Which dishwasher detergent should I choose?

After purchasing a dishwasher, new users think they'll never have to touch dirty dishes again; the machine will do everything itself. But a dishwasher alone, without the help of good detergents, can't clean very dirty dishes. A new challenge looms: how to choose the right dishwasher detergent? It's not as simple as it might seem, so let's take a closer look.

About the selection criteria

Let's start by defining the criteria you need to consider when choosing dishwasher detergent. There aren't many, but determining them can make a big difference.

1. Firstly, any cleaning product should have a safe formula. Ideally, it shouldn't even contain chemicals that could potentially cause allergies.
2. Secondly, tablets, powders, and other products should be reasonably priced. Let Europeans and Americans buy the overly expensive ones.
3. Third, the product must perform its function perfectly. There's no point in buying powders or tablets that do a poor job of cleaning dishes.

You also don’t need products that don’t dissolve well in water and leave a residue on dishes.

4. Fourth, tablets, powders, or gels should be used sparingly, even if the savings are small.
5. Fifth, the product should have convenient packaging so that the user can quickly and easily place the dose into the machine and start the program, rather than searching for measuring cups all over the kitchen and spilling the powder.

As you can see, there are quite a few criteria that determine the requirements for a product. It will be difficult to find a powder, gel, or tablet that meets all of them, but we'll try.

Powders

Each type of detergent has specific requirements in addition to the general ones. Specifically, detergents should not produce dust or emit an excessively strong odor. Furthermore, the packaging should clearly indicate the dosage to be added based on the number of place settings. It's unacceptable for users to unknowingly under-apply or, conversely, over-apply.

Freshbubble, a relatively new Russian product, is considered one of the best dishwasher detergents. This detergent primarily contains baking soda and citric acid. The other ingredients enhance the effectiveness of the baking soda and citric acid, making it highly effective and safe. The detergent is free of chemical fragrances and any ingredients that could cause severe allergies, yet it cleans dishes superbly. The average price for 1 kg of Freshbubble is $8.50, which is quite reasonable. It's recommended for washing even children's dishes. Therefore, based on all its advantages, our experts gave it the highest rating.

Freshbubble powder contains salt, which protects the dishwasher's ion exchanger.

Another powder that meets all the above requirements is called SODASAN. This German dishwashing detergent is already well known to domestic consumers. It does not contain harmful components, is hypoallergenic, and washes dishes well. The average price for it is a little higher than Freshbubble, about $10, but it is concentrated and used very economically.

Pills

Tablets are more convenient to use than powder. They don't require dosing, and they usually contain everything you need for washing dishes and maintaining your dishwasher. However, manufacturers often pack tablets with a huge amount of harmful chemicals that can be hazardous to your health. Care must be taken.

Nordland's environmentally friendly and safe tablets are considered the most suitable for use. They contain no fragrances, let alone chlorine or phosphates. The tablets dissolve easily, leaving dishes and cutlery sparkling clean without causing any harm to the body. These tablets also rinse off easily. The average price for a pack of 32 tablets is $8. For this price, you can wash dishes not 32 times, but many more, as these tablets are so effective that you can even cut them in half.

BioMio Dishwasher Tablets These tablets aren't exactly the top performers in our impromptu ranking. However, they are certainly worthy of a place in your dishwasher cabinet. These tablets contain oxygen-based bleach and enzymes that are safe for both humans and the environment. The bleach and enzymes effectively break down all types of stains, leaving your dishes clean and sparkling. These tablets are reasonably priced: a pack of 30 tablets costs $8.

Gels

Gels have several advantages over powders and tablets. The main advantage of a gel is that it dissolves better in water than other forms. For example, dissolving a tablet in cold water is quite difficult. A gel, on the other hand, dissolves well even in ice-cold water, and dissolves almost instantly in warm or hot water. Gels rarely leave marks on dishes, and gels are always very attractively priced.

For our ranking, we chose German-made Synergetic gel. It costs an average of $4.50 per liter bottle. This bottle lasts for approximately 40 washes of a full dishwasher load (12 place settings). The gel does not contain chlorine, phosphates or any harmful chemicals, but it does contain fragrance, so it may not be suitable for allergy sufferers. Overall, this is an extremely effective product that does not leave streaks on dishes and gives them a wonderful shine.

BabyLine. This is a dishwasher-safe gel for washing children's dishes. It's even recommended for washing vegetables, citing the safety of its ingredients. The gel rinses off dishes easily, leaving no traces. It effectively removes any stains, is hypoallergenic, and dissolves easily in cold water. BabyLine is fragrance-free and free of any other harmful chemicals that could harm a child's health. Price: $3.

There's also a BabyLine gel for hand washing dishes and vegetables. It's not dishwasher safe. The design of the regular and dishwasher-safe BabyLine bottles is very similar, so they can easily be confused.

Auxiliary means and their importance

In addition to powders, gels, and tablets, a dishwasher requires additional cleaning products. Without these products, the dishwasher will either malfunction or be unable to fully perform its primary function. What products are we talking about?

1. Dishwasher salt.
2. Dishwasher rinse aid.
3. Cleaning agent.

Dishwasher saltThis is an absolutely essential product. If you don't use special salt in your dishwasher, it will quickly become coated with limescale. Our experts recommend Somat salt. It's inexpensive and excellent for restoring the ion exchanger in your dishwasher.

Rinse aid is essential if you use powdered dishwashing detergent. Rinse aid helps remove detergent residue from dishes during the final rinse, leaving them sparkling. If you use tablets, they may already contain rinse aid, so there's no need to buy it separately. We recommend TopHouse rinse aid. It's completely safe for your health, removes unpleasant odors and stains, and leaves your dishes sparkling.

Why do you need cleaning products? These products are not used constantly, but rather occasionally. About once every 1-3 months, the inside of the machine should be cleaned by running a long cycle without dishes using a cleaning product. This is necessary to remove dirt from hard-to-reach areas and prevent mold growth inside the wash chamber.

We recommend using Finish dishwasher cleaner. A 250 ml bottle is enough for two uses. It cleans everything down to the scale that has already accumulated inside. If you use it every month, your dishwasher will be as good as new inside. 250 ml of the product costs $7.

So, which detergent to choose for your favorite "home helper" is up to you. You can follow our advice, or you can find your own set of detergents. Just one request: don't ignore the manufacturer's instructions and don't operate the dishwasher without any detergents at all, as this can lead to damage. Treat your dishwasher with care, and buy only high-quality powders, tablets, and gels for it. This way, your "home helper" will always delight you with sparkling clean dishes.

   

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