Dishwasher Detergent Review

Testing dishwasher detergent

Dishwasher detergents come in a huge range of formulas, from traditional powders and gels to single-load gel pacs and tablets. Many consumers like the convenience offered by gel pacs and tabs, which eliminate measuring, overfilling and spilling, but they cost more. Liquids and gels also can be hard to squeeze from the bottle, particularly for those with arthritis. In general, powders are the least expensive type.

The best review of dishwasher detergents is at ConsumerReports.org, where editors rate detergents based on how well they clean pots and dishes and how gentle they are to glass and silver. We found another comparison test at EcoChildsPlay.com, where Jamie Ervin tests five environmentally friendly dishwashing detergents.

Sarah Aguirre, About.com's guide to housekeeping, lists her top eight detergents, and she includes brief reviews for each product. At HowToCleanAnything.com, editors ask four families to try Cascade detergent for a month and report on the results. We also found many reviews of single detergents on homemaking and environmental websites; some of these reviews also include feedback from readers discussing their experiences with different brands. Sites such as Amazon.com, Drugstore.com and ThriftyFun.com contain informative user reviews of various detergents. We also found many video reviews on dishwashing detergents at ExpoTV.com.

Phosphates help clean dishes by softening water and preventing food waste from sticking to dishware, according to industry experts. But phosphates also have been shown by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  to cause algae blooms, which clog waterways and reduce available oxygen for marine life. Prompted by a ban on these chemicals that took effect July 1, 2010, in 16 states, most manufacturers have reformulated their detergents to eliminate phosphates. Cascade's entire line of dishwasher detergents is phosphate-free, for example, and so are most store brands. On the downside, the most recent tests show that not all phosphate-free detergents clean as well as the older versions.

Most dishwashers require 2 ounces of detergent per load, with more detergent needed for dirtier dishes or pots and pans. Sarah Aguirre, the About.com housekeeping guide, cautions against the use of too much detergent, noting that it "can leave a film of detergent on the entire contents of the dishwasher." You may want to experiment with different amounts of detergent to determine what works best with your dishwasher and water type. It can be helpful for you to know whether you have hard or soft water; hard water sometimes requires more detergent than soft water. According to reviewer comments, many dishwashing detergents seem to work better in soft water, but there are several that are fine in harder water.

Homemade dishwasher detergent

In an About.com poll of types of detergents used, 11 percent of respondents say they use homemade formulas. Several websites provide recipes for homemade dishwasher detergent, most of which consist of a combination of Borax, baking soda and vinegar, or other familiar ingredients. However, we called 20 Mule Team, the makers of Borax, and the representative stated that Borax should not be used in dishwashers because it might scratch dishes and glassware.

Many people who try homemade dishwasher detergent are pleased with the results. Although some homemade detergents tend to leave a white residue on dishes, there are some recipes that their users say clean very well. For some accounts of user experiences with homemade dishwasher detergent, see the Useful Links section of this report. Although not impossible, it seems to take some trial and error to invent a homemade formula that works well for you.