Do Finish dishwasher tablets need to be unwrapped?

Do Finish dishwasher tablets need to be unwrapped? Progress never stands still, so new types of dishwasher-safe household cleaning products are constantly appearing on store shelves. These new features are often difficult to understand, leading to various questions. One of the most important is whether the film on Finish tablets needs to be removed. This question arises because some modern household cleaning products are equipped with a water-soluble film that doesn't need to be opened, while other tablets can accidentally crumble and ruin a product if opened first. So what should you do with Finish tablets?

How do these pills work?

Let's start by understanding how tablets, most often produced in the popular "3-in-1" format, work. These tablets are designed for a full dishwasher load, meaning 8-10 place settings at a time. Let's look at the ingredients in these household cleaning products.

The most important component is a powder with active ingredients that help remove any stains from dishes, including dried ones.
Next comes a powder that softens tap water.
Finally, a gel concentrate is necessary for removing stubborn grease.

The tablet is usually wrapped in a colorless film and consists of two layers—white and blue—with a bright red ball in the center. This compressed powder, containing surfactants and other substances, dissolves during operation, deposits onto dirty dishes, and is washed away after washing. The next step in the cleaning process is a concentrated gel, which removes residual dirt from the dishes. There's no need to remove the film from the Finish tablet, as it's made from organic materials, so it not only dissolves in hot water but also helps remove grease stains.

Always handle the tablet with dry hands to prevent the organic film from sticking to your hands and damaging the tablet.

Therefore, there's no need to unwrap the tablet beforehand unless you have the cheapest brand of detergent, or if you've chosen to wash in cold water, where organics may not dissolve as effectively as at temperatures of 60 degrees Celsius or higher. Dishwasher owners choose 3-in-1 tablets for their ease of use. They're easy to use—no need to adjust dosage, and often you don't even have to waste time unpacking them. If you're unsure whether the Finish tablet you purchased can be peeled off, carefully read the packaging for detailed instructions.

Use Finish tablets sparingly

A dishwasher is an expensive pleasure, both due to the high price of the appliance itself and the cost of household cleaning products. Therefore, many try to save on tablets by purchasing cheaper alternatives and using various tricks. Here are some examples.

Buy only large packs of tablets, as the larger the pack, the cheaper the price per tablet. On average, a large pack of 100 Finish All in 1 tablets will cost you just $0.17 per tablet, while a pack of 25 tablets will cost you a whopping $0.22 per tablet.
Keep several types of tablets at home, for example, Finish Powerball Classic, Finish Powerball All in 1 Max and Finish Powerball Quantum Max, so that you can use the right ones for different situations, for example, separately for heavy soiling, for small loads, and so on.
Try to buy household chemicals only during promotions in stores.
If you have a small dishwasher, you can cut the Classic and All in 1 detergents into halves, as half a cube will be enough for a small work cycle.

If you're going to cut the tablets, do it with dry hands or wear gloves—otherwise, the product will stick to your hands and could irritate your skin, burn you if it gets into your eyes, or cause poisoning if even a small amount of the household chemical gets into your body through your mouth.