sbgrace Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 We have to either soak and wipe or pre-rinse everything before putting it in the dishwasher. Is that typical or is there some dishwashing liquid that I could use to avoid pre-rinsing or soaking routine? I'd love to just load dishes as we finish a meal and run it at the end of the day. We have very hard city water so that may be part of the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 We used to have a lot of problems with our dishwasher not getting things clean and then I had a coupon for Finish Powerball cubes. They were wonderful! Even though they are more expensive, I now use them exclusively, but I still try to buy them when I have coupons or there's a good sale. Quantum cubes (also by Finish) are even better, but I can't justify their cost. I keep some around for really greasy, dirty loads. Also, if you have hard water (so do we), make sure the hard water deposits (calcium, etc) aren't clogging the jet holes where the water comes out. We have to run a half to 3/4 cup of white vinegar through our dishwasher periodically. We put glassware in when we do this, but NO METAL. If it's really clogged it might need to be manually cleaned out first. This had to happen with ours before we figured out the periodic cleaning method with vinegar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I agree with Finsih. I have used all kinds of products and everyone have disappointed except all the Finish products. I even still like the original powder. Works wonderfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stillwood Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I thought I needed a new dishwasher. Adding 1/4-1/2 of water at the bottom of dw at the start of the cycle helps. It does, we are getting clean dishes again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I get better results with any of those individual packs, like the gelpacs. I buy Finish or Cascade. Quantum Finish is the best, but like somebody said, I can't justify the cost. I think, however, that dishwashers just don't work as well as they used to. We had a cheap Maytag that was awesome. We never had to rinse anything and it would come out clean. It finally died and we replaced it a couple of years ago with a Samsung. It was horrible!! We finally returned it and got a Kitchenaid. It's better, but still not as good as that cheap Maytag. (Yes, we did look for another cheap Maytag, but they are not good anymore, either.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 We used to have a lot of problems with our dishwasher not getting things clean and then I had a coupon for Finish Powerball cubes. They were wonderful! Even though they are more expensive, I now use them exclusively, but I still try to buy them when I have coupons or there's a good sale. Quantum cubes (also by Finish) are even better, but I can't justify their cost. I keep some around for really greasy, dirty loads. Also, if you have hard water (so do we), make sure the hard water deposits (calcium, etc) aren't clogging the jet holes where the water comes out. We have to run a half to 3/4 cup of white vinegar through our dishwasher periodically. We put glassware in when we do this, but NO METAL. If it's really clogged it might need to be manually cleaned out first. This had to happen with ours before we figured out the periodic cleaning method with vinegar. Why no metal ? I mix vinegar and metal all the time. Nothing bad happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Why no metal ? I mix vinegar and metal all the time. Nothing bad happens. It's what I read when I read the tip. Perhaps having metal in with it stops the vinegar from removing the hard water deposits somehow? Perhaps the higher level of vinegar is bad for the metal (messes up the finish to some degree)? Perhaps it's just an old wives tale? I'm not sure. We use vinegar for our basic "rinse aid" with all loads and we don't have problems, but when we "clean" our dishwasher itself, we don't put metal in purely because that's what I read back when I found the tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmvaughan4 Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I do not like the Finish tabs (if that's what the pp were suggesting). It just doesn't work for us. I used the Cascade gel packs for a while and they work well. But the best that we use is the kind that I've been making. Even DH made the comment that it works so much better. Here's the recipe: 2 cups Borax 2 cups Washing Soda 2 cups LemiShine 1 cup Kosher Salt 1 tablespoon per load. I mix it together and put it on a cookie sheet for a few days to dry out. The Lemishine is kind of sticky and it turns into a huge clump if you put it in a container without drying out. I also put vinegar in the rinse aid spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I do not like the Finish tabs (if that's what the pp were suggesting). It just doesn't work for us. I used the Cascade gel packs for a while and they work well. But the best that we use is the kind that I've been making. Even DH made the comment that it works so much better. Here's the recipe:2 cups Borax 2 cups Washing Soda 2 cups LemiShine 1 cup Kosher Salt 1 tablespoon per load. I mix it together and put it on a cookie sheet for a few days to dry out. The Lemishine is kind of sticky and it turns into a huge clump if you put it in a container without drying out. I also put vinegar in the rinse aid spot. I will try this. I do love my Finish, but our water has changed recently and is really hard. (The town switched to well water, yuck!) Also great idea about the vinegar in the rinse aid area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I use Finish in the pre-wash and Lemi-shine in the main wash. That's the only thing that will get the dishes clean. I interested in trying that recipe, though, TCmama. