What is the best Dishwasher Detergent?

Rip us apart in the comments if you disagree!

0:00 - Liquid Vs Powder Vs Packs
0:42 - Factors that could affect how well the detergents may work
3:52 - Powder
4:55 - Liquids
5:27 - Pods/Packs
7:22 - Manufacturer Recommendations
7:50 - Rinse Aids
8:41 - Final Thoughts

[JEKAFISHER]

Oh, right, I'm in my 30's now, this is now peak entertainment.

[EmanuelaleunamE]

I highly recommend that everyone with a dishwasher watch the two videos by Technology Connections that really go in depth into how dishwashers, pods, and powders work--that guy even cut a hole in his dishwasher and added a plastic viewing screen to it so he could see what the dishwasher was doing as it ran its cycles. Knowing more about how dishwashers function and following his recommendation for powder use, I now get clean dishes without pre-washing AND without rinsing off egg yolks, milk, and tomato-based sauces as this video recommends. I've been steering people away from pods ever since. They really sacrifice cleaning efficiency for convenience, and it's such a shame and a waste of money and water.

[doha]

I've lived overseas for over 20 years and every dishwasher I have come across has a dispenser. This was still great information though, I appreciate it.

[jimmypautz]

Most modern dishwashers will use less than 4 gallons of water (depending on cycle) due to Energy Star standards. The pods/packs are basically just pre-packaged powder, so if you have any ability to dose, you can save a ton of money on powder. The Walmart Great Value powder is like $4 per box and we fill ours half-full and half-fill the prewash.

[Troy-McClure]

I use Finish Packs, and rinse aid.I sold appliances for 8 years and told folks it depends on the machine, the maintenance of the machine and your water quality.I clean the filters and use a cleaner once a month.I have probably the hardest water in the country and my dishwashers stainless tub is just as sparkly and clean as day 1 almost 6 years later.

[Celestatiune]

Powder! Not only is it cheaper per "serving" but most of the time you aren't filling your dishwasher with large amounts of dried-on food. You can probably get away with filling up the dispenser only halfway and then spilling a little sprinkle in the tub to help the pre-wash out. Try that and if it works you're spending half as much on dishsoap. With the pods you have to use a full pod every time no matter how few dishes you have to clean.

[LillianArch]

Just bought a new home. Very nice except previous owners loved smelly soaps, drying sheets, dishwasher detergents and rinse agents. Soap used in washing machine was smelly, too. I think they’d smelled products so long as it was even on their walls they didn’t realize how potent it was. Highly sensitive to perfumes, some of my guests had to stop visiting. My allergies returned, big time. I now know more about how to deodorize dishwashers and even their filters, dryers. I learned baking soda does wonders to deodorize the inside of your dryer. All vents including dryer, and HVAC had to be seriously cleaned. My message is there is no need to add one more smell or perfume to household cleaning. Save a child’s breathing and yours. Don’t use those smelly pods.

[TheOriginalStevenH]

I use either pods or powder for the main container and liquid gel for the pre-wash I've got surprisingly good results doing it that way. and now I know why

[goose-lwjs]

i switched from pods to powder some years ago. works way better for me for like half the cost.
also idk whats that about dispensers being a US-only thing. i've never seen a dishwasher without it and i'm from europe and been to all continents.

[erichurst]

I use a pod in the door and then sprinkle a little powder for the pre rinse. 17 year old Kitchen Aid that still cleans as good today as the day I installed it.

[dperreno]

Yeah, I'm gonna go with powder and using the pre-wash cup (or sprinkling a little extra in the tub before you start washing). I don't know about the dishwashers being sold today, but my 5 year old top-of-the-line LG has a proper prewash cycle that lasts around 15-20 minutes, so plenty of time to get the surface food off of the dishes. Plus, the vast majority of dishwashers out there are not brand new, so I'm sure that they have a long enough pre-wash cycle to use the detergent.

[dietbajablast]

If you liked this video you'll love the technology connections video on dishwashers.

[knotslip]

I switched to Lemishine recently and I love it. Works just as good as the 2 big expensive brands and costs less. Also, supposedly better for the environment. Thanks for the video.

[stanislavdimitrov]

In Europe we do have dispensers. And the issue with pods not dropping is not blockage, but moisture in the dispenser which it sticks to.

[Bison]

I keep a 1 tbsp scoop in the DW powder, in a big container. A quick scoop into a the pre wash and 1 into the wash. Easy and works perfectly. Can easily scale up or down as needed depending on how grimy the dishes are.

[birilol]

To be honest I really like the liquid ones. They always clean great, and never leave any residue. Also dosable and no mess with the squeeze bottles.

[apAvocado]

excellent video! I put my pod in the flatware caddy that is filled with the most flatware. It acts as a prewash and slowly dissolves to be enough for the main wash. I also do this to make sure I have no soap residue on my dishes and no perfume scent on my glasses, dishes, etc. Cascade pods are the ones that work best for our machine and they also keep my kitchen pipes grease-free. Unfortunately, all the eco-friendly dishwasher detergents were not dissolving the grease on my dishes and I ended up with grease- filled kitchen pipes. The plumber's bill was $300. I went straight back to Cascade (3 years ago) and have never had that problem again.

[Jannickjay]

I live in Denmark and often the drain problem clog because the dishwasher tab. So many people in this country changes to gel and it works fantastic and are cheap. Filling full of the machine are fully and are very dirty. Or else i keep eco program and half fill up, it’s my to go.🤙

[hbbarn]

I like powder much cheaper and takes advantage of pre-wash. Why pay way more for pods?

Also learned, years ago, from laundry mat owner that you only need 1/8 to 1/4 cup of modern liquid laundry detergent in your laundry machine. He said if you see suds in the water you've used too much. After 25 years of following his directions I believe he was exactly right. It also helps to preserve your machine when there are no suds.

[KropfCorporation]

Great Video! Just one thing that made me think, what? I am from Germany and our Dishwashers have Dispensers too, I work in an electronics store for 15 years now and have never seen a Dishwasher without one.