Author Topic: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box  (Read 4033 times)

soccerluvof4

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Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« on: July 18, 2018, 05:07:46 AM »
This is kinda insignificant to many I am sure but a pet peeve of mine. We use a dishwasher because me must in my opinion so I dont want to get into that BUT what do you use for detergent and have you found any deals on the dishwasher detergent. When you look at it by the day it doesnt seem that bad but it still pisses me off and No I dont have Amazon prime nor do I want it. Anyone find a deal on the pods or again a better way.

Papa bear

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2018, 06:45:19 AM »
This is kinda insignificant to many I am sure but a pet peeve of mine. We use a dishwasher because me must in my opinion so I dont want to get into that BUT what do you use for detergent and have you found any deals on the dishwasher detergent. When you look at it by the day it doesnt seem that bad but it still pisses me off and No I dont have Amazon prime nor do I want it. Anyone find a deal on the pods or again a better way.

Whoa. Tough read. But I think you're asking for the best deals on dishwasher detergent?

I buy store brand powder.  It's like $2.XX/box. It lasts a few months with daily use.


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soccerluvof4

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2018, 08:09:23 AM »
This is kinda insignificant to many I am sure but a pet peeve of mine. We use a dishwasher because me must in my opinion so I dont want to get into that BUT what do you use for detergent and have you found any deals on the dishwasher detergent. When you look at it by the day it doesnt seem that bad but it still pisses me off and No I dont have Amazon prime nor do I want it. Anyone find a deal on the pods or again a better way.

Whoa. Tough read. But I think you're asking for the best deals on dishwasher detergent?

I buy store brand powder.  It's like $2.XX/box. It lasts a few months with daily use.


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When you say store brand is that meaning private label? Cuz that would be about 1/2 what were paying now if not more and that be great. Thought last time i went our store did not have a private label so I could look elsewhere

Davnasty

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2018, 08:21:40 AM »
Homemade might save over what you use now but compared to a bargain brand, probably isn't worth it.

https://www.thesimpledollar.com/saving-pennies-or-dollars-dishwasher-detergent/

I would suggest just using less soap than is recommended. It depends on what state you leave the dishes in when you load them but you might get just as good results without any detergent, or very little. If you rinse dishes immediately after usage and the put them in, hot water and the mechanical action of the dishwasher will get it done. If you toss them in the sink and let residue dry on utensils and Tupperware with crevices that collect gunk, results may vary.

I mostly hand wash our dishes but I've found that I need either soap or hot water to get things clean, not both.

BikeFanatic

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2018, 08:36:13 AM »
Do you have a trader Joe's near you? They have great and cheap dis washing powder, the green box, last forever, I also use 1/3-  1/2 of what is recommended. I run the hot water on my faucet until super hot pre running the dishwasher and use that water to clean off the gunk. I run my dishwasher every other day because I hate doing dishes. Also, I 100 percent agree with below.


Quote
I would suggest just using less soap than is recommended. It depends on what state you leave the dishes in when you load them but you might get just as good results without any detergent, or very little. If you rinse dishes immediately after usage and the put them in, hot water and the mechanical action of the dishwasher will get it done. If you toss them in the sink and let residue dry on utensils and Tupperware with crevices that collect gunk, results may vary.

Cranky

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2018, 09:09:44 AM »
My Bosch was very, very unhappy with the bargain brand. It gummed up the sensors and then the dishwasher wouldn't drain.

So I buy the tablets that it likes, but in the megabox from Amazon, and it's really not very expensive that way. Slightly annoying, though.

elliha

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2018, 09:39:55 AM »
My MIL clogged her dishwasher up with powder detergent and my husband had to play repairman fixing it and he has now nixed her ever using powder again and even buys her tablets as a gift on most visits. We use tablets and buy them when we find them on sale.

Cadman

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2018, 10:07:37 AM »
What you want is Cascade Professional Fryer Boil-Out. This is essentially what the old Cascade powder was before phosphates were removed and overall cleaning ability of home detergents neutered. The new stuff doesn't cut it for professional applications, so its formula is unchanged. I find a small box goes a long way. Obviously this is something you'll want to order online rather than paying a premium at the local restaurant supply, so shop around.

MilesTeg

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #8 on: July 18, 2018, 11:23:01 AM »
Homemade might save over what you use now but compared to a bargain brand, probably isn't worth it.

https://www.thesimpledollar.com/saving-pennies-or-dollars-dishwasher-detergent/

I would suggest just using less soap than is recommended. It depends on what state you leave the dishes in when you load them but you might get just as good results without any detergent, or very little. If you rinse dishes immediately after usage and the put them in, hot water and the mechanical action of the dishwasher will get it done. If you toss them in the sink and let residue dry on utensils and Tupperware with crevices that collect gunk, results may vary.

