent must be awful in dishwashers with only one after rinse.
Simple enough to spray everything with one's choice of reeking perfume, potpourri, scent.
ultralux88
Well-known member
I use something called Machine Dishwashing Compound or something like that, Its identical to Bubble Bandit, but comes in a big bucket. I order it when I order my Laundersol. I also use usually Jet Dry along with that. I'll sometimes use a liquid Cascade in the pre-wash.
store brand
The store brand does okay, but I prefer the name brand due to the cleaning power. I think the scents in the store brand are not as appealing. It would've been nice if more Finish and Cascade products had more fruity scents like apple and citrus. I'd take the fresh scent of Finish over Cascade if anything else.
The store brand does okay, but I prefer the name brand due to the cleaning power. I think the scents in the store brand are not as appealing. It would've been nice if more Finish and Cascade products had more fruity scents like apple and citrus. I'd take the fresh scent of Finish over Cascade if anything else.
ultralux88
Well-known member
I like a faint scent of bleach when I open the dishwasher when it’s done, and then no smell of any kind. If the dishes have any scent to them at all, I feel like I’m using soapy dishes and it triggers all sorts of things.
Reply #15
Exactly because if there is a smell on hard surfaces that it means that it is being retained. I don't want to know snow on my dishes
Exactly because if there is a smell on hard surfaces that it means that it is being retained. I don't want to know snow on my dishes
....Don't want any smells
ultralux88
Well-known member
My other pet peeve is a detergent that doesn't also clean the inside of the dishwasher. I'm sure many will disagree, but if the internals of the dishwasher are exposed to the sam amounts of detergent, heat, water rinsing and so on, I can't actually understand why they shouldn't also come clean by the end of the cycle. If the dishwasher is scaling up, aren't also the things I wash inside it? I judge the interior of the machine and how it feels, looks and smells just as much as I judge the items washed. I find the idea of clean dishes coming from a bad smelling dishwasher to be a concept foreign to reality.
