Pre-Rinsing Dishes

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Wow - after reading some replies and from so many years of loading various types of dishwashers, I have to say I see both sides of the coin. One of the biggest problems is so many people don't know how to load a dishwasher. In most cases if you do correct loading you shouldnt have to prerinse at least not to a heavy extent. I like to rinse the silverware because if stuff like peanutbutter is left on it it will stain. The dishes and cups glasses bowls etc shouldnt have to be prerinsed under normal circumstances. The catch is if you accumulate dishes over a period of days like I often do it is best to prerinse. If you dont the dishwasher will smell. I do sometimes run the rinse and hold cycle but it is easier to rinse at that point. Anything with real stuck on food will not come clean so sometimes you need to use a little elbo grease. So I Somewhat agree with the author of this article but not completly. Biggest issue learn how to use your dishwasher and it's a happy mediun.
 
The pre-rinse/rinse hold cycle on our machine is very good. So good actually that dishes look as if they could be taken out and put away....that is, assuming they have not sat for days...

With a machine with a pre-rinse cycle, you should be able to scrape, load correctly and run that cycle and then leave it until the next day without issue...especially if you leave the door unclipped....

Running a tap to rinse dishes is just not needed as the article says....modern detergents and a hot cycle shift the lot here....

Now, as for peanut butter staining a knife, WOW....never had that happen to me. What on earth is in it to cause that to stainless steel?
 
At home in Germany,

we still have phosphates. But not for very much longer.

Already, in the US, these new detergents are worthless. Not only must you pre-rinse, you have to pre-scrub.

This phosphate ban is stupid.
 
One tab one load

This article mentions that you should use less detergent if you have soft water....yet consumers are told "It's simple, just use one tab....no measuring, no guessing" as if we are stupid....so....if your tab won't break apart, why is the market pushing tabs. I've never pre-rinsed but I do like to add a bit of detergent in the pre-wash/pre-rinse if the cycle has one especially if the prewash is heated....can't do that with tabs that don't break apart.
 
Dishwasher Smell

Can be solved by bunging a bit of baking soda powder inside at the bottom of the dishwasher. If one does this one can reduce or delete adding detergent for the first wash.

Frequently it takes more than one day for us to fill up and then run the d/w, and while there can be whiff when the door is opened, nothing otherwise that puts one off. Surely wouldn't bother using the "rinse and hold", as after several of those cycles things in the machine longest would probably be quite clean.

Good dishwasher detergent, plently of hot water and a good machine shouldn't have any problems cleaning any load that has sat sitting for <one week.

There must be something "not good" about the new versions of dishwasher detergents, I say this because sales don't seem to be going well. By eye-balling shelves at local supermarkets, the stuff does not seem to be moving. Finish gel which contains LCB, but no enzymes, has phosphates and seems to be selling, as do their tablets (STPP but no LCB).

While Electrasol (late Finish) tab are quite good in cleaning, they suffer from two drawbacks. Long term storage will turn the things hard as hockey pucks. This happens regardless of the fact each tab is individually wrapped, and where the carton is stored. While fresh tabs are easy to break apart, once they start to harden it requires a well aimed whack with a hammer to get the job done.

Other problem one found with Electrasol tabs was they tended to create lots of froth in my Frigidaire dw. This excess froth not only required an extra rinse (soap suds left after main wash), but was really hard on the motor/pump as they coped with all that froth.

In general regarding froth, noticed my dishes are cleaner with less to no "yibbles", then the detergent creates little to no froth so the full force of water can reach every where.

A few nights ago was overly generous with Cascade "Hydroclean" gel in relation to the load size, and by the second wash noticed the muffled sounds that indicate movement of more froth than water. So bunged a bit of silicone defoamer into the machine and viola, no more froth and things were back as they should. Next morning noticed my dishes were yibble free, even things such as cups in the far back corners of the top rack (yibble central).

FWIW, commercial dishwasher detergents seem to be immune from various local and maker bans on phosphates. May be worth it try to seek out restaurant or cleaning supply stores to see if they still have STPP laden detergents in stock.

