2016 Cascade Complete Dishwasher powder

8 years ago

So I have officially reserved the Cascade Fryer Boil Out for just deep cleaning my stainless Miele Vent Hood filters. Myself, like Alex think Boil Out is dreadful on dishes. Luckily, it works great for Mama (and it is phenomenal for my Vent Hood filters).

I was at the grocery store yesterday, and saw this big box of Cascade Complete. I know the last time I used it must have been around 2008, when it was reformulated..and it was dreadful. Before that, Cascade powder is all that was used by myself and my family from the 1970's until about 2008.

Maybe P&G reformulated or they snuck in phosphates...but it WORKED, and it worked well last night!!

I filled the main reservoir and added a little to the pre-wash reservoir (as the instructions said to do). I used Sensor wash (which is almost like Normal). I added no extras...no soak, no prewash, no extended wash.

EVERYTHING came out perfectly shiny, smooth, clean and awesome. I had an All-Clad stainless pot that I cooked cheesy, broccoli rice in and an oatmeal pot...Flawless! Drinking glasses were spotless and gleaming and silverware looked polished.

So now I have Somat 10, Cascade Platinum pods and good ol' fashioned Cascade Complete powder!! Yipeeeee!! It was super cheap too, and the box is big and it smells great (but nothing in the dishwasher had any scent when complete).

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Alex Chicago

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Hi Scott :) I rarely let Helo (dog) lick plates. I cook with too much garlic and onion for him to safely consume table scraps. He eats a completely raw meat diet as it is, so getting leftover human food wouldn't be that big a treat for him. I do throw him pieces of carrot, bell peppers, and broccoli as I'm prepping. He gobbles those up.

Food left on plates is rarely a problem -- it's cookware and bakeware. The "grime" I'm talking about really trying to attack with a top-of-the-line detergent is the stuff that no tongue -- human, canine, or feline -- could lick off. If I were just washing dinner plates I could probably get them clean in our Miele with a bargain powder and a long wash.

This, I believe, is also why there are different settings beyond "auto" or "sensor." For burnt-on cooking residue, the sensors may find the turbidity of the water acceptable after 20 or 30 minutes of washing because no new particles are entering the wash water -- and at this point dishes and glassware may be clean. However, it's not until the water is really hot and after a long wash that those last bits of starch and carbonized oil start to release from cookware. That's why you must sometimes select "Pots/Pans" and not rely solely on a sensor wash.

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Comments (21)

Alex Chicago
8 years ago
Larsi, this is great information. Thank you! I have used regular Cascade powder (not Complete, not with Dawn) and it didn't work well at all. I have to wonder if this formulation is closer to what's in the platinum pacs. Yay! When my beloved supply of vintage Cascade from Mama dries up, I'll transition to this. I like having something to add to the prewash cup even when I use the pacs.
larsi_gw thanked Alex Chicago
mamapinky0
8 years ago
I'm very very curious if this Cascade Complete powder works well for Alex.

