Your Dishwasher Detergent Preference

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I had forgotten what a poor performer the Aldi Reeva gel was.  I made a batch of brownies for Bev to take to work for her b-day on Tuesday, and so I put all the dirty dishes and utensils in the dw with some of the gel and 1/4 cup borax.  When the cycle was complete there was still cocoa residue on the bowl and spatula, and other residues on various other items.  So needles to say it will be awhile before the Reeva gets used again.  The borax was used to help soften the water.
 
Qsd-dan

 

You use two full quantum tabs, plus STPP for each load?  I don't know how the cycles are on your Dw but my prewash(open cup) only lasts 13 minutes for a full load and 8 for small  loads, so I am not sure the first tab would even have time to dissolve completely. Sounds like a lot of detergent seeing as how they say to only use one tab for a complete wash.

Do you have any problems with glasses etching?  Of course maybe you have hard water.
 
Cascade Complete Gelpacks

BASE bargain shops have been selling bags of USA Cascade Complete gel packs. They they are brilliant in the F & P DishDrawer. I use the Quick Wash (49 mins no prewash), I just put the pack into the cutlery basket. If I use a programme with Pre Wash, I wait until teh prewash is drained and then put the gelpack in.

Fairy Platinum & regular Gelpack are shocking, they foam WAY too much.

intuitive++8-23-2012-20-08-47.jpg.png
 
Phosphate-Free at Lidl

I have been using Tesco's Value tablets which actually clean fine. Also have a box of Lidl's value, Tesco's 5-in-1, Astonish 5-in-1, and Fairy Platinum.

NOTE: I spied in Lidl, that their All-in-One tablets are now "Phosphate Free". The boxes look similar, the graphics are the same, but the colours used are a little different. The old formula had the legend "40 Tablets" on the box; the new formula simply says "40x" and "Phosphate Free". Tested them in my mum's machine, they seem to clean well.
 
@intuitive

Sounds good! We use the Fast wash on occaision. The problem is, it doesn't heat the water up to the Regular temperature, and uses slightly less pressure than a Normal cycle. That means, you get poorer results than on the Delicates cycle (which we use) for these reasons:
• 3 Rinses after the Main-Wash
• ITS QUICK! (If you stop the machine at the Drying cycle, you've had a 58 Minute cycle)
• Sounds like it uses more water (longer fill)
• Same temperature as Normal
• Great for loose/everyday soils. Even 1 day old Protein is moved in this cycle.

By the way, if you ever use a DD without a Drain Filter, crank the Rinse-Aid setting, and only use the Normal/Heavy, Heavy Eco cycles. That way, any "garbage" on your plates is disposed of by the wash impeller. We've used one of our drawers like that for a while now. No difference in performance, apart from a spec of Coffee grounds on every 3rd/4th bit of crockery
 
Mostly Finish, now

I used German Somat 1 for about a year, but I went back to Finish Quantum, Finish All-in-One, Finish Gel: they seem to have improved the formulas together with changing the style of the labels.
Another very good product, which is available here in Italy, is Nuncas Dishwasher Tablets (they also have a powder detergent, but you have to be VERY careful indeed when dosing: it is too sudsy); it's a bit more expensive than Finish, but it cleans better. @dj-gabriele: if you can find Nuncas tabs, I think it's worth trying.
Ivan

dishwasherrules++8-24-2012-07-30-20.jpg
 
not trying to change topic, but please tell me: If I use a tablet/gel pac, will my machine sacrifice performance by not having detergent in the pre-wash? I get splendid results using Finish powder in both cups and the Auto-Clean cycle in my Maytag (a real one...the last year before the Whirlpool redesign). Anxiously awaiting all opinions...... :)
 
No Actually not.....always worked fine for mem to prewash without detergent, I use Finish powder and or for tabs I use the Lidl ones that actually lately are very similar to the finish ones even in the scent.....I prefer powders though...
It depends from person to person I guess, there's who feel the need to put it even in the prewash even if actually would get dishes clean anyway and no problems.. I think that what's matter is the washing cycle.....
I never had any need for trying to to add it during prewash also as everything comes out clean, if you use a good detergent no need to add it even in the prewash.....
If you want you can always break in half a tab and put it in the prewash.....
 
chalsted........

It depends. Depends on the amount of soil, depends on the hardness of the water, depends on the machine/cycle.

I find that my experience is the best indicator for me, and that what might work in one town/state/country might not be applicable worldwide. Some places have extremely hard water, some places have water that is much softer naturally....

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
Thanks for the responses. I think I'll stick with my powder. I get excellent results with it, and I NEVER pre-rinse. Our water here in Charleston is neither soft or hard....I guess it's considered normal, if there is such a thing. The source is a river. Thanks again for the responses and I'll still be watching for more......
 
chalstead.....

