I occassionally post my TSP discovery here. Last September is when the phosphates were removed from all major brand dish soaps. For almost ten years, it had been banned in several states...and the makers of the soaps were tired of ‘boutique’ blends for different states. Seems they colluded a little; but, they agreed to a common stopping point last September.
I have very hard water; and, the difference was very noticeable. In addition to hard spots, the dishes seemed to have a film all over them. Research online led me to TSP (and also a bit of trivia about how dishwasher sales had spiked).
The TSP is very effective in my dishwasher. I am still on my first box (this stuff is very cheap and one box will probably last a year), which I got at Home Depot. You have to be careful, though. My understanding is that some states have actually banned TSP...and there is a ‘substitute’ on the market. The substitute is called ‘TSP’....make sure somewhere on the box is ‘Trisodium Phosphate’.
As a side note...you can also find phosphates in that giant mountain of bagged fertilizer in front of the Home Depot. If the phosphates in our laundry and dishwashers is causing problems, how long before plain old fertilizer becomes a controlled substance?
“how long before plain old fertilizer becomes a controlled substance?”
Already are here in Florida. I’ve heard/read the State is trying to pass a law that only the State can pass laws regarding fertilizer. In the meantime, Orange County has a new fertilizer ordinance; you basically have to go to one of their fertilizer seminars and get “certified” to apply fertilizer w/ phosphate in it, cannot apply phosphate fertilizer within a certain amount of time of expected storms (which in the summer here is basically every afternoon), etc.
Plain old fertilizer is the source of lake and waterway pollution; the algae blooms.
Think about it, which is more likely to add phosphates to waterways, agricultural runoff or dishwashers discharging water to treatment plants.
Again a case of a powerful lobby getting a break - the subsidized corn ethanol farm lobby in this case - while the little people are forced to fall in line.