It leaves the vast majority of my dishes foggy with kibbles inside and out lol...how different we all are.
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I found this post today- I recently started trying some other dishwasher tabs. For reference, I have a middle-of-the-line KitchenAid dishwasher that is about 5 years old. I've used Finish Powerball exclusively since then (Costco!). Method tabs were impossible to break in half, but full ones left powdery residue in the dishwasher. I brought them to work and someone took them. Hopefully they worked better for them. Cascade Platinum and Cascade Complete Actionpacs: tried both, they clean well and seemed to do a better job on flatware than the Finish. It isn't coming out of the dishwasher with rusty-type spots. My only hesitation with switching to these long term is the smell- plastics and glasses definitely have an odor. As for the pre-rinse cycle, my labradoodle used to believe this was his job as well. He would wait for me to open the door, and go for the flatware basket. (I used the sani-rinse!) Once after Christmas dinner, he was doing his thing, and his collar caught on the dishwasher rack. He didn't realize it, and when he was done with his job, he took the rack with him on the floor. I watched the whole thing- probably the longest 1.5 seconds of my life. He was SO surprised, and one of the messiest dishwasher loads I have ever had was now on the floor. Nothing broke and he was fine, but it was a tragic mess. The dog needed a bath, the cabinets, the floor, and the range all needed to be cleaned. With a houseful of guests. Now he rarely goes for the dishwasher rack.
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Just plain ol' Cascade powder....I like that I can adjust the amount for times when I am washing "clean" dishes.....say things that have been in storage or after a party when I have a load of glasses and cups and saucers. I had heard that the pods could clog your system....but poo pooed it....until I had to call the repair man because my 2 yearold Jenn Aire dishwasher wasn't getting my dishes clean.
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Did my first load with the Cascade Platinum...in the prewash I added just a T. Of Korex powder which is a cheap doesn't work worth crap detergent, but I like something in the prewash...in the main dispenser I used 2 CP pacs..my machine uses too much water to use just one. I did NOT use STPP because I wanted to see how these would preform for me without help. It was by no stretch a bob load but still full enough. There were plates with dried on cheese from mac and cheese, a few plates with some rice grains, and a glass pot that I boiled chicken in for the dog...my stainless range top covers and one 9×13 stainless cake pan with the oil and flour residue from baking a cake. .everything else was just normal soil levels, drinking glasses, coffee mugs, stainless flatware ect...I will say the few pieces of stainless was clean shiney and polished, very nice, everything else was clean, but I did find some kibbles on top of a coffee mug, and one spoon with something stuck to it. I had one plastic container that housed sloppy joe that was remarkably so spotless it looked new. All in all I'd say the CP worked well, but I didn't have perfection. Next load I will use one pod and add phosphates and see how that does.
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Larsi, I hope you can report the brand/model info. of the GFCI to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, maybe send it to them-these are supposed to save lives and prevent hazards, and to default to a non-operational state if protection circuitry fails. Clearly not what happened in your situation. Where I live, BC Canada, most GFCI's now seem to be "CIC", Crafted in China, even the brand names you recognize for electrical components. Luckily you were there, able to respond appropriately, and equipped with the fire extinguisher. Several what ifs lined up for the best outcome of a bad situation. Pity about the Somat, they are pricy aren't they?
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littlegreeny
8 years ago
Thanks for the detailed review Larsi. I was curious about Cascade Complete's performance as I haven't bought it since they dropped phosphates. My mom only used Cascade when I grew up.
tweetybaby2005 (KS 6b)
8 years ago
I'm about to run out of my Finish Powerball tabs. I've never used powder detergent in my dishwasher before so I'll give Cascade Complete a try next. I just need to find out how much to use in my Whirlpool dishwasher.
sandy1616
8 years ago
Larsi - I only use the boil out in the pot and pans cycle and when I have a lot of greasy stuff that I should just hand wash :). In my Bosch that's a measured Tbsp. Any more and I get residue. How much did you use? Sorry you're stuck with a lifetime supply of vent cleaner.
larsi_gw thanked sandy1616
Alex Chicago
8 years ago
Sandy, I won't speak for Larsi (even though I think we have the same problem), but this was exactly why I was looking forward to Boilout -- to clean disgusting, greasy pots and pans. It didn't work! The problem wasn't a detergent buildup, just a general lack of getting stuff clean. However, Cascade Platinum pacs tackle even the grossest frying pans and cookware. Bizarre!