I think powders are the best ones also so I cannot do else but be with you in your choiche, I just need to make some considerations..... DW tablets usually says on their packaging that 1 tabs is enough for all water hardness and for every dirt level....
As mentioned the amount of detergent should be related to the water hardness....even though as I said for me is necessary in the washing cycle only, BTW I never pre-rinse anything as well, but this is not the point, in USA I know most dishwasher are different from the europeans ones, I mean most of europeans ones have a built-in water softener using salt which you can select based on your water hardness to soft water less or more....in USA not.
Said this, it is true that now in Europe many dishwasher tablets or detergent are called 2 in 1, which means they have integrated the salt function(water softener function) and you actually could get rid of salt and water softener (even though some package says:" on average water hardness only"), I guess this new formula with which they make 2 in 1 europeans detergents now is similar but not identical to the formula with "integrated water softeners" with which in US they always made dishwasher detergents, both powders and tabs....
All this to say that I just do not know the reliability of these tabs about water softening in very hard waters, and also can't speak "internationally" on detergents brands being best or worse, formulas changes from country or better say continent to continent, using european/italian finish or 2 in 1 stuff as for the quantum or powerball I need to keep the selector of the DW water softenr pointed on the selection 3 as our water is quite hard, my model arrives to 8 which is the maximum water softening level you can get, if not so not only I would not get stuff as clean but also a little deposit of minerals on glassware that I recently realized after considerations and reasonings on another thread I opened here, (Arm&Hammer detergent), being due to the sodium carbonate contained in the detergent bonding with minerals and especially calcium, while when I used American DW detergent (I used Sun powder and also some electrasol tabs) I had my salt tank empty and they obviously worked wonderfully and of course no minearals on glassware....
This just to say that in US since you have not the use of the DW built-in water softener, when one haves very hard water and does not have a water softener for the whole house, a greater dosification of detergent in these cases is the only thing you could do or also adding fosphates or water softening agents as well, a greater use of detergent or addciction of TSP and water softeners is a thing that with a pre-sized DW tab is not absolutely required to have, this second the manufacturers, when it is obvious that actually you would have need to do in some cases...so maytagbear said something correct about the fact that everything changes from country to country....
Just wanted to be a little more clear....
[this post was last edited: 8/25/2012-03:55]
 
finish

We use finish powerball tablets simply because a friend of my dads can get a pack of 6 x 30 tablet boxes at a fraction of what the store price is. And I find tablets clean better than powder. Often our supermarket has bio crystal tablets on a buy 1 get 1 free special so we'll buy those also because they're cheap and work really well. Yesterday I saw bingo tablets for the 1st time in the shop. Half the price of finish and they have that dissolving wrapping so I'm keen to try them. Finish quantum's are fantastic. We have a box in the cupboard but don't ude them unless we've had to do lots of cooking (mainly over Christmas) as you can't use quantum's on the quick cycle. The quantum's are very good at cleaning out the washing machine though
 
<a name="start_42036.619532">You use two full quantum tabs, plus STPP for each load? </a>

 

Yup

 

<a name="start_42036.619532">I don't know how the cycles are on your Dw but my prewash(open cup) only lasts 13 minutes for a full load and 8 for small  loads</a>

 

Heh, my main wash cycle is only 10 minutes :D Pre-wash is about 7 minutes.

 

<a name="start_42036.619532">so I am not sure the first tab would even have time to dissolve completely.</a>

 

Water at the tap is 152F, plus the heater kicks in. Remember, these old dishwashers use gallons of water per fill instead of ounces ;>)

 

<a name="start_42036.619532">Do you have any problems with glasses etching?</a>

 

Nope


 

<a name="start_42036.619532">Of course maybe you have hard water.</a>

 

Crazy hard water! It can get as hard as 18 grains in the dead of summer.


qsd-dan++8-25-2012-00-46-0.jpg
 
Our water is so soft (0 grains) that we might be able to get away with not using any detergent at all. Haven't tried it yet. We always use the blazin' hot cycle. That combined with the soft water might clean them.
 
My regular tab is Somat 7, but lately I was in the mood to try a powder again.
The unusual thing about that one is it comes in a decent box instead of a cheap plastic bag and it is an "all in one", which is also not so common for powders in the EU. Have to admit that I always use a LITTLE of salt and rinseaid, despite those all in ones. Love it and will certainly buy again.

Louis, how does the Dreft compare to Somat ? Unfortunately we did not get anything made from P&G for the dishwasher in Germany for ages.

mrboilwash++8-25-2012-07-38-4.jpg
 
Qsd_dan

 

Completely understand.  On the cycle I use most the main wash portion seems to  last between 28 and 65 minutes but the average is 50  even though the water( about 1.06 gallons) will be heated, but with your times and your really hard hard water I see why you would need to use two tabs.  My water can be a bit hard, but yours must be running across rocks or something.
 
@qsd-dan

Mighty fine seeing you use TWO tabs in the KA to get results. And you say Mainwash is just 10minutes?

How long does the machine take in total on the cycle you use regularly?

But I'm gonna mention, we used our DishDrawer on 25Grain hard water this past October/November - Mid December while we were troublehshooting our Water-softner, and we used the Quantum Tablets, Ordinary tablets and some more MOL tablets (all Finish brand, of course). We didn't use any STPP, but used 1 tablet per wash and maximum rinse-aid setting.
No etching, no milky stains! (YAY!)
 
My guess, dear Laundress-

is by that day, they will have figured out an effective substitute for phosphate which, in turn, will probably prove to be even worse for the environment than phosphate!

(This is from my backup Crystal Ball{!}, my good one is in the shop.)

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
Cascade Complete

The Big Lot stores in my area have HUNDREDS of boxes of Cascade Complete (with phosphates) on the shelves. Nobody seems to be buying them......
 
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