I mostly hand wash our dishes but I've found that I need either soap or hot water to get things clean, not both.

Soap is a necessary component to actually clean things. Without soap, your dishwasher just spreads dirt/germs/etc. around and doesn't actually remove them. Soap emulsifies dirt/germs/etc. and allows it to be rinsed away. Water alone can remove visible gunk, but that's about it.

Papa bear

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #9 on: July 18, 2018, 11:42:57 AM »
This is kinda insignificant to many I am sure but a pet peeve of mine. We use a dishwasher because me must in my opinion so I dont want to get into that BUT what do you use for detergent and have you found any deals on the dishwasher detergent. When you look at it by the day it doesnt seem that bad but it still pisses me off and No I dont have Amazon prime nor do I want it. Anyone find a deal on the pods or again a better way.

Whoa. Tough read. But I think you're asking for the best deals on dishwasher detergent?

I buy store brand powder.  It's like $2.XX/box. It lasts a few months with daily use.


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When you say store brand is that meaning private label? Cuz that would be about 1/2 what were paying now if not more and that be great. Thought last time i went our store did not have a private label so I could look elsewhere
Yeah. Kroger private label is about 1/2 of cascade and I haven't noticed a difference.


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soccerluvof4

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #10 on: July 18, 2018, 03:16:08 PM »
Thanks all! Yea we run it everyday and it does a good job i just think the tabs are a rip-off but I'd hate to ruin/plug/gum up a new dishwasher.

maginvizIZ

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #11 on: July 19, 2018, 01:58:01 PM »
I bought great value (walmarts generic brand) of tablets, and I absolutely hate them.  I will never buy generic (at the very least, walmarts) soap again. It simply doesn't clean.  Water spots everywhere... I have to wash by hard, after my dish washer attempts to wash.

Maybe this only applies to great value... But generic soap sucks.  Lesson learned.

slickdeals.net will have occasional deals on Amazon for HUGE buckets of detergent.  That will be my next route.

Davnasty

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #12 on: July 20, 2018, 08:28:16 AM »
Homemade might save over what you use now but compared to a bargain brand, probably isn't worth it.

https://www.thesimpledollar.com/saving-pennies-or-dollars-dishwasher-detergent/

I would suggest just using less soap than is recommended. It depends on what state you leave the dishes in when you load them but you might get just as good results without any detergent, or very little. If you rinse dishes immediately after usage and the put them in, hot water and the mechanical action of the dishwasher will get it done. If you toss them in the sink and let residue dry on utensils and Tupperware with crevices that collect gunk, results may vary.

I mostly hand wash our dishes but I've found that I need either soap or hot water to get things clean, not both.

Soap is a necessary component to actually clean things. Without soap, your dishwasher just spreads dirt/germs/etc. around and doesn't actually remove them. Soap emulsifies dirt/germs/etc. and allows it to be rinsed away. Water alone can remove visible gunk, but that's about it.

It depends on what you mean by "clean". When I wash dishes my goal is not to sterilize them, it's to remove food particles which could potentially harbor bacteria and remove smells. Even if your goal was to sterilize, soap isn't necessary if the water temp is high enough, but since we're talking about dishwashers which usually top out at 140F, that temp is not sufficient to sterilize. It is however sufficient to increase the solubility of oil to the point where it is removed from dishes with only a little bit of mechanical action.

I suspect the most efficient way to clean a dish would be some combination of heated water, soap and mechanical action as they work well together but I also think that the heat and mechanical action components used by our dishwasher are overkill so without the soap the job still gets done. Unless you can manually reduce the time/temp used by your washing machine the soap is probably unnecessary.

« Last Edit: July 20, 2018, 08:30:37 AM by Dabnasty »

MasterStache

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #13 on: July 20, 2018, 09:42:09 AM »
We just use the Finish dishwasher tablets without putting much thought into it. They do a great job. And they are deeply discounted sometimes at Target and/or Amazon. That's when we stockpile like other essentials (TP, paper towels, etc.)

