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DW: Using Less Detergent. Does it REALLY Work for You?

13 years ago

I have tried and tried using the tiny bit of Cascade Complete in my KA KUDE60 and it just doesn't work for me. I have hard water so maybe that's the problem. I dunno. I do know that having tested the theory time and time again, I can tell you that filling up the main cup is what works best for me. I guess my glasses will etch prematurely but I guess that's the price I have to pay :o

Monica

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Comments (4)

asolo
13 years ago
"I guess my glasses will etch prematurely...."

Not necessarily the case at all. Correct DW detergent dosage is heavily influenced by your water quality and quantity of water used. Over-dosing will result in etching over time. The correct dose won't. I believe what you've said is that you're not sure of your water quality or of the correct dose.

"I have hard water....."

How hard? For example 15 grains is an entirely different consideration than 6-7 grains. Both are much different from "soft" -- which is zero grains. Always best to know what you have. There are cheap/easy test kits you can buy at any hardware store if you want to find out.

I will give you this example and suggest a way to get where you want to go. I have a new machine (Whirlpool) that uses less water than the old one. I have zero-grains soft water. For a full dirty load, I get excellent results from Cascade Complete (no phosphate) powder one level teaspoon prewash and two level teaspoons main wash. Perhaps you may use that as some sort of minimum starting place for your own dosage. In any event, that's clearly all that's required given my water quality. If I used more, that extra detergent would be looking for something more to work on....and that's where the etching begins.

The basic task to use just enough and no more. How much that might be for your own water qualilty is something you'll be wanting to find out. With hard water it will certainly be more than my three teaspoon total...but how much more? Even without knowing your actual hardness, you can still start at, perhaps, my amount as a minimum and just increase the dosage gradually. Within just a few loads, you'll see how much is enough and then you'll know.

Depending on your water quallty, it could well be that filling the main cup is what is required in your situation. If so, that still doesn't necessarily mean your glasses are going to etch. The thing is, you don't know right now. I'm suggesting that it's not all that hard to find out.
weissman
13 years ago
I've been using a fairly full main cup of Cascade Complete in my KA DW for 8 years and everything comes out clean and I've seen no evidence of my glasses etching - my water is moderately hard by the way. I'm stilling using up my old Cascade Complete with phosphates. I'm told that the new phosphate-free isn't very good - I'm planning to try Finish Quantum when I run out - it gets good reviews. My impression with the new phosphate-free detergents is that with hard water you need more detergent not less.
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maire_cate
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I've reduced my detergent by about 1/2. When I used the Finish Powerballs I snapped them into 2 pieces. Now that I'm back to using all powder I only fill the dispenser half way. My DW isn't anything special, it's a GE Profile with a SS interior. I normally use the quick wash because I don't put my Calphalon pots in the DW and most of my casseroles just take up too much space so I tend to soak them in the sink and then give a quick hand wash.

I've also reduced the detergent in my Washer too.
steve_o
13 years ago
I use a scant tablespoon in my ASKO, divided 2/3:1/3 between the main dispenser and prewash, with our somewhat-hard water, and everything gets as clean as it did when I used a tablespoon-and-a-half the same way. I see some etching on the stuff we've had for quite some time, but I'm not sure that's the detergent (Seventh Generation when I buy it, Cascade when DW buys it) or just age (some of the worst-etched stuff is a decade old) and was washed in another dishwasher for several years.

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