Phosphate free dishwasher detergent

[jimblejamble]

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=172&sid=12598586 This article was just put out earlier this week from the local news. I thought our dishwasher was broken because I was having the same issue. Now I know it's because of the phosphate-free detergent. My in-laws are having the same issue. I was using Palmolive and they were using Costco's detergent, so the issue isn't just with one detergent. What do you ladies use in your dishwasher to get them clean? I already add the vinegar and it doesn't help at all.

(please don't suggest doiing it by hand. Every meal is cooked from scratch so it generates a lot of dishes and I have a bad knee and can't stand to do dishes for very long. We've been doing it by hand for 3 months now but it's getting old.)

[sanguine_speed]

I've been using these phosphate-free dishwasher tabs for a couple of years now with no white film. I'm not sure why we've been so fortunate. Perhaps the dishwasher itself has to "pick up the slack"? We have a very good quality dishwasher that cleans well outside of detergent used, so maybe we're not as reliant on having an "effective" cleaner?

[jimblejamble]

What brand are they?

[sanguine_speed]

Originally Posted by JessicaRenee

What brand are they?

Gosh sorry, I meant to post a link!
http://www.bio-vert.com/en/vaisselle-pastilles-50.php

[jimblejamble]

Thanks! I'll see if I can find them.

[treeoflife3]

I have the same problem. My dishwasher is supposed to be a good one and its only a couple years old but the ONLY detergent that works without me basically handwashing every single dish is cascade complete with bleach. I still need a rinse aid with it too (although I can just use vinegar) because it just won't work otherwise.

and I literally mean I need to basically handwash every dish when I try other detergents. If a little bit of syrup or a few crumbs of bread are left, dishes will come out dirty. At that point, I might as well just fill the sink with hot water and dawn and wash them by hand. I simply don't have the time and it hurts my back.

The specific cascade I use isn't always 100% either. sometimes things still come out dirty with a gross film. It is extremely frustrating.

[sanguine_speed]

Originally Posted by treeoflife3

I have the same problem. My dishwasher is supposed to be a good one and its only a couple years old but the ONLY detergent that works without me basically handwashing every single dish is cascade complete with bleach. I still need a rinse aid with it too (although I can just use vinegar) because it just won't work otherwise.

and I literally mean I need to basically handwash every dish when I try other detergents. If a little bit of syrup or a few crumbs of bread are left, dishes will come out dirty. At that point, I might as well just fill the sink with hot water and dawn and wash them by hand. I simply don't have the time and it hurts my back.

The specific cascade I use isn't always 100% either. sometimes things still come out dirty with a gross film. It is extremely frustrating.

If you cannot use any other detergent including non-phosphate-free, your dishwasher may need service. A few crumbs makes the entire load dirty? That doesn't sound right at all. Water-only should get rid of a few crumbs!

[AJP]

I've been using Trader Joe's phosphate-free dishwasher detergent for years, it gets my dishes very clean, with no other boosters or rinse agents. My dishwasher is a cheap-o model. I rinse with water before putting the dishes in, and wipe off stuck-on things like egg or cheese, but don't worry about crumbs, grease or loose bits of food. I've tried a few other phosphate-free brands that didn't clean nearly as well, and some left a film on the dishes. I don't think it's simply the phosphate-free aspect that could be causing those issues. (I also like that the TJ's doesn't leave any scent on the dishes, I really can't stand the odor left behind by most other brands. The TJ's is a lot cheaper, too.)

I wonder if the people having trouble with these detergents have hard water. Our water is on the soft side.

[treeoflife3]

Originally Posted by sanguine_speed

If you cannot use any other detergent including non-phosphate-free, your dishwasher may need service. A few crumbs makes the entire load dirty? That doesn't sound right at all. Water-only should get rid of a few crumbs!

It has been serviced haha... that made it better, but its not perfect. I'll get some dishes that come out clean if I don't rinse perfectly of course but the dishes near the one not rinsed well enough will all have crud stuck on.

[jimblejamble]

We have hard water.

Today I experimented with 1 part borax, 1 part baking soda, 1 part salt, a squirt of Dr Bronner's liquid soap, and some lemon juice with vinegar in the rinse aid and it worked very well. I'm going to try it with a full load tomorrow and if need be I will check out the ones mentioned here. Thanks everyone!

[dbsam]

We've had two dishwashers (Kitchen Aid and Bosch) and I've used many phosphate-free detergents over the years with not-so-great results. A couple of years ago I switched to Ecover tablets and my dishes are fine. I also add a lot of vinegar (never measured but it is probably ~1.5 or 2 cups) to the bottom of the machine.