Liquid Dish Detergent

[dirtybuck]

I was hoping when I got this apartment close to 8 years ago that it would have a dishwasher. Well,unfortunately, that was not the case, so I still continue my manual hand washing trek on dishes.

I switch around from Ajax to Palmolive (regular and ultra) to Dawn. I actually like Ajax the best...the fragrance isn't all that overpowering, and it seems to rinse nicely too.

So...what is YOUR FAVORITE?

 

[danemodsandy]

You've Got It Right:

Ajax is the best all-round performer and value I've found. The scent is reasonable, and it's easy to find. I use the Lemon formula, not the Antibacterial one, since I have strong feelings about unnecessary use of antibacterials in the home; ordinary soap-and-water cleanliness is sufficient in most cases.

The Lemon formula is great for grease-cutting, leaving even plastics squeaky clean. Not too bad on the ol' hands, either.

I recently had a problem with another "value" brand, ALDI's Reeva detergent. It was obviously a Huish product (I'd know that bottle anywhere), and it had a P & G-style flowery scent. Well, we occasionally have a problem with ants coming in from the deck, which is ordinarily in evidence only when my partner, Mr. Sloppy, leaves food out. With this dish detergent in the kitchen, we had a MEGA-invasion that could not be stopped. I sprayed and left out traps, and still, the ants kept marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. It took me the longest time to trace it to the Reeva. When it left, so did the ants.

Flowery scents- FEH.

 

[panthera]

I

long ago decided that everything except the high-carbon steel knives would go in the dishwasher, that has been my policy ever since.
But when I am forced to wash dishes by hand (crystal, for example or my partner's friends who don't trust the dishwasher as they should are looking over my shoulder) I put on rubber gloves, use the very hottest water I possibly can, add a bit of baking soda (hard, hard water) then a good squeeze of the very best dishwashing liquid I can find. NOT one which is "gentle on hands" but one which will strip the meat off the bones and hold the grease in suspension.
Over here in Germany, I buy commercial liquids. In the 'States, I find that Ajax works well, although I'd prefer something less scented. I rinse everything at the end, under running water. Never have understood that nonsense about re-using the same rinse water over and over...by waiting to the end, I can use the hottest water possible and still not waste too much.
At home, I let the dishes air dry. In the 'States, my partner always grabs a freshly washed towel, never reuses an old one...wish I could say the same for some people.
Maybe it's just me, comes from living with dogs and cats all my life...

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

I don't have a favorite

I get a different kind every time... I grew up with Dawn. I prefer more fruity scents myself. I'm using Polmolive Spring Sensations... the bottle is about a year and a half old. I'm just starting to get close to the bottom and will need to buy some more soon. The stuff I have now probably isn't made anymore, and even if it is... it's what should be an illegal shade of pink and I'll not buy it again. I don't know how it performs, because I can't remember the last time I hand washed anything! The only reason I'm running low on soap now is because my best friend, Sheila, comes over and washes dishes after we feast sometimes. She prefers to hand wash, uses about two tablespoons of soap for EACH dish. I'm glad dish detergent is still affordable! Of course I'd rather that than have her misload my dishwasher! )

Well, my ice cream scoop, Santoku knife, immersion blender shaft, and salad spinner are all hand washables, but they don't get dirty enough for me to test the soap!

As a side, my apartment didn't come with a dishwasher either. I hand washed for a year, and will have had my GE Nautilus portable dishwasher for a year on the last day of this month. Is a portable an option for you? It dramatically improved the quality of my life!

 

[dirtybuck]

If I could afford one...

I'd buy a dishwasher, no ifs ands or buts about it. Sears (or whoever delivers it) will make quite a bit of racket going up the stairwell, but hey, what's 5 minutes of noise?

As stated before on this site, I'm 52. ALL of my adult life has been spent in apartments (since I was 19). In all those apartments, there were only four with dishwashers.

The kitchens of the last two apartments I had consisted of those damn long single sinks. I HATE THOSE THINGS!! Even though you can put a dishpan in them, I still like to have plenty of room to rinse my dishes.

And Panthera, I agree with you on running the water over each item. I can't do the "reuse the rinse water" thing either, and my dishes are also put in a Rubbermaid drainer and dried that way.

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

Do you have Craig's List in your area?

I picked my dishwasher (affectionately known as Mr. Dwash) up on CL for 100 dollars! Very affordable. A girl friend helped me bring it home in her minivan... we just pushed the seats into the floor board of the van and the Mr. Dwash became a member of my family. It helps that I live on the first floor. I know the price Lowe's charges for a new portable unit is CRAZY, but I see them very often on CL. A bonus to having it in a small apartment is that it extends the virtually non-existent counter space!

I have the long single basin sink as well, and I can't stand it! When I hand washed, I used a plastic tub for rinse water. The running water principle makes sense to me, but even restaurants dip the dishes that they hand wash into a sink of water (ask me what my first job was!).

 

[MikeS]

Palmolive Original On My Sink

I know Dawn is more popular, but I prefer Palmolive Original green--the same stuff Madge used to soak hands! It cleans well, rinses fast and cuts grease. Ajax Lemon is also on my list if I can't get Palmolive. I've tried other brands and a ton of private label versions, but I can usually find Palmolive Original for a dollar or less and keep a few bottles on hand.

