OT dishwasher detergent solved!

Thanks Polly! I don't have a dishwasher in FL, but when I am in SC I've been putting a 1/4 Cup vinegar in the dishwasher to get rid of spots. Barbara in FL

I had heard on a TV show dry cascade doesn't have the phosphates but the liquid kind does. They also said that if you use the dry but the vinegar in and that will solve the problem. But, before that I had wondered why it stopped working. Great ole goverment.

Just a chime in from a former Sears dishwasher technician ..... Most problems I saw were due to a coule of simple things:

-- Water not hot enough. Most people don't keep their water heaters at a hot enough temperature to melt grease. And they throw dishes in the racks, set the controls, and hit the start button. The hot water, which isn't hot enough to start with, takes a bit to warm up (usually). So it's coming in cold to start, into a cold tub filled with cold dishes. It's not hot wnough to dissolve all the soap, much less the grease.

Run the water in your sink until it's good and hot before starting your dishwasher. Use the pre-rinse cycle to let the water heat the tub and dishes before the machine opens the soap dispenser. You may have to use the heating element. You may have to temprarily increase the water heater temperature.

-- Pre-rinsing the dishes almost spotless. Your detergent is formulated to bond with the grease and take it down the drain. if it dosn't have grease to bond with, it stays in the water that stays on our dishes. Especially if you have hard water (I'm in SW AZ, and our water is best described as liquid rock!! You don;t want to look in your glass after the ice cubes melt!), this will leave spots on your dishes.

Scrape off the big chunks and put the dishes in the machine. After all, it's the machine's job to wash them, not you, right? Okay - hard dried stuff may need a hammer and chisel; other than that, see (1) above.

-- Clogged holes in the sprayers or poor dish arrangement If the water won't spray or can't get to the dish, it won't clean it. To check the nozzles may be a bit messy: the best way I found was to start a wash cycle and the quickly open the door. You can usually catch the water losing pressure from the holes in the sprayers. No water may mean that hole is clogged. A cup of vinegar can help with deposits. Occasionally you'll get a dried pea or such sideways inside a sprayer.

Just my thoughts, and worth every penny you paid for 'em! 8>) Ed

I'm puzzled by this whole thing...

My dishwasher is cold fill only. The internal heater and thermostat control the dishwasher heat and will run it to the heat of the program set.

I never use a separate rinse aid these days... My Fairy dishwasher tabs do a good job on their own.

We live on top of the North Downs, all our water comes out of the wells as liquid chalk! I have a water softener, so water for the dishwasher is very 'soft'. One dishwasher tab is usually enough for a fairly heavily clagged load. Things with cooked on stuff usually get a soak and a scrape first to remove the lumps.

Every time we empty the dishwasher, we clean the filter. Every few weeks, Himself will dismantle the spray arms and clean them out.

My dishwasher never smells and things usually come out clean, dry, shiny, and hot!

Howdy!

Kate, are you using a "contains phosphates" detergent? The old standard polluter soaps are reputed to do a better job at cleaning the dishes, which ever machine is used, albeit w/ little regard to the environment. It's the "standard phosphates or not" that were at issue in the beginning of this thread.

Such a fuss, having spotless dishes. Such a bigger fuss, changing products to do something more healthful for the earth. "You'll have to pry those phosphates out of my cold-dead hand...." whatever There was life before phosphate-d soap, & clean dishes from the machine. All it takes is a little effort to make a better choice for the environment.

Thanks, Ed, for the tips on dishwashers. As a former Sears dishwasher customer, I appreciate the reminders (won't buy another appliance from them, they don't service what they sell). I do somewhat-regular maintenance on the machine, check it for gunk, clean the cleaner. Ah, vinegar: you do so much for life, so simply. Having just upgraded to my

2nd Bosch dishwasher, I'm enjoying the luxury of clean dishes (hot water) while using a "greener" detergent. I can barely hear that washer swishing its way thru' the cycles as I enjoy listening to an audio book while hand quilting in the next room. (upgraded for energy savings, efficiency; love the Bosch washer)

Meanwhile, upstream, it's time for a new coat of paint on the bedroom walls, and sandwiching one of the old tops for the next "heirloom" quilt.

Cheers!

Ragmop/Sandy

I guess everyone has to pick their battles. I could walk into probably anyones home and pick out things they are doing wrong environmentally. Maybe not Ed Begley. There are things here we could do better but I make choices for a balance. I am inviting anyone here to come over and give a demonstation on their cleaning techniques. : ) Phosphates aren't coming back, neither are paints that are decent. I am pretty sick of crummy paint that isn't any good but ok for the environment. Makes it tough to get around the reduce part of the recycling regime when you have to buy more paint sooner. : ( Taria

Yes, and the little compartment where you put the soap doesn't open until some minutes into the cycle. First it seems to do a quick rinse and then, presumably, it waits until the water is hot before you hear the click of the soap compartment opening. We have a softener too though the soapy thing contains softener and rinse aid, so neither have to be added separately.

I like Fairy, but F> >> Just a chime in from a former Sears dishwasher technician .....

Hm... Yes, looks like it.

I shall look into the phosphate free dishwasher tabs and see what they do for cleaning power. After all, I get excellent results from the phosphate free washing machine powder from Ecover.

There's no problem with the dishwasher not getting hot enough: things sometimes come out hot enough to need oven gloves for handling!

We've taken to using exterior paint in the bathroom!

Wilkinson's had a good Fairy offer, so Himself stocked up. He stockpiles it when it's on offer and we rarely run out.

I use Ecover washing powder. Maybe I should try their dishwasher tabs and see how well they do the dishes.

Yes Sally. When I was a lass, my mother had a little "cage" made of coated wire. It opened, and put in scraps left from soap bars!!We squished it around in the bowl of hot water! Don't remember eating or drinking from murky dishes though!!

I saw that, Taria. I'll be by just any day now to share my cleaning techniques with you. Yeah. Right. Soon as I get all the Gators' pedicures done. They're getting all dolled up for spring break. Do you have any idea how many toes 8,000 gators have? Polly

"Taria" I am inviting anyone here to come over and give a

I wash by hand. My dishwasher holds my plastic containers....

G> I've been watching the discussions about our gov't deciding for us that w= e

Well, darn it I tried. Your detergent message had us discussing dishwashers here. We had out 6 thermometers checking our hot water temps. Several of them actually tracked close enought to think they might be accurate. Taria