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.
i gave up trying to get tsp because they removed the phosphates.
I bookmarked it but I bought the TSP already.
If they don’t send it, I’ll go to the soap site.
Would a Palin administration have a Dept. of Silly Walks?
/sarc
they took the phosphate out of tsp, didn’t they?
I buy mine at the thechemistrystore.com
http://www.chemistrystore.com/cart.cgi?group=100513&child=100614
I use it in my laundry as well because I have hard water.
If you want to buy “oxyclean” without fillers and perfumes buy sodium precarbonate.
http://www.chemistrystore.com/cart.cgi?group=100513&child=100581
There are also a few DIY soap stores online but never tried them. The Chemistry Store has been very reliable for me and very price competative when shipping is included.
Deliberately chose the detergent showing " > 30% phosphates"
Probably broke a 100 Federal rules and regulations :-)
“Is TSP a brand name or is that an abbreviation for a chemical?”
Yes. Both. But there are products out there called ‘TSP’ that have no phosphates. TSP always used to mean TriSodium Phosphate. Now you have to read the ingredient label. Truth in advertizing - NOT!
TriSodium Phosphate is still available at places like Lowes and Home Depot. Go buy some and add it to your diswasher detergent, about 1 part trisodium phosphate to 6 parts dishwasher detergent...white film should stop forming, and might even be removed after a time.
You might even consider a 1 part trisodium phosphate to 2 or 3 parts dishwasher detergent for several washes to try to get the white film off the glasses.
The white film on the dishes are bad, but the real award winner was back in the late 80’s when the EPA forced everyone to buy 1.6 gallon toilets without grand-fathering for older homes with older plumbing pipes.
The suggested “fix” for the problem (always after the facts, and giving new definition to the term “hind-sight”), was purchasing another toilet that contained a Sloan valve. Remember the loud, roaring flush of those commercial/industrial toilets in high school???- That was a Slone valve toilet.
So, those engineering geniuses at the EPA made sure you had a choice- Your toilet bowl would either runnethed over (and it wasn’t with love), or, you had the 10:32 freight train locomotive running through your bathroom whenever someone flushed.
Sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) from TheChemistryStore works great.
I use it both for dishes and clothes.
“Deliberately chose the detergent showing “ > 30% phosphates””
Detergents here, before the crackdown on phosphates used to be about 15% phosphates. Then that was cut in half. Laundry detergent has been w/o phosphates for some time now. Now dishwasher detergent.
We make our own soap...’Grandma’s lye soap’ and use it for bathing and laundry. Works great. We love it. Will not go back to store bought stuff. Too much suds for the dishwasher. Will buy a case of trisodium phosphate tomorrow to have it on hand for where we do need it...like in the dishwasher.
The EPA in Texas dicates the highway speeds of Houston. The legislature SHOULD be the ones making the call. Unelected dictators. No accountability. Fire the lot of them and no pension.
The phosphate chemical that used to be in detergent was STPP Not TSP.
See the following article:
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/89/8904cover.html
-— Added to U.S. dishwasher detergents at up to 35% by weight, sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), the main detergent phosphate, was something of a wonder ingredient, helping to maintain pH, remove food and grease, inhibit corrosion, and suspend insoluble dirt. For the consumer, its main visible benefit was to reduce spotting and filming by sequestering calcium and magnesium ions in the wash water. -—
“Put a teaspoon in with your powdered dish detergent.
Problem gone.”
Didn’t stop the white film for me, but white vinegar in the rinse cycle did.
Grrr. I looked for about 10 minutes. Thanks, though. Looks worthwhile.
Many of the ‘sodium phosphates’ have been used in detergents, both laundry and dishwasher detergents. All have essentially the same benefit...pH control, degreasing, enhanced detergent power...the pH control is what prevents the white film on glassware.
Go to Lowes or Home Depot and by trisodium phosphate (not TSP, unless it is trisodium phosphate), mix with your dishwasher detergent, or your laundry detergent, and get things clean and film free.
“I’d go for the cheap stuff but I gotta admit, she knows what she is doing.”
Some stuff you can get the cheap version, some stuff not.
Dishwashing detergent is one where you’ve got to get a top brand.
Also, scotch tape. NEVER buy cheap scotch tape, always buy the real deal.
Also, toilet paper, always just buy Scott. But paper towels, except for the very cheapest they are all pretty much OK.
There is also “Fat Free” Half-and-Half. It is not so good for making ice cream with.
Yep, Scott is the best.
Waiting now for someone to tell me that they are a liberal company. I'm afraid I'd still buy their T.P.
“I’m afraid I’d still buy their T.P. “
Amen brother! If you proved they were commies I’d buy it!
Here is another great product, if your wife doesn’t know about this, or has doubts like I did for a long time, tell her to try it.
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
It is a space age cleaning product. Like a little sponge with millions of those “micro fibers” you hear so much about.
It gets rid of stains without damage to the surface like nothing else I’ve ever seen.
I am a big “Bon Ami” fan, but Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is at a whole ‘nother level. In fact, I think they should make GIANT ones for doing big jobs and outdoor stuff.
Here is the best example. We had wallpaper up and I noticed at one point the was a small stain from a magic marker on it. You know nothing’s going to get that out. So, after hearing about this product for a while, I said let me try it, I know nothing I’ve ever used before is going to work.
Well, I tried it and it worked. It takes magic to fight magic, I guess. It did not get 100% of the mark off, but it made it invisible unless you already knew it was there.
They are a tad expensive as they wear away and have to be thrown out and replaced. But, they are not toxic or chemical in any way, so there’s that.
Thus ends my free commercial for Mr. Clean’s Magic Eraser.
If nothing else, liberals do make good buttwipes. :-)
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