Dishwasher Detergent Review

[TudorChick]

I am reviewing some brands of diswashing detergent today,as i have used alot in hopes of finding one that works.

I have a fairly new dishwasher but i was still getting experiences where i would have to occasionally re-rinse and rewash several dishes on the top rack.

here is my review....just to maybe help you all out and give kind of a background on some products and brands you may have thought of buying but haven't due to price or not sure how it works,etc....


my panel...

CASCADE All in one Action Pacs
FINISH PowerBall
FINISH ALL IN 1 GELPACS
CASCADE Action pacs with DAWN
FINISH QUANTUM(NOT MATIC)
KIRKLAND IN BOX
CASCADE REGULAR IN BOX

CASCADE ALL IN ONE ACTION PAC: very good,nice scent,hardly any water residue and great on econo setting.i found this one really got my ground in lasagna right off my pan,i also had micowaved cheese on a plate and it came right off the first time. price is ok for 54 loads and you can get coupons for it alot. RATING 8/10

FINISH POWERBALL: This was good,but i found it does not get ground in food.you need to give it a prescrub,for regualr everyday dishwashing it is good.price is good and you can also find alot of coupons. RATING 6/10

FINISH ALL IN ONE GELPAC:These are very good.i like how they get everything bone dry,and the scent is a clean scent,hardly any residue on cups or glasses. RATING:7/10

CASCADE ACTION PACS WITH DAWN:These are good but i have to say their new one the all in ones are a bit better.these are good for hot setting everyday dishwashing and the price is right. RATING 6/10

FINISH QUANTUM:Good,clean,no residue on cups,still have to prerinse a bit but all in all a good choice for pots and pans and plates,my tupperware doesn't like it,but mostly this is a good one,and the price is a little high but if you don't wash every day then these are good. RATING 8/10

KIRKLAND IN BOX:Good regular washing.some spotting and residue,to be expected with a regualr store brand,price competitive for large quantity. RATING 5/10

CASCADE REGULAR IN BOX:Good basic everyday cleaning,i would recommend this to anyone with a portable dishwasher or one who doesn't wash pots and pans and other greasy things,you will have to prewash.
RATING 5/10

this is my review on diswashing detergent.feel free to comment and tell me what you like or don't like and add to the review...

[Natalka]

Wow, what an awesome thing you have done!

We have a big, portable dishwasher. Best for ours is Sunlight powder, works like a charm and often goes on sale at SDM.
Have tried the finish powerball, didn't work well at all.

[Crochetlady]

I also like Great Value powder from Walmart.

[GoJays]

i've tried a few different kinds and, honestly, i don't see any difference from one to the next

[TudorChick]

i have wanted to try great value.is it good?i do alot of mixed dishes.basically anything that will fit in there such as pots,casseroles,plates,cups never ever get clean hardly....ugh..starting to think something may be wrong with my jets not reaching up there or something..i have a kenmore dishwasher...

[Capergal]

The ones I like best are the Finish Powerball and the Electrosol tabs.

I cannot use powder or liquid...they just don't seem to clean the dishes very well. My dishwasher is a Kenmore if that matters.

[Love&Joy]

thank you! This has been very helpful to me.=)

[DianneS]

Interesting! I find cascade in any form does not do a good job on my dishes. Finish powerballs get an 8/10 and Quantum gets a 9/10 from me

[krazytwacy]

The Quantum is amazing. Just got a couple of thier free starter kids and now I am hooked forever. I really didn't have to soak or rinse my dishes.

[kellyp]

I think the Quantum is amazing too. It does a great job on ours. I found the Sunlight left a residue on the dishes. Its almost like its too much soap being used.

[Crochetlady]

i have wanted to try great value.is it good

I also have a Kenmore. I used to use Great Value all the time and really liked it. Right now I`m using Cascade all in ones `cause I stocked up with coupons and sales. When I run out I`ll probably go back to Great Value.

[karen0382]

I am currently using Cascade with Dawn action pacs. I am a fan, but I think I will look into the price of the new FINISH QUANTUM, I really liked the sample that came in the mail last week. I have used Great Value in the past with my old dishwasher and it worked great. Then we upgraded to a new energy efficient dishwasher the powder great value seemed to take much longer cleaning the dishes. It still worked amazingly but it was taking up to 20 minutes longer a cycle. I switched to the action packs and the time cut down a lot. I think the built in garburator was thinking the powder was food particles.

I have never had any luck with gel, it is horrible and will never purchase it again.

Also pre rinsing dishes before going in the dishwasher is not only a waste of water, it is in fact bad for your dishwasher. The soaps are pretty harsh and designed to get the food off the dishes, if there is nothing for the soap to stick to the soap does not properly break down and can cause more harm than good to your dishwasher. CTV did a consumer report on the dishwasher soap and Great Value was ranked one of the highest and that's where I learned about it being bad for your dishwasher to prerinse. I've converted a few of my friends and family members who were frequent dish rinsers when they were over after having lasagna and the plates were scraped into the garbage and immediately put in the dishwasher. My friend walked her plate to the sink where I quickly stopped her. She did not believe me. The whole lasagna pan went in, I waited until after breakfast the next morning and everything came out clean.

[Cupcaker]

We use Cascade all in one action packs. I also sometimes add some cascade powder in the extra spot in the dishwasher, especially when I am washing pots and pans or something that is cheese based. They are a little more expensive, but you guys have taught me to coupon!

We used Kirkland gel (from Costco) for a while, as it was cheaper, but we found that our dishes came out with film on them. I don't know anyone else that had this problem so maybe we just had a bad batch?

I have heard that Finish works well but it isn't phosphate free so we don't use it in our house.

Now if I could just train the BF to put the dishes in the dishwasher I would be all set!

[Shwa Girl]

Tudorchick, this is a great post. This is helpful when there are no coupons for dishwasher detergent and we must decide what to use next.

We have a GE Quietpower 3. Maybe Kenmore and GE is the same - don't know. Not top of the line, but what we could afford. We have the Finish packs now but I prefer the Cascade packs.

Crochetlady, thanks for the info on the Great Value brand? Walmart? Does it come in action packs? How much is it?


I may consider the Great Value brand if the price is right.

Thanks Tudorchick and Crochetlady!

[meowtab]

I have quit using the store bought stuff, it is way too expensive. This is not because of me being eco friendly or anything...I know... It sounds terrible! But I can't bear to spend the cash on dishwasher detergent any longer. SO--- I bought 1 box of borax and 1 box of washing soda and mixed them equally. I use 1 tablespoon per load. ( I spent 11.00 on this, and calculated that it should last me about a year!). And I am using white vinegar in my jet dry dispenser.....it works like a wonder! BUT, if you like the fresh, lemony smell---you don't get that. It is clean and sparkly, but not lemony fresh--just so you know
So, if anyone is looking for a cheaper alternative, give it a try, I am soo glad I did.