Dishwasher soap

[smilie]

What have you found is the best dishwasher soap for your money? That actually cleans your dishes entirely.

 

[Chicago526]

I use Cascade Complete liquid, and it seems to do a very good job. I don't do a great job rinsing the dishes before loading and it still gets everything off.

 

[jeankeri]

I use electrasol gel packs. I wait for sales and use coupons; they come pretty frequently in the Sunday paper. Boxes last month had 25% free tablets in them. Dishes get really clean!!

 

[beavismom]

Don't use Sam's Members Mark brand. It is awful. I tried it trying to save a little money and it was a mistake. My dished don't get clean and all my glassware has a film on it. Back to Cascade for me.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

keep in mind it would somewhat depend on where you live and how hard your water is.

 

[rockyroad]

And the dishwasher repairman told me to run the water in the sink until it is hot right before I turn on the dishwasher.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

I have tried them all and I use the store brand, walmart has a good one. I also run the water to get it hot before starting a load of dishes because I don't believe the first cycle heats up the water like the second cycle does, that how it seems to be with mine.

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

I think it really depends on your dishwasher - how well it works and how old it is - and what kind of water you have. Our dishwasher is about 5 years old or so and we have hard water. The brand that works best for us is the Sam's Members Mark that an above poster didn't like. Plus, it's cheap. So, you'll probably just have to try a few different kinds until one actually does the job.

 

[azgal81]

I use the electrasol tablets the ones with the jet dry ball. I tried the cascade gel packs but they did not work at all in my dishwasher. The electrasol ones work great!

 

[DawnM]

I make my own. It is very cheap.

I mix 1 part borax to 1/2 part baking soda and put in 2T. to each load. It seems to work fine and is a fraction of the cost of any store bought soap.

I also use this for laundry soap but add a pinch of grated soap (Ivory is great.)

Makes everything very clean, is very easy on any septic systems (no harsh chemicals), and is super cheap.

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/02/02dec09b.cfm

I use white vinegar for fabric softener and instead of jet dry. There is NO smell of vinegar when the washing is done.

Dawn

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

does someone have a CONSUMER REPORTS? I bet they say which is the best and they did all the testing for us....

 

[My2Cinderellas]

After reading in Consumer Reports that Costco's house brand (kirkland) POWDER was highly rated and really cheap, we tried it. Works much better for us than the Cascade or Sunlight liquid we used to use. I keep a package of the Cascade all-in-one gel tabs on hand as a backup and like those too, but they are expensive!

 

[gottaluvdis]

I use Cascade Complete liquid, and it seems to do a very good job. I don't do a great job rinsing the dishes before loading and it still gets everything off.

I second Cascade Complete. It seems to work the best in our new dishwasher that we bought last summer. I usually buy 2 bottles at a time at Wal-Mart and always have a coupon for $1.00 off, so the price isn't too bad. I was sick of using lesser brands and not getting completely clean dishes. The savings disappears if you have to run your dishes twice.

 

[PSL]

I just checked Consumer Reports online and they list Cascade 2 in 1 Action Pacs as the best. Consumer Reports Best Buys are America's Choice at A&P, Cascade Pure Rinse Powder (gel variety is at bottom of list) and Trader Joe's powder. Cascade Complete Gel is listed 6th on the list. I use Cascade powder and that's not even listed and I thought it did a good job!

 

[jennobrn01]

We use Wal-Mart brand and have never had issues with dishes not being clean.

 

[shortbun]

I use Giant Eagles's "Brilliance." It's cheap and works just as well as the name brands.

 

[kinntj]

We use Cascade after trying the cheaper variety and they usually left a film. I always look for coupons and sales, but won't buy anything but Cascade from now on.