Posted on 01/29/2011 10:03:03 AM PST by American Quilter
To go with toilets that don't flush and light bulbs that don't light, we now have dishwashers that don't wash.
In the last six months, a lot of people have suddenly discovered their dishwashers don’t work as well as they used to. The problem, though, isn’t the dishwashers. It’s the soap. Last July, acceding to pressure from environmentalists, America’s dishwasher detergent manufacturers decided to change their formulas. And the new detergents stink.
One of the key ingredients in dish detergent is (or was) phosphorus. Phosphorus is a sociable element, bonding easily and well with others. In detergent, it strips food and grease off dirty dishes and breaks down calcium-based stains. It also keeps the dirt suspended in water, so it can’t reattach to dishes. Best of all, it prevents the washed-away grime and minerals from gumming up the inner-workings of your dishwasher.
Traditionally, phosphorus was loaded into dish detergent in the form of phosphates, which are compounds of phosphorus bonded to oxygen. (PO4 if you’re keeping score at home.) Prior to last July, most detergents were around 8 percent elemental phosphorus. Now they’re less than 0.5 percent phosphorus.
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
How many thousands of Americans will replace their perfectly good dishwashers in the next year, only to find that the new one works no better because the problem is with the detergent, not the machine? Another idiotic government program in pursuit of a utopian goal that is both unachievable and fraught with unintended consequences that are worse than the original problem.
On a personal note, when I was researching dishwashers I was surprised by the fact that nearly all of them had blistering reviews from consumers complaining about the fact that they didn't clean well. I ended up buying one (the Bosch SHE55M16UC) that had reviews explaining that it works very well if you use the right detergent (Finish Powerball Tabs) and rinse agent (Finish Jet-Dry). So far it's been great, even though the detergent is phosphate-free. It's about mid-range in price.
We’ve been using Costco-branded liquid detergent and haven’t noticed any degradation in our dishwasher at all.
Does it have phosphates in it?
I bought a Bosh dishwasher about 8 years ago, it is without a doubt the best dishwasher I have ever owned even with the new detergents and my well water that has a high manganese content!
Why does Congress insist on encouraging environmental delinquency?
I’m on a well, too, and one can practically taste the gravel!
The label says it does not. I am wondering if the true cause of this problem is that more companies which make dishwasher soap are simply watering it down to cut costs.
I hand wash dishes...and then I tell my lefty neighbors that my power bill is less than theirs.
Can you purchase phosphorus on the open market?
I have read that some people are buying
Trisodium Phosphate and adding a tablespoon
or so to the dishwasher, with wonderful results.
It can be purchased readily from a variety
of shops.
LOL! I hope it seriously annoys them.
They take 45 minutes to do what I can do by hand in five minutes. That's not counting the time it takes to load them and un-load them, spoon the stupid powdered soap into the two little soap-dishes, and clear the broken and melted stuff out of the bottom after they complete their cycle. Then when you finish, you discover that the little actuator didn't work, and therefore the second-wash soap dish never flipped out and is now filled with soapy goo.
During their 45 minute cycle, they make such a racket you can't think straight. The whole downstairs vibrates. They have an electric heating element in them that uses almost a whole horsepower of electricity just to keep the water warm.
Every couple of months you have to dis-assemble them to clean out the gunk that collects around the pump impeller trash guard that is now surrounded by stinking standing water that didn't drain properly.
It's not worth it to me. Besides, washing the dishes is something I can do around the house. Never hurts with the opposite sex, know what I mean?
All in all, the cost-benefit equation works out to an empty diswasher holding up the countertop next to the sink.
It can be purchased readily from a variety of shops.
This is one of the reasons I love FR: there are so many FReepers with useful knowledge and information! I'm going to recommend this to my family if they start having dishwasher problems.
Lefties don’t eat using plates and silverware do they?
Dish Washer...Ping
It does not contain any phosphates.
... at least you will not have to stand at the kitchen sink and scrub the dishes by hand.
I refuse to give my dishes anything more than a cursory rinse before I put them into the washer. If I have to scrub something, I will just wash it by hand and be done with it.
We've had the same dishwasher for the past 4.5 years and have used Costco liquid detergent (I despise the powdered kind, it doesn't work for me) for 2 years. The results have been consistently good for that period of time. I still think the only other explanation for this is that other companies simply water down their product.
You can find phosphate-free detergents that work well.
You just can’t expect to go with the cheap name-brand products that are full of fillers to do the job.
We have a Bosch d/w, 3-4 years old. We love it. I have been adding a teaspoon of TSP (ie phosphate) to the soap, though, to replace that which has been STOLEN by the EPA. And they can come and arrest me.
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