toploadloyalist
Well-known member
Would either liquid dishwasher detergents or detergent pods be compatible for 30+ year-old dishwashers made long before those types of detergents existed?
Liquid Detergents or pods in old dishwashers
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Well there are a lot of variables involved. Liquid detergents usually have chlorine in them and will work well in a vintage machine. You would want to make sure your detergent cups seal well though, otherwise you may have issues with the detergent leaking out before the main wash. Detergent packs can sometimes take more time to fully dissolve, which depending on the timing of the detergent trip and cycle chosen in your machine might limit the effective working time. You also lose having the detergent in the prewash unless you have a separate detergent. Those issues aside though both can work just fine. There certainly wouldn’t be any harm in buying some and trying it out.
Cascade Complete Powder
<span style="font-family: helvetica;">I use Cascade Complete Powder in my vintage KA machines. Always get great results. I half fill each compartment depending on the cycle I am running. We do have soft water which is the reason I do half. If not for the soft water I would fill the dispenser. As noted above, some liquids leak out of the dispenser before the appropriate time and I just find liquids messy so I stay away from them.</span>
<span style="font-family: helvetica;">I use Cascade Complete Powder in my vintage KA machines. Always get great results. I half fill each compartment depending on the cycle I am running. We do have soft water which is the reason I do half. If not for the soft water I would fill the dispenser. As noted above, some liquids leak out of the dispenser before the appropriate time and I just find liquids messy so I stay away from them.</span>
kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
I would go with an old school chlorinated powder or gel instead of modern mild alkaline enzyme pods and liquids.
No definite answer
You'll have to be more specific on the make of the dishwasher and the hardness of your water.
My KDS 18, 19 and 20 did NOT like tabs or pods. The machines were sudslocked within 1-2 minutes after the dispenser was triggered and this was under very hard water conditions. Never used pods in Maytag RR dishwasher, they didn't exist until 2012 and I retired it in 2010. I don't recall tabs but there were probably around back then, just considered "gimmicky" at that time and I never used them.
Liquid detergent leaks out fairly quick in all of my vintage KA's. Those dispensers were designed for powder, long before liquid detergent became popular. Same problem with Maytag but it leaked out at a slower pace. Machines designed for liquid detergent will contain a gasket for the detergent cups. If you curious about the leakage rate, fill the cup(s) with liquid detergent and close the dishwasher door. Re-inspect after 30-ish minutes.
Older machines with short wash cycles don't fair well with enzyme based detergents. Sometimes you can get away with them if your water is extremely soft but they work best with phosphates and chlorine bleach....which is exactly what they were designed for.
You'll have to be more specific on the make of the dishwasher and the hardness of your water.
My KDS 18, 19 and 20 did NOT like tabs or pods. The machines were sudslocked within 1-2 minutes after the dispenser was triggered and this was under very hard water conditions. Never used pods in Maytag RR dishwasher, they didn't exist until 2012 and I retired it in 2010. I don't recall tabs but there were probably around back then, just considered "gimmicky" at that time and I never used them.
Liquid detergent leaks out fairly quick in all of my vintage KA's. Those dispensers were designed for powder, long before liquid detergent became popular. Same problem with Maytag but it leaked out at a slower pace. Machines designed for liquid detergent will contain a gasket for the detergent cups. If you curious about the leakage rate, fill the cup(s) with liquid detergent and close the dishwasher door. Re-inspect after 30-ish minutes.
Older machines with short wash cycles don't fair well with enzyme based detergents. Sometimes you can get away with them if your water is extremely soft but they work best with phosphates and chlorine bleach....which is exactly what they were designed for.
chaskelljr2
Well-known member
For a vintage dishwasher like a Thermador or a Hobart KitchenAid, I would go with a powder with a rinse aid.
Now…. with a newer and more modern dishwasher (I’d get a Whirlpool, Kenmore Elite, or a Miele), then I would go with a detergent pod (Cascade Complete with Oxi) with a rinse agent.
—Charles—
Now…. with a newer and more modern dishwasher (I’d get a Whirlpool, Kenmore Elite, or a Miele), then I would go with a detergent pod (Cascade Complete with Oxi) with a rinse agent.
—Charles—
sngencarelli
Member
I use half Cascade Complete powder and half Cascade Fryer Boil Out in my KDS-20. It's been working great, no complaints!
maytaga806
Well-known member
I use Cascade gel in my powerclean, the non chlorinated citrus breeze in the dark pine green bottle, and allegedly has the mighty power of Dawn in it. Anyways it works perfectly but you can put even low grade detergent in it and you'd get the same results. Its cheap, cleans at a superior level, and reeks amazingly.
Ive tried the pods before, and pods in a powerclean equal just what you'd imagine, lots of suds depending on which pod your using. The original action pacs by cascade don't suds in mine anymore, neither does the cascade complete action pacs. Some other ones I tried were sudsy, but not every single time it was put in the dishwasher which is strange. Ive not tried the cascade platinum cause it just seems to be a big waste of money, but I know these pods used to create more suds especially during the beginning stages of these pacs being on the market. Guess finally Cascade has gotten the recipes down a science so they don't suds anymore, and that was with a powerclean so id not expect it to suds in anything less powerful for a fact. Its just oddball because sometimes one of the cascade pods does suds in mine, I cant remember which one it is but its got a blue and yellow section.
For much older machines as many said general powder is perfect, its what was used back then and in those machines work very well and work perfect even today.
Ive tried the pods before, and pods in a powerclean equal just what you'd imagine, lots of suds depending on which pod your using. The original action pacs by cascade don't suds in mine anymore, neither does the cascade complete action pacs. Some other ones I tried were sudsy, but not every single time it was put in the dishwasher which is strange. Ive not tried the cascade platinum cause it just seems to be a big waste of money, but I know these pods used to create more suds especially during the beginning stages of these pacs being on the market. Guess finally Cascade has gotten the recipes down a science so they don't suds anymore, and that was with a powerclean so id not expect it to suds in anything less powerful for a fact. Its just oddball because sometimes one of the cascade pods does suds in mine, I cant remember which one it is but its got a blue and yellow section.
For much older machines as many said general powder is perfect, its what was used back then and in those machines work very well and work perfect even today.
