I discovered something last night. Maybe this is old news for you, but then again, maybe not.
A little less than a year ago, sixteen states banned the sale of dishwasher detergents that contain more than 0.5% phosphorus. My state is one of those states. (For the record, the states are Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.) Phosphates, particularly sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), is an effective rinsing agent, but it also promotes algae growth to the point for which it can choke local water supplies. So, in the name of environmental concerns (which I'm not dismissing as unimportant) the sale of phosphate-based dishwashing and laundry detergents has been curtailed by legislation and voluntary compliance from manufacturers.
All well and good, but the low-phosphate and phosphate-free detergents just don't work as well as the higher phosphate content detergents. They don't rinse the grime and food away as well as the older detergents. Because the change was made suddenly and without much fanfare, owner first suspected that something was wrong with their dishwasher because (a) the dishes weren't getting as clean, and (b) the dishwasher was malfunctioning in odd ways because the grime and food weren't being rinsed away effectively.
Like I mentioned at the top of this post, I just learned about this change in the formulation, so perhaps you didn't know about it either. You might want to check your dishwashing detergent package. If you live in the sixteen states listed above, it will almost certainly say “low phosphate” or “phosphate free” somewhere on the package (because stores in these states have to sell that stuff). However, for the other 34 states, you may be buying the low-phosphate version anyway!
In short: If your dishwasher has been performing poorly within the past year, there's a good chance nothing is wrong with the dishwasher, and you need to re-investigate how you clean your dishes, because the new formula has moved everyone's cheese. (You know about moving the cheese, right?)
What to do, then? Here are some suggestions. Please note the disclaimer on the last one.
- Investigate the new best of breed dishwashing detergents. The new ones aren't as good as the old ones, but a few are very good. Try them to see if they work better than the brand you may be using now.
- More elbow grease. Not really an appealing solution, but less caked-on food going into the dishwasher means less caked-on food that needs to be rinsed away.
- Pre-soak the dishes, especially if the food is starchy. Loosening up the junk helps.
- Consider other rinsing agents like white vinegar. Some people have seen decent results with this trick, and have said also that it helps glasses look like new.
- Consider just carefully adding the phosphates back in if you're allowed? If your stores can't sell dishwashing detergent with phosphates, it may still be within your local laws to obtain the phosphate compound, put it back in yourself, and use it. Disclaimer: I have not tried this myself. It's up to you to do any and all legwork to make sure that you can do it legally, safely, and correctly. I cannot do that for you. All I'm saying is that this may be an option for you. It may also end up not being an option for you. 🙂
Some of the same arguments may hold for your clothes washer, too, though phosphates have been removed from laundry detergent for longer.
When something goes wrong, it's important to figure out what changed. In the case of suddenly dirty dishes over the past year or so, it's probably not the dishwasher breaking.
I try to use everything that I have possession of until the wheels fall off
Put 1/4 – 1/2 tsp STP (sodium triphosphate) powder in your detergent cup as a substitute. You can get it at the hardware store paint section.
@Jimmy: Does that work for you? Some sources I’ve found said that sodium triphosphate was way too caustic and that the “correct” stuff was sodium tripolyphosphate.
I just started using it, so I can’t tell you.
I used the wrong chemical name. I meant to say TSP (trisodium phosphate), which is discussed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trisodium_phosphate. STP is something different.
I do find it kind of funny that you would suggest going to the lengths of finding and adding a chemical to your dish washing detergent to assist in washing your dishes rather than just wash the dishes yourself. It might take longer but doing it yourself might lead to cleaner dishes. But, if you want complete insurance your dishes are pre-cleaned you could have the dog lick the plate before loading it into the dishwasher.
@Jimmy: You’re right, but I think that one (spelling error notwithstanding) is the caustic one.
@Jerry: The chemical was already in the dishwashing detergent less than a year ago. It almost certainly cleans better with the chemical. It’s perfectly logical to consider putting it back in. As for cleaning them myself, yes I can, but why? I can also scrub my clothes on a washboard, but why? I have more productive and more enjoyable activities I’d rather be doing.
Oh, and @Jerry: I have no comment about the dog thing. I want people to enjoy their dinner when they come over to our house. 🙂
I put dishwasher detergent in the prewash cup, and a teaspoon of citric acid in the main wash cup. Results are much better than detergent alone. I buy citric acid in bulk at a local food co op. An alternative is to use a citric acid based product such as Lemi Shine or Glisten. They are usually available at stores like Target and Walmart.
here’s another solution to detergent problems. It’s a product that is all-natural, contains no phosphate, and it works great. Cleans the hard water deposits from your dishes and the inside of your dishwasher. It’s a powder. You add 1-2 tablespoons to each wash cycle and you use a lot less of your normal detergent. So your cost per wash does not increase. Seach for “CitriClean of Florida” or see link above.
Good post. I accept your opinion hardly. I always try to use detergent which contain low phosphates. Thanks dude 🙂
I have had excellent results using Lemi Shine Super Concentrated Dishwasher Detergent Additive, from Walmart or Target. I have also had excellent results buying a large bottle of lemon juice off name brand, and using a bit of that in each load.