MilesTeg

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #14 on: July 20, 2018, 10:30:22 AM »
Homemade might save over what you use now but compared to a bargain brand, probably isn't worth it.

https://www.thesimpledollar.com/saving-pennies-or-dollars-dishwasher-detergent/

I would suggest just using less soap than is recommended. It depends on what state you leave the dishes in when you load them but you might get just as good results without any detergent, or very little. If you rinse dishes immediately after usage and the put them in, hot water and the mechanical action of the dishwasher will get it done. If you toss them in the sink and let residue dry on utensils and Tupperware with crevices that collect gunk, results may vary.

I mostly hand wash our dishes but I've found that I need either soap or hot water to get things clean, not both.

Soap is a necessary component to actually clean things. Without soap, your dishwasher just spreads dirt/germs/etc. around and doesn't actually remove them. Soap emulsifies dirt/germs/etc. and allows it to be rinsed away. Water alone can remove visible gunk, but that's about it.

It depends on what you mean by "clean". When I wash dishes my goal is not to sterilize them, it's to remove food particles which could potentially harbor bacteria and remove smells. Even if your goal was to sterilize, soap isn't necessary if the water temp is high enough, but since we're talking about dishwashers which usually top out at 140F, that temp is not sufficient to sterilize. It is however sufficient to increase the solubility of oil to the point where it is removed from dishes with only a little bit of mechanical action.

I suspect the most efficient way to clean a dish would be some combination of heated water, soap and mechanical action as they work well together but I also think that the heat and mechanical action components used by our dishwasher are overkill so without the soap the job still gets done. Unless you can manually reduce the time/temp used by your washing machine the soap is probably unnecessary.

Soap certainly won't sterilize anything (soap doesn't kill bacteria, it just helps remove it). And as far as "clean", just because you can't see the bacteria, doesn't mean they aren't there and in quantities that can be a problem.

The purpose of soap is to help remove things and keep them from being redeposited. Soap "sticks" to water and "sticks" to the stuff you want to remove (this is a very high level explanation of why soap is useful). Without it, you just have water redepositing the bacteria right back on the dishes since water doesn't "stick" to things as well.

The absolute best way to clean your dishes (or anything) thoroughly is to use soap. From a frugality perspective, it means you can use something very cheap (soap) vs something relatively expensive (heating water more and running a dishwasher on longer cycles).

Davnasty

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #15 on: July 20, 2018, 12:27:28 PM »
Homemade might save over what you use now but compared to a bargain brand, probably isn't worth it.

https://www.thesimpledollar.com/saving-pennies-or-dollars-dishwasher-detergent/

I would suggest just using less soap than is recommended. It depends on what state you leave the dishes in when you load them but you might get just as good results without any detergent, or very little. If you rinse dishes immediately after usage and the put them in, hot water and the mechanical action of the dishwasher will get it done. If you toss them in the sink and let residue dry on utensils and Tupperware with crevices that collect gunk, results may vary.

I mostly hand wash our dishes but I've found that I need either soap or hot water to get things clean, not both.

Soap is a necessary component to actually clean things. Without soap, your dishwasher just spreads dirt/germs/etc. around and doesn't actually remove them. Soap emulsifies dirt/germs/etc. and allows it to be rinsed away. Water alone can remove visible gunk, but that's about it.

It depends on what you mean by "clean". When I wash dishes my goal is not to sterilize them, it's to remove food particles which could potentially harbor bacteria and remove smells. Even if your goal was to sterilize, soap isn't necessary if the water temp is high enough, but since we're talking about dishwashers which usually top out at 140F, that temp is not sufficient to sterilize. It is however sufficient to increase the solubility of oil to the point where it is removed from dishes with only a little bit of mechanical action.

I suspect the most efficient way to clean a dish would be some combination of heated water, soap and mechanical action as they work well together but I also think that the heat and mechanical action components used by our dishwasher are overkill so without the soap the job still gets done. Unless you can manually reduce the time/temp used by your washing machine the soap is probably unnecessary.

Soap certainly won't sterilize anything (soap doesn't kill bacteria, it just helps remove it). And as far as "clean", just because you can't see the bacteria, doesn't mean they aren't there and in quantities that can be a problem.

The purpose of soap is to help remove things and keep them from being redeposited. Soap "sticks" to water and "sticks" to the stuff you want to remove (this is a very high level explanation of why soap is useful). Without it, you just have water redepositing the bacteria right back on the dishes since water doesn't "stick" to things as well.

The absolute best way to clean your dishes (or anything) thoroughly is to use soap. From a frugality perspective, it means you can use something very cheap (soap) vs something relatively expensive (heating water more and running a dishwasher on longer cycles).

