Dishwasher soap

[Chicken lady]

Does anyone use drops or a similar product in their dishwasher? What do you think about it?

[Tybee]

You mean like a rinse agent? No, just use Palmolive Eco, the one that is supposed to be good for septics, the only one without phosphates, supposedly.

[razz]

I have a water softener (uses 6 bags per year for modest use) so just use a basic dishwasher tablet, no rinse agent or anything else. Works well.

[Teacher Terry]

I only use occasionally. It seems to work fine.

[ToomuchStuff]

First dishwasher, and both siblings and parents were not impressed with Cascade in the pods. Two of the three said the plastic that is supposed to dissolve, was coating the inside of the dishwasher and clogging the nozzles.

So when I moved in, I bought Cascade gel. Works well, but I think the powder is cheaper.

[Chicken lady]

So, “drops” is a brand of detergent pod that is focused on low environmental impact. Whatever it is encased in is not plastic.

I’m currently using powder, which I’m sure is cheaper, and is also messier, and I have to take the box to a recycling drop off, and I’m also concerned that the box might not be optimal for recycling.

tt, do you use the actual drops brand pods?

[Tradd]

I just use the store brand liquid/gel in my DW. I use plain white vinegar for a rinse agent.

[Teacher Terry]

No I thought you were talking about the rinses like one called Finish. I use liquid detergent. Used the pods once and cost me a service call because of the plastic.

[iris lilies]

We ended up gifted with dishwasher pods from one of our neighbors he moved. They didn’t seem to completely dissolve and I think they’re kind of dumb.

[SteveinMN]

We use Seventh Generation DW detergent (cardboard box, readily recyclable) and Finish rinse aid (rinse aid tends to be a requirement in European-style DWs and I can tell the difference if we run a load without it). It's a very good combination for our particular situation. Dirty dishes go in; clean dry dishes come out. We did try to use up pods my MiL had been using for her DW when she went into assisted living but I hated the perfumey smell that lingered in the DW to the point I was almost ready to buy a new one. The popularity of those things escapes me.