Friday 1 March 2013

Dishwasher Detergent Wars: getting clean dishes without phosphates



The Ring
The two cleansers battled it out in my new Whirlpool DU1100XTPQ dishwasher. This model has received a best pick from Consumer Reports Greener Choices for excellent cleaning performance and energy and water conservation. It uses only 6 gallons of water per load.

And the Winner is...
Whole Foods Automatic Dishwashing Detergent with a TKO. While the Method dish cubes are stylish, convenient and smell great, their cleaning ability didn't live up to the Method reputation or the heftier price tag. Coffee mugs were left with rings and my glasses came out smudged and spotted. Though not as stylish and slightly more difficult to use due to some clumping, the Whole Foods detergent got the job done. My glasses were spot free and the flatware was shiny. Coffee mugs were ring-free.

Good to know:
Whole Foods Automatic Dishwashing Detergent is not tested on animals, is free of phosphates and dyes, uses oxygen (not chlorine) bleach and is safe for septic systems. The trial of these two detergents was not sponsored by any corporation or organization, but rather my own wallet.