Actually soap can kill bacteria by dissolving the lipid cell membrane and inactivate viruses by disrupting protein something, something... But that's kinda beside the point. Where you mention "in quantities that can be a problem" that clarifies what you're getting at, but I still contend that the soap isn't necessary. Maybe I'm accepting of more bacteria than I should be :)

On the other hand, I'm now thinking that our ancient washing machine in our rented apartment that only has one setting is probably not the norm anymore. As long as you can reduce the temp/time that the washer runs, I would agree, that would probably be more cost efficient than saving on soap.


JimLahey

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #16 on: July 21, 2018, 12:17:19 AM »
I bought great value (walmarts generic brand) of tablets, and I absolutely hate them.  I will never buy generic (at the very least, walmarts) soap again. It simply doesn't clean.  Water spots everywhere... I have to wash by hard, after my dish washer attempts to wash.

Maybe this only applies to great value... But generic soap sucks.  Lesson learned.

slickdeals.net will have occasional deals on Amazon for HUGE buckets of detergent.  That will be my next route.

I've had the same experience. Too bad I bought a giant tub of them. Going back to a name brand after they're gone.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #17 on: July 21, 2018, 09:14:11 AM »
I have a Bosch DW and it recommends Finish. I use the tabs. There is still room in the tab holder so I add powdered Borax to it and shut the little door. I have very hard water. I also use the Jet Dry liquid. My dishes come out clean. I use the sanitize setting. I typically buy my tabs from Costco. They go on sale every so often.

grantmeaname

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #18 on: July 23, 2018, 06:37:33 AM »
Costco has big boxes of Cascade powder and big bottles of Kirkland brand liquid. I have never been crazy about any liquid detergent but I've always had good luck with powder and I think it's reasonably cheap (8lb box for maybe $6?).

MilesTeg

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #19 on: July 23, 2018, 12:06:03 PM »

Actually soap can kill bacteria by dissolving the lipid cell membrane and inactivate viruses by disrupting protein something, something... But that's kinda beside the point. Where you mention "in quantities that can be a problem" that clarifies what you're getting at, but I still contend that the soap isn't necessary. Maybe I'm accepting of more bacteria than I should be :)

On the other hand, I'm now thinking that our ancient washing machine in our rented apartment that only has one setting is probably not the norm anymore. As long as you can reduce the temp/time that the washer runs, I would agree, that would probably be more cost efficient than saving on soap.

Ancient and/or intentionally crippled indeed. Even our economy model in the 80s had a few settings (normal/quick/pot scrubber and heat or no heat drying). I wonder how much water and energy (and money!) it's wasting?
« Last Edit: July 23, 2018, 12:11:30 PM by MilesTeg »

Davnasty

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #20 on: July 23, 2018, 02:42:50 PM »

Actually soap can kill bacteria by dissolving the lipid cell membrane and inactivate viruses by disrupting protein something, something... But that's kinda beside the point. Where you mention "in quantities that can be a problem" that clarifies what you're getting at, but I still contend that the soap isn't necessary. Maybe I'm accepting of more bacteria than I should be :)

On the other hand, I'm now thinking that our ancient washing machine in our rented apartment that only has one setting is probably not the norm anymore. As long as you can reduce the temp/time that the washer runs, I would agree, that would probably be more cost efficient than saving on soap.

Ancient and/or intentionally crippled indeed. Even our economy model in the 80s had a few settings (normal/quick/pot scrubber and heat or no heat drying). I wonder how much water and energy (and money!) it's wasting?

Not much, I rarely use it :) But I'm sure most of the units in our building have the same appliances and poor insulation to boot. It pains me to think how much energy is wasted on a bunch of 1 bedroom units.

marion10

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #21 on: July 23, 2018, 02:45:28 PM »
We buy tablets at Costco- usually Finish which goes on sale regularly. We don't have a lot of storage space and this works well for us.

galliver

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Re: Dishwashing tabs vs Liquid vs box
« Reply #22 on: July 23, 2018, 04:17:10 PM »
I've always been happy with Cascade complete...either powder or gel (the packets/tabs strike me as rather wasteful and overpriced...). I've found generic brand detergents pretty hit or miss...

If you have hard water, there's stuff we use called "Lemi-Shine" that helps dirt rinse away and stop films from forming. It's basically just citric acid, if you happen to buy that in bulk for canning or something.

Full disclosure we currently have a small "countertop" dishwasher (because the place didn't come with one and we got this one used for $90). It's better than nothing, but seriously lacking in power...

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!