Finally am totally gobsmacked in how quickly and totally Cascade and other STPP containing dishwasher detergents vanished. I mean *NO ONE* it seems has any stock left. It is as if P&G sent around armed men to forcefully remove the stuff. Even eBay, "NOS" central hasn't had a run of the stuff either. Makes one wonder just what was done with all the old product sitting on shelves and in warehouses.
 
disappearing phosphates

First off, no I don't pre-rinse. I'm far more interested in making the mess than cleaning it up. Now, on to the subject of phosphates.

I've actually had very good experiences with the phosphate-free detergents I've used, namely Trader Joe's, Whole Foods 365, Seventh Generation, and Ecover powders. The Ecover tabs are very good as well, although they preclude the ability to adjust dosage when required. Too much dishwasher detergent is not a good thing. Anyway, somehow I, um, ended up with a big box of phosphated Cascade Complete which I've come to discover kicks quite a lot of baked-on casserole a**. I've been using it on the big jobs and using the other stuff for everyday loads. The other day at Target I found ONE remaining box of powdered Cascade (the version with Dawn) with phosphates and snapped it up. I've checked numerous other stores in the area and I agree with Laundress, it's like that stuff just magically disappeared overnight.
 
When Pigs Fly!!

When pigs fly and cats wear pleated skirts will be the day I rinse a dish. Its simply a waste and too hard on the environment to be so wasteful.
 
One thing I liked about both of the Maytag DWers we have owned is that they have lines within the detergent cup. You fill with detergent to the line that corresponds with your water hardness. That saves a little bit on detergent, as mfgrs of DW detergent usually just say "fill up both cups for best results".

I was in WalMart today and there was one lonely pail of 60 count Cascade Complete with phosphates left. People seemed to be buying the enzyme version. Why does nobody ever want the last one left? I would surmise that most people don't know the difference and don't care. It's only people like us "in the know" that care.

In my experiences recently with adding STTP, I have found that the cheap gel detergents work just as well as the expensive stuff when you add STTP, 1/2 teaspoon.

This week I played with STTP in our laundry and I am amazed at how dirty the water was, even from towels. So I am guessing that we had "deep down dirt" that STTP is finally releasing.
I added three tsp of STTP to the TL machine.
 
Citing: "Pre-rinsing is a complete waste of time, water,

An efficient dishwasher uses 5 gallons (19 litres?!?!) When, back in 2001? I'd say that an efficent one uses 10 litres...

Anyway, I totally agree with that article, I never need to pre-rinse a thing, even burned on sauce or sticky residues from cooking pasta! The only thing I do before loading is shake the plates over the trash bin if there is something stuck.
 
Pre-rinsing

My wife's step mother and father not only pre-rinses, they wash them in hot soapy water in the sink and then puts them in the dishwasher. In their germaphobe state of mind "the DW sterilizes the dishes". They always say they are afraid of stopping up their DW.

These people are ones who also only wash small loads in the washing machine thinking they are saving water. Where most people would have 4 Ex-large loads they would have 8 small ones. Must be nice to have all that time on my hands to wash all those small loads.

I have never ever pre-rinsed dirty dished. I have owned three Maytags in previouse homes. The 2 were the kind where the glasses go on the bottom rack, the third glasses on the top rack. The DW cleaned just fine w/o pre-rinsing. I think it's a watse of time and water.
 
Well, Yes In A Commercial Dishwasher

With it's short cycles, could see their point, but pre-rinsing and washing dishes is not only a waste of water, but harms the machine as well.

In the absence of something to work upon (soils, foods, oils, etc), the dishwasher detergent will get at the insides of the dishwasher, in particular racks.

Guess many persons simply haven't got over how horrible some older dishwashers and or detergents were, and don't trust a machine to do the job.

Regarding Vermin:

Do not have that particular problem, so cannot put a dog into that hunt. However have heard of all sorts of things infesting dishwashers, mice, roaches, flies, etc.. Apparently as stated above, it is the smell of,well for lack of a better word "rotting" food that attracts the varmits.

Saw some really gross pictures taken by an exterminator who set up snap mouse traps under and inside a dishwasher (behind the kick plate), of his caught prey. It was simply ewwwwwwww!
 

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