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alison in KY Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Lemi-Shine is awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momdm Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Thanks for posting this. I always rinsed and loaded in dishwasher. Will take some ideas from here and hope it works in our old dishwasher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I use Amway's dishwasher detergent and am pleased with the results. It does as good a job now as it did before the removal of phosphates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beimao Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I also have a bit of hard water, so regularly decalcifying works wonders- I use the dishwasher cleaning bottle from walmart, but I'm blanking on the name right now. As far as detergent I really like Melaleuca's Diamond Brite, one of the few of their products that I'm a fan of. Even with the hard water I don't need the extra rinsing aid and cleans beautifully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I use the Finish things, but I get them at CVS when they go on sale. A few weeks ago I bought 7 boxes of them for $1.50 a box. The store brand here is $2.69 for the same size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamauk Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 The laws changed about a year and a half ago and all dishwasher detergents (unless you have a source for commercial detergent) removed phosphated from their formula. None of them works as well as they used to. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I know this isn't a popular view here; sorry for that, but 1/2 tsp of this (found at home depot/lowes, etc.) adds the phosphates back in. I understand the environmental concerns, but in my house, they're overridden by the water and electricity wasted by having to run my dishwasher twice. Works for laundry too. Depending on your particular water issues, a pinch of citric acid (ebay, amazon, etc.) might work as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 The laws changed about a year and a half ago and all dishwasher detergents (unless you have a source for commercial detergent) removed phosphated from their formula. None of them works as well as they used to. :glare: But mine does...Amway. :-) And I've heard that Meleluca...doggonit, can't spell...also works just as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I agree with Finsih. I have used all kinds of products and everyone have disappointed except all the Finish products. I even still like the original powder. Works wonderfully. We use the gel packs & powerball tabs. I thought we would have to buy a new dishwasher because the dishes were SO bad until I started using Finish. Wow, Finish gets them clean with NO residue! On sale Finish 20 pack is $2.99. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zookeeper Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 You can still buy the soap with phosphates if you look around online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tohru Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 We use Biokleen. It's a bit more expensive, but it works fantastic and it's not toxic. We have very hard water and an old dishwasher. We don't pre-rinse our dishes and sometimes we even forget to start the dishwasher until the next morning. They always come out clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 We don't rinse or soak anything. I have a fairly new Miele dishwasher and use Ecover. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplain Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I know this isn't a popular view here; sorry for that, but 1/2 tsp of this (found at home depot/lowes, etc.) adds the phosphates back in. I'm not doing this for dishes, as I'm happy with Finish, but I do have to use phosphate as part of routine cleaning of my washing machine. And frankly, I don't feel even a tiny bit guilty about it. The amount of phosphate coming from dishwashers and washing machines is vanishingly small compared to industrial sources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I do not like the Finish tabs (if that's what the pp were suggesting). It just doesn't work for us. I used the Cascade gel packs for a while and they work well. But the best that we use is the kind that I've been making. Even DH made the comment that it works so much better. Here's the recipe:2 cups Borax 2 cups Washing Soda 2 cups LemiShine 1 cup Kosher Salt 1 tablespoon per load. I mix it together and put it on a cookie sheet for a few days to dry out. The Lemishine is kind of sticky and it turns into a huge clump if you put it in a container without drying out. I also put vinegar in the rinse aid spot. do you then, just put this mix in one or both of the soap compartments? