The Down and Dirty on Dishwasher Detergent! Don't Ditch Your Dishwasher Until You Read This!

So my hubby asked me recently "have you noticed our dishes don't seem to be getting as clean these days?" Not having to do much more than load the dishwasher (my lovely Mother In Law usually puts them away) I said "not really". And then he showed me a glass. YUCK! He said he had recently read that dish washing companies were changing their formulas because of a recent ban on the use of a particular additive that actually cleans the dishes!

Today, on a fun outing with the family, a close family friend said, "I ALMOST bought a new dishwasher this week." I said "Almost?" She said, "Yes, I was noticing that my dishes weren't getting clean and I thought something was wrong with my dishwasher. And then, I learned that they have removed the phosphates out of our dish washing detergent."

A light bulb went off in my head-- If SHE was considered replacing a PERFECTLY good dishwasher, for no good reason- all because of a change by the detergent companies, then HOW MANY OTHER people are thinking the same thing? Hence, the blog post!

It turns out that in July of last year, many states adopted a phosphate ban in dishwasher soaps! Phosphate, unbeknown to me, is the main cleaning agent in our trusty old detergent, and is apparently unhealthy for our environment (apparently it promotes algae growth).

Not all states have banned it (in fact my own state, California has not yet joined the ban). But the manufacturers of these products decided not to create just a "phosphate free" formula but decided to reformulate their products for all 50 states!

So, there you go! Don't go out and replace your dishwasher! It's not their fault! You can read the complete article here

Here are some tips for improving your "Clean Factor" despite the formula change in your detergent:

* Add a cap full or two of white vinegar to your load! That helps keep your glassware sqeeky clean!
* Use a Dishwasher Cleaner every 6 months
* Use a Water Softener
* Try adding some citric acid to your loads

Tell us your favorite "dish washing" tips! Just don't ditch your dishwasher!