I'm glad you have good luck with the Boilout. I'll make you a great deal on a few boxes if you need more :)
larsi_gw thanked Alex Chicago
sandy1616
8 years ago
I think I've been using my single box for a year now. I think it's just too much oomph for water efficient washers and I do notice my DW will run extra rinse cycles when I use it. I'd bet if I did more than scrape the dishes I'd have residue too. Probably makes a bad ass toilet bowl cleaner.
sparky823
8 years ago
Larsi: Seems like I told you at the start the Cascade Pro wasn't much good--been there already. I want a detergent that will clean all the dishes instead of just plates, but we live and learn. By the way, I don't mean this in a smart a** way--just saying. Glad you are liking the Complete.
larsi_gw thanked sparky823
mamapinky0
8 years ago
The Cascade Pro works for some and not for others just like everything elso..different machines, different water yada yada..lots of folks over on AW that get outstanding results with it..but not everyone will..just like not everyone will get fantastic results with Cascade Complete ...Sparky, a huge part of this is trying different products. .it just is. There may be no rhyme or reason to this madness, it just is. And I can promise you *I told you so* won't prevent the next product from jumping into our machines LOL.
larsi_gw thanked mamapinky0
mamapinky0
8 years ago
I need to keep a journal lol...now I'm wondering if I had good or bad results with the Cascade Complete powder. .geesh trying to many products. Guess I'll have to try it again.
larsi_gw thanked mamapinky0
Irish2
8 years ago
I also use nothing but cascade in my F&P dish drawers. I didn't realize that phosphates had been removed until joining "the laundry family". It was not doing a great job on my LeCreuset casserole dishes etc. ...(.I just checked the box and it is identical to what Larsi posted other than it is the 125oz) Anyway...I spike it with STPP and it is working GREAT.
larsi_gw thanked Irish2
stchuck14
8 years ago
Hello all, I bought the Cascade complete a couple of weeks ago and it seems to be working really well for me. I may have mentioned that in a previous post, cant remember. The mind is the first thing to go! Glad to hear others are having good luck with it. So far I have not had anything come out of the dishwasher dirty after using it. I really like it.
larsi_gw thanked stchuck14
stchuck14
8 years ago
I will admit if I have something really filthy to wash I reach for the Cascade platinum pacs. I do plan on challenging the Cascade Complete and I will let everyone know how it turns out. I would like to see if it fails at a certain point.
morz8 - Washington Coast
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I've been using the Cascade Complete pods in my 10 yr old Kitchen Aid for the last three years, no complaints at all. We don't have hard water issues here - everything comes out clean, bright, no spots....including the vintage graniteware roaster I baked ribs in this week. No presoak, no extra heavy cycle, just normal run...

Adding, I do run an Affresh dishwasher tab through with a Cascade pod and normal load of dishes about every other month....
larsi_gw thanked morz8 - Washington Coast
sparky823
8 years ago
I may be horribly wrong, but I don't think so---I think you are not supposed to add the Affresh DW cleaner with dishes. They are to be run by themselves. No dishes, no detergent. Correct me if I am wrong.
beaglenc
8 years ago
Sparky I was thinking the same. All cleaners I've ever used said to run an empty, longest hot cycle.
beaglenc
8 years ago
Sparky want to thank you for all your help with my DW problem. I tried other detergents and that didn't help either. Any way a new Whirlpool will be coming soon, Thursday hopefully. Saw a vid on AW and was really impressed, time will tell.
morz8 - Washington Coast
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Sparky, the directions on the Affresh tabs for washing machines say to use, no clothes.

The directions for the Affresh tabs for dishwashers say With dishes: Place one tab in bottom of dishwasher (the detergent compartment will be taken up with the dish washing detergent, so already full). Without dishes, place one tab in the main detergent tray.

The package also reads 'safe to use with dishware'. I've run them successfully many times with my flatware too, and plastics (colanders etc), but I don't use the dishwasher cleaning tabs if I have any of my cookware in the dishwasher, concerned about discoloring.
sparky823
8 years ago
Morz8: I stand corrected. Thank You. I have used the Dishwasher Magic cleaner before and also the Finish one and they both say run alone so I figured they all worked the same. Sorry about that. Glad it works for you.

Beagle: Congrats on the new WP DW. I saw the one your are speaking(on AW) of with the wash arm that the jets change as it spins. Looks like it works great. Be glad when you get yours and you can tell us all about it. I hope mine last several years yet.
mamapinky0
8 years ago
Bea, congrats on your new dishwasher. Please let us know how you like it. This must be exciting for you.

2016 Cascade Complete Dishwasher powder

Alex Chicago

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Alex Chicago

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