Kitchen

[suzyQ3]

On 1/11/2015 ib_sewing2 said:

On 1/10/2015 suzyQ3 said:

On 1/10/2015 ib_sewing2 said:

my daughter had a Kitchen Aide.... after about 10 years... started having problems...

repairman said that the new detergents do not have tsp....which is a cleaner found in the paint section...... I bought some... and add a small amount to my detergent.... what a change..... he said the new detergents to not dissolve all the stuff.

TSP is a phosphate. It's your choice whether to use it. I won't use phosphates for the reasons outlined in my Post #58.

tsp is now made without phosphates.....

TSP is trisodium phosphate. I have read that there are substitutes for TSP.

[CouponQueen]

Even with commercial water softner for the community we live in..we have horrible deposits in the water (and they test and are all legal limits..go figure)..it has killed a couple steam mops and Keurig...now I use distilled water for the mops..and we filter the water for the keurig.

That said..we are lucky on the dishwasther..this is only the 2nd one in 25 years....I use whatever gel pack is on sale. We rinse before putting in..and I don't put my good pot and pans in the dishwasher although it says you can...I remember years ago expensive cookware being called the jewelry of the kitchen and that stuck with me..lol

I don't think you killed anything..I think all powders and packs are made for use today...in dishwashers. If anything it is the water OR just the actual dishwasher.

Usually they recommend a product and of course they do..they usually own the parent company that puts out that product.. for example Sunlight lol..

[suzyQ3]

On 1/10/2015 Lakegirl said: I only use liquid gel detergent. Cascade Complete works fine where we live. I also have had repairmen tell me not to use any of the pacs. Besides not being good for the appliances, they are bad for the environment. So are facial cleansers and such with those little plastic beads. They do not dissolve and are showing up in the water supply! The liquid gel detergent is better because the powders do not always dissolve completely and will etch glass in time. I also believe that appliances are not made to last too long. My eleven year old Kenmore Elite is still going and it has had very heavy use. Big family and lots of entertaining. Good luck with your new dishwasher!

The coating on these gel pacs is not like the plastic beads. It is PVA, a water-soluble polymer, and is totally dissolvable. In fact, it's recommended that you avoid getting them at all wet before use because they will start to break down. Here's the info on the material used:

Detergent

Product Application

Detergents are a part of our everyday life. They are essential to proper cleaning of our laundry and dishes. Proper dosing of detergent is one innovation made possible through the use of water soluble film. The consumer does not have to guess how much detergent to use. They can just put the water soluble sachet in their washing machine or dishwasher and let water do the rest.

Not only does the water soluble film allow for proper dosing, it is also environmentally friendly. Once combined with normal water, the film is broken down into harmless components. The water soluble film also allows for safe handling of the detergent. Spills are no longer a problem.

[summer]

I'm just adding my two cents in case anyone ran into the same situation I had.

My 14 year old Whirlpool dishwasher is still working fine (hope I don't jinx it). I use it roughly three times a week. We have hard water. I rinse the dishes before I put them in. Been using Cascade gel packs from Costco for the past eight or nine years. Run hot water before turning dishwasher on. Run the garbage disposal beforehand. Do not use any rinse agent.

A year ago, I noticed my dishes did not come out clean anymore. There were dried detergent stains on them. I thought perhaps I had overloaded the machine, but the same thing happened even when I did a light load. We eventually found out the problem was due to clogged holes on the spray arm. Bought a replacement spray arm for $40 and it solved the problem.

Two months ago, it started leaking. Sometimes it just drips, but sometimes there was a constant trickle of water coming out from one end of the door. We thought perhaps it was time to get a new dishwasher, but being Mr. Fix-it, my husband wanted to try diagnosing the problem himself first. To make a long story short. He finally figured out the problem wasn't the dishwasher, but the water pressure regulator valve in our garage.

Fortunately the part was available at Home Depot for $90 and it solved the leak problem. The dishwasher runs fine now. I'm glad it wasn't a $500 problem, or however much dishwashers cost these days. After reading this thread, I have learned some very helpful tips about dishwasher maintenance, like vinegar rinse, and Lemi Shine. Thank you for sharing!