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I do not like the Finish tabs (if that's what the pp were suggesting). It just doesn't work for us. I used the Cascade gel packs for a while and they work well. But the best that we use is the kind that I've been making. Even DH made the comment that it works so much better. Here's the recipe:2 cups Borax 2 cups Washing Soda 2 cups LemiShine 1 cup Kosher Salt 1 tablespoon per load. I mix it together and put it on a cookie sheet for a few days to dry out. The Lemishine is kind of sticky and it turns into a huge clump if you put it in a container without drying out. I also put vinegar in the rinse aid spot. I wanted to let everyone know this recipe for dishwasher detergent is awesome. It passed my clear dishes test. (I have all clear dishes and glasses, etc) No spots, no yuck left on nothing. I even did the no wipe or anything before putting them in. Right after reading this I ordered the items to try it out. Figured what the heck if it did not work I could use the items for something else. Well I am on my fourth load using it and still no problems. Thank you!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 I think, however, that dishwashers just don't work as well as they used to. We had a cheap Maytag that was awesome. We never had to rinse anything and it would come out clean. It finally died and we replaced it a couple of years ago with a Samsung. It was horrible!! We finally returned it and got a Kitchenaid. It's better, but still not as good as that cheap Maytag. (Yes, we did look for another cheap Maytag, but they are not good anymore, either.) Dh's best friend is an appliance repairman and he agrees with this. He was called to replace an older Maytag in a house that was no longer wanted and gave it to us (I didn't have a dishwasher at that point). He said it was the same model as he had and it was a great dishwasher. It has something to do with a filter to filter out food particles from the rinse water that the newer ones don't have. He finally replaced his and the new one doesn't work nearly as well and he and his wife wish they would have kept the older one. I still have the older one and know how to open it up and clean out the filter and sprayers and do that regularly so I can keep it running! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I wanted to let everyone know this recipe for dishwasher detergent is awesome. It passed my clear dishes test. (I have all clear dishes and glasses, etc) No spots, no yuck left on nothing. I even did the no wipe or anything before putting them in. Right after reading this I ordered the items to try it out. Figured what the heck if it did not work I could use the items for something else. Well I am on my fourth load using it and still no problems. Thank you!!!! I just finished trying the recipe and unfortunately for us, it didn't work nearly as well as Finish. It did get the dishes and glasses clean, but it didn't clean the tea mugs much at all. Finish gets them quite clean. Since my dishes weren't really dirty to start with, I think I plan to use Finish with dirty loads and this cheaper version when I have cleaner dishes to start with. That might be the best of both worlds for us. Also, if anyone is still reading, I noticed on Lemi-shine that it said not to use it with non-stick coatings. Has anyone tried the "recipe" with non-stick coated pans? I hate to ruin mine, so would prefer to learn from others if possible (see my siggy line). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 We have to either soak and wipe or pre-rinse everything before putting it in the dishwasher. Is that typical or is there some dishwashing liquid that I could use to avoid pre-rinsing or soaking routine? I'd love to just load dishes as we finish a meal and run it at the end of the day. We have very hard city water so that may be part of the problem. I add a little Lemishine, which you can purchase at the grocery store. It removes some of that white film you are seeing because the dishwasher soap companies removed all the sulphates. Things don't get as clean and clear. Yes, I have to rinse actual food off the plates too. If I don't, I find dried food, and yes, we have hard water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I just finished trying the recipe and unfortunately for us, it didn't work nearly as well as Finish. ... I had a similar experience; disappointed. But I really think water makeup is a big factor...even two different people with hard water might have different results; different mineral content in the water, etc. It's certainly worth trying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Can you just wash dishes by hand? We have a family of 5 and eat every meal at home, and it's not burdensome to wash by hand. Dawn gets everything clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 (edited) Can you just wash dishes by hand?... Nope, no time - that's why we got the dishwasher! :) Edited October 4, 2011 by bbkaren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azmomx3 