Posted on 12/17/2010 10:59:14 AM PST by markomalley
It was not heavily advertised, but earlier this year dishwashing detergent makers reworked their formulas to comply with environmental regulations banning phosphates. NPR reports that consumers are starting to get very frustrated:
Sue Wright from Austin, Texas, says for months her cups and glasses have been coming out of her year-old dishwasher covered with black specks. She called three repairmen to her kitchen, but her dishes were still dirty.
"I looked at a plumber's rear end for about two months this summer sticking out from under my sink," Wright says. "I was just totally frustrated. I couldn't figure out what was going wrong."
Finally, after months of aggravation and expense, Wright found out the real reason for her speckled cups: This summer, detergent makers took phosphates out of their detergents.
Seventeen states banned phosphates from dishwasher detergents because the chemical compounds also pollute lakes, bays and streams. They create algae blooms and starve fish of oxygen.
But dirty and damaged dishes are turning many people into skeptics, including Wright.
"I'm angry at the people who decided that phosphate was growing algae. I'm not sure that I believe that," Wright adds.
This reminds me that satirist P.J. O'Rourke was joking when he wrote this last year:
The next great government crusade will be against soap. The president will appoint a Blue Ribbon Commission, which will determine that soap releases polluting grime into the ecosystem, leads to aquifer depletion, and contains fatty acids that laboratory studies have shown to be acidic and not fat-free…
Big government -- it's impossible to parody any more.
Dity dishes should not be taken lightly.
It was not heavily advertised, but earlier this year dishwashing detergent makers reworked their formulas to comply with environmental regulations banning phosphates. NPR reports that consumers are starting to get very frustratedThanks markomalley.
Note to Sue:
That plumber knew what the problem was. He soaked your pocketbook.
Just checked to see how many Dity Dishes we had. Didn't find any so maybe we still have polluting phosphates in our soap.
We never hear about it in time to stock up.
I got carded the other night buying Nyquil! DemocRATs suck.
Brand new silverware ruined with black marks that cannot be removed.
Called Cascade. They wanted me to return all the silverware and the offending container of Cascade. They sent a flimsy plastic bag to send the stuff back.
No address as to where to return the product and the ruined knives and forks.
They know that opened container of dishwasher detergent cannot be put into the US Mail.
No more Cascade in my house. Been using Sunlight with no problems at all.
How does it feel to live in a country where you have to produce more identification to by cough medicine than you do to vote?
I thought my dishwasher (new) was broken, and had the repairman come out (still under warranty). He never mentioned the actual problem. It took some research on the internet to find the real cause—and the cure. It’s a product called “Lemi-Shine” and despite its hoky name, my dishes look like they did when I used the phosphate type detergetn. Other solutions people suggested—eBay sometimes has the old detergent, and one lady says she gets it from Mexico—not sure I’d want to risk going into that war zone!
Also the article says it’s only a problem in 17 states—but companies like Cascade, etc. no longer make the phosphate product. It pretty much affects everyone.
Why would she call a plumber instead of an appliance man, and why would ANYONE be working under the kitchen sink instead of on the dishwasher?
Sue is not a trustworthy source for information.
Go to the hardware store, paint department, buy TSP Hard Surface Cleaner. Add one tablespoon to dishwasher along with your regular soap. It is what is missing from the new “green” detergents. Your dishes will look like you remembered.
How does it feel to live in a country where you have to produce more identification to buy cough medicine than to by morphine sulfate?
We just replaced an old dishwasher with the same brand. The old one had a motor the size of a soccer ball. The new one is the size of a tennis ball. It doesn’t move much water. Sounds very wimpy when it runs. No wonder it is so quiet.
Lot of things come out dirty.
Beside the detergent, also blame it on “Energy Star!”
Or to become president.
I told a lib neighbor of mine that Washington state banned a certain type of soap. She said no way.. When another neighbor told her it was true, the look on her face was priceless.
I’ve retaliated against the ecofreaks by going to paper plates, plastic utensils and Styrofoam cups.
Clean-up is a breeze.
I’ve noticed the dishwasher machine soaps are not working at all. Stuff is stuck all over the plates, glasses, ehwww....
So, I realized the formulation had changed. So, I took to handwashing the dishes like the old days.
Guess what....the Dawn with “degreaser” doesn’t degrease anymore. Suds last maybe 5 minutes...so there is no soaking time for really dirty stuff greasy stuff.
Glasses that used to sparkle with handwashing now appear clouded and need vinegar rinses...
Yeah...I’m pissed.
Vote?? How about be a black marxist muslim president?
Love that line. Every time I go to buy Sudafed I tell the clerk that I am going home to run with scissors. Let the druggies kill themselves and leave us normal people alone.
Yes, we ran into this problem several months ago with Cascade and found this solution. TSP is the key. Basically you're just replacing the essential ingredient that was removed to appease the enviro-whackos.
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