Posted on 08/18/2011 5:45:07 PM PDT by TSgt
Have you noticed a white film on your dishes in recent months? As we first reported earlier this year, the reason is a new environmental law.
Most manufacturers have reformulated their dishwasher detergents after laws limiting phosphates went into effect last year.
Julie Schimpf of Ft Thomas, Kentucky showed me how bad her dishes looked. Julie said "there's this frosty, filmy look on the top and bottom and it won't go away. I'm finding the same film here on the edges of my plates."
Complaints Nationwide
Our partners at Consumer Reports Magazine have heard many of the same complaints, from homeowners everywhere who are finding glasses and plates coated in white film.
Jim Nanni of Consumer Reports said "some readers wrote to us, complaining about film and buildup on their dishware."
So Consumer Reports started investigating. They ran the same set of dishes 20 times with the same detergent to simulate more than a month of dishwashing.
Film built up more with some detergents. With Method Smarty Dish, which the magazine said otherwise is a very good cleaner, the glassware turned milky white after 20 washes. The dishes washed in Whole Foods' "365" also developed a milky coating.
Top Performing Detergent
After hundreds of washes, the magazine found one detergent that it says can prevent the problem.
It's Cascade Complete All-in-1 ActionPacs, from Cincinnati's Procter and Gamble. The packets -- not the powder version--- topped Consumer Reports' cleaning tests. Even with very hard water, the Cascade Pacs did not leave a white residue behind.
Alternate Cure
Some other cures, reported by homeowners nationwide: Add a tiny amount of white vinegar to the wash, or buy a product called Lemi Shine, sold at Walmart and Target, that you add to the load to reduce hard water stains.
Either of those, however, take a bit more effort. As always, don't waste your money.
Go to Home Depot or Lowes or a paint store. Buy a 4 pound box of TSP. Put a teaspoon in with your powdered dish detergent.
Problem gone.
Buy plenty. The *Green Loonies* will go bat shit crazy when they figure out you can put the phosphates back into the detergent.
I could never get the soap scum film off my bathroom shower curtain by washing. Added TSP to the load and the darn thing looks brand new.
I’ve never had a problem with the film, but I put distilled white vinegar in the rinse agent dispenser instead of the expensive rinse agents.
"In half"?????
Why not just eliminate the department? Every state now has an EPA, so there's no need to run this unconstitutional bureau any more.
Just where in our Constitution does it say anything about dish washing liquid? When will this insanity stop?
I guess it pays to listen to my wife, this is the stuff she insists we buy, I'd go for the cheap stuff but I gotta admit, she knows what she is doing. Now I gotta go tell her about it.
I switched to Cascade with grease fighting power of Dawn action pacs.
This product doesn’t leave any film. Purchased at Walmart.
A poster recommended purchasing the commercial version of dishwashing products.
I got my wife a box of commercial Cascade from the GFS, and she immediately noticed a marked improvement.
I have also been told that the critters in our septic like phosphates!
I can’t believe it - actually I can. Thank you EPA for my dirty looking supposedly clean dishes. I have had the white film for close to a year. It gets so thick after a number of cycles that I have to scrub it off with a scotchbrite pad. I thought our dishwasher was going bad - now I know it is not.
Shut down the EPA.
I’ve been using Lemi Shine for months. It’s the only thing that cleans my dishes. But now that it’s getting all this press, I’m afraid the EPA will find a reason to ban it, too.
Is TSP a brand name or is that an abbreviation for a chemical? Also, does it get rid of the soap scum in a shower?
I use that, too, but add Lemi Shine. The cascade product does NOT get the dishes as clean as I like them.
i used cascade for years, then all of a sudden i got this white film, changed to finish and the dishes sparkle...don’t know what the difference is, but there is a big one
Trisodium Phosphate.
Sodium Hexametaphosphate solves that problem
http://www.needs.com/product/Miracle_Cleaner_Miracle_Cleaner_5/d_Laundry_Booters
By the way, this problem affects your laundry detergents as well as dishwasher detergents. Much of it is now worthless for cleaning thanks to this stupid and completely unnecessary law. America is dirtier and less happy as a result.
Thanks, Right Wing Assault! I will definitely get some and give it a try!
I wonder why TSP is in the paint dept?
Tri Sodium Phosphate TSP
The dishwasher was actually ruining my dishes. The finish was actually washing off of them. I stopped using the dishwasher. Doing dishes by hand with antibacteria dish washing liquid like Dawn. The dishwasher, after setting without use” will no longer operate. No loss.
TSP (TriSodiumPhosphate) is NOT the correct additive. It forms a precipitate ... basically dust in the water.
The correct additive is STPP (Sodium TriPolyPhosphate), which does not form a precipitate.
TSP could prematurely wear parts in your dishwasher.
It’s easy to get confused ... STPP ... TSP.
TSP is used in third world countries because of cost not superior results vs STTP.
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