 

[polkanut]

Bill,

I checked Craigslist for Springfield, and found a couple of portable dishwashers for sale quite reasonably.

 

[rpm]

I used to love the smell of Joy dish soap. Haven't seen it here in Canada for years.When I worked at the hotel they used to get it in once in awhile but in the colossal institutional size.
It never smell quite right. Is it still available in the States?

 

[maytagbear]

Oh, this is a SORE subject with me

I grew up using REAL Ivory liquid for hand dishwashing. When P&G "ultra-ized" it, it sucked bigtime. I have not used it since.

Sometimes I will get Dawn, though it's rather harsh. I'm finishing a bottle of the orange odor eraser sort...it IS pretty effective about erasing truly ghastly odors as directed.

I also have a bottle of "original scent" Palmolive, and like it, though it's harder to rinse.

I use more dishwasher detergent, anyway.

SO miss the GOOD OLD P&G liquids. I miss real Ivory, I even miss Peach Thrill, which had a slightly higher use cost.

I used the last of my original Ivory Liquid about a year ago, and have not seen any at garage/estate sales.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[dirtybuck]

LOL...

Ivory Liquid...so creamy it even whips!

 

[~sudsshane]

My favorites include.....

I have under my sink a big bottle of "Crystal White Octagon" dish detergent. The yellow bottle is huge, and does a great job cleaning the dishes and pots.

I also have Dawn with Bleach which I recently bought, on sale, at The Winn-Dixie.
Dawn w/Bleach performs well and has a decent scent.

And last but not least...who remembers Pink (rose scented) Vel dishwashing liquid? I saw it at the market and had to pick up a bottle for me, Andrew and a certain someone on these threads. He should be receiving it any day now...

 

[sudsmaster]

I like Joy. I've been getting the big size at Costco. It lives under the sink, and I add it to a squirt dispenser mounted in one of the sink backsplash holes.

Joy is popular with sailboaters who go on long journeys, because it still lathers in salt water. I find it cleans very well, but is not as gentle on the hands as some other brands.

 

[jamiel]

I've got a nice bottle of detergent I picked up in Denmark...contemporary type bottle that dispenses from teh bottom with a little diaphragm (like a shower gel). Can't remember what it's called but i refill with whatever is cheap (Dawn, Palmolive, Ajax)...think it's Dawn now. Need to break my partner of soaking things in soapy water before they go into the dishwasher...have seen a lot of suds in the cycle (don't think he's ever himself in the last 10 years has had a dishwasher although his mom did.

 

[iheartmaytag]

When Resturants use the tub rinse

Your first tub is the clear water to remove the soap. Your second tub is the sanatizing rinse which has my favorite and ever present--BLEACH. Either bleach or Iodine are required by law, bleach is cheaper so most use that.

Yup--my first job too.

 

[gmmcnair]

I always preferred Palmolive....

...in its various formulations, but here lately we've been making old time soap jelly from our homemade soap. We take a pound of the soap, shred it up, and put it to simmer in a gallon of water until it's dissolved. Then we let it cool and pour it into containers.

It forms a gelatinous mass that dissolves easily, makes nice suds, and cuts grease on plastics like nothing I've ever used. I also tried a batch with Ivory soap, and it worked just as well.

 

[washerboy]

I miss the orginal ivory too

agree with maytagbear...I've tried to use the current Ivory and it's not worth spit. I cant stand the smell either. Mom never could decide which she liked best..Lux (love the smell and it was pink) Ivory...liked the smell and thought the bottle was a cool shape..but Peach Thrill was my favoriate...wonder what happened to Thrill and Lux..have'nt seen them in years. I buy Dawn Ultra for the kitchen and Dawn Regular for refilling the hand soap bottles, washing my truck bathing the dogs, washing windows outside...Dawn utltra and regular and staples in my home. A few drops of Dawn Ultra is also good for removing small grease spots on shirts and cloth napkins.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Be careful using dish detergent on a car's finish. It can be too harsh for some finsishes and dull the clear coat.

Whatever you do don't use Cascade like my mother did. She had an old Corvair that was nororius for slinging oil. She decided to clean the back of the car with dishwasher detergent. It took the paint right off. Not to worry, a Police officer ran a red light about a month later and totaled that car so she didn't have to worry about the paint missing.

 

[oxydolfan1]

Lovers of the old Dove "lotion" formula may be interested in "Sunlight Sensitive". When Unilever ditched the Dove dish liquid to align the Dove name with their ever-growing Dove skin care line, they briefly labled the "Dove" liquid bottles with a "Sunlight" label, and then turned that product over to Phoenix Brands, who freshened the packaging and reintroduced it as a bargain brand (I use it to wash sweaters).

DAWN users: please be aware that a new variant of Dawn Ultra Original has been introduced.

It is called "DAWN PLUS Power Scrubbers" and is NOT the original Dawn! It has less grease-removing power and more food-removal power, which I guess is great for differing consumer needs, but it's not clear on the bottle, and both are blue.

The original Dawn Ultra and non-ultra Dawn are still sold...you just have to be alert and make sure you get a bottle with no "Power Scrubbers" qualifier on the label.