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I do not like the Finish tabs (if that's what the pp were suggesting). It just doesn't work for us. I used the Cascade gel packs for a while and they work well. But the best that we use is the kind that I've been making. Even DH made the comment that it works so much better. Here's the recipe:2 cups Borax 2 cups Washing Soda 2 cups LemiShine 1 cup Kosher Salt 1 tablespoon per load. I mix it together and put it on a cookie sheet for a few days to dry out. The Lemishine is kind of sticky and it turns into a huge clump if you put it in a container without drying out. I also put vinegar in the rinse aid spot. I just read about this on pintrest...the pictures that they showed of dishes done in the same washer with store bought detergent vs. this homemade were really impressive! I just put this stuff on my shopping list this morning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I just read about this on pintrest...the pictures that they showed of dishes done in the same washer with store bought detergent vs. this homemade were really impressive! I just put this stuff on my shopping list this morning! Try it and see. It wasn't as good as Finish for us, but was as good as the Great Value brand I was using before Finish. I think a pp was correct that it depends on the hardness of the water one has. We have HARD water right from our well. I would like to know if anyone has tried this concoction successfully with non-stick pans? I'd like to use the remainder of what I made on less dirty loads, but since Lemi-Shine puts a warning on their product to not use it with non-stick pans I want to know if anyone has tried it in this "lower dosage" with non-stick to know if it's ok or not. If in doubt, I guess I'll save it for loads without non-stick pans (and tea mugs). ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isabella Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I haven't changed dw detergent, but I did find that setting my dishwasher for a hotter setting made the difference. I use the Pots and Pans setting on mine, as it's the hottest one. That makes a BIG difference to getting it all off, and also less streaks (I still use the Jetdry stuff, though, but on the not-so-hot wash that didn't work as well as it does now.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Lemi-shine is citric acid with a few essential oils mixed in. I think the concern is that the citric acid can eat away at the nonstick finish stuff. I've used that homemade recipe before. It's great, but as a pp mentioned, for anything with a strong stain (like a teacup), finish powertabs have worked better for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Nope, no time - that's why we got the dishwasher! :) My post was in response to the OP. Washing dishes by hand takes maybe 10% more time than using the dishwasher if you have to pre-wash anyway. Between the five of us, we have 14 meals + snacks at home each day, and I bake from scratch. Once you get a system down, handwashing is speedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 My post was in response to the OP. Washing dishes by hand takes maybe 10% more time than using the dishwasher if you have to pre-wash anyway. Between the five of us, we have 14 meals + snacks at home each day, and I bake from scratch. Once you get a system down, handwashing is speedy. I'm another who votes for the dishwasher. We had to go without for about 2 years and I never want to do that again. Plus, our dishwasher uses less water (we're on a well that sometimes runs dry, so this is important) and the high heat we can use with it makes sure any spare "bugs" are killed. Those are pretty much as important to me as the time/effort savings. We don't pre-wash. I prefer a detergent that does it all. And finally... I've had too many experiences with a family (not yours - relatives of mine) who washes their dishes by hand. They don't get things clean. When I end up drying I find food, soap, and generic crud on stuff to where I try to slip as many things back in line to be washed as possible. I know when I don't dry these dishes, silverware, glasses, etc., all get treated as "clean" and it sort of gags me when I eat there if I allow myself to think about it at all. The towels used to dry these "non-clean" items get hung to dry and reused too. It's no surprise to me that members of this family are sick relatively often. That's certainly NOT everyone who chooses to hand wash! But it is an experience "I" have to deal with that helps me solidify my love with our dishwasher. FWIW, other extended family members have bought this family a dishwasher... they choose not to use it because "it's just as easy to wash by hand!" :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 I started using Lemi Shine with my regular detergent (because I still have some to use up before I try the homemade stuff). WOW - my dishes are finally clean again. I thought my dishwasher was needing to be replaced. Nope--we apparently have really hard water that made food stick to our "clean" dishes along with limestone deposits. TOTALLY different results. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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