Vintage dishwasher soap

[mikepaquette]

I have a KD11 & with the new soap of today it does a good job on most things. I have been looking for a box of the soap that was used in these machines 50 years ago. Will it make a big difference ? Michael

 

[gregm]

caustic

some of the older soaps from that period, can be "caustic" to the "glass/dishware" and literally etch the glazing/surface right off. I think but am not sure that they were probably much higher in phosphates back then. I know they were so strong that is part of the reason that the cycle times were so short as well. I would like to think that water was probably "hotter" back then too.

 

[mrcleanjeans]

heat 'n ' eat

At that time, most DWs required that your water was at least 140 degrees and no higher than 160 degrees fahren.,and yes ,some of the detergents were etch-happy. Today's better detergents are enzyme based,not chlorine bleach based.The enzyme detergents,as a whole,FAR outclean the non-enzyme ones on everything except coffee and tea stains,which chlorine remves better.Unfortunately,chlorine bleach kills enzymes, so one could not just pour bleach in with their enzyme soap. Incidently,my ALL-TIME BY FAR VERY FAVORITE DETERGENT WAS THE HIGH PHOSPHATE CHLORINATED CALGONITE OF THE LATER 70S-which ,though chlorine, not enzyme based, was the exception to this enzyme is better general rule.Dishes shined like they were buffed with an electric buffer.Then,they messed with it, called it formula 211 Calgonite,killing it,thus it's gone.

 

[coldspot66]

I seem to remember CR testing d/w detergents in the late 60's or early 70's, saying that some cheaper brands contained "soda ash" which was corrosive to dishes. I don't think they listed ingredients on the box back then. And yes, 140-160 degree water was the standard.