Which dishwasher detergent to choose?

means for PMM Having bought a dishwasher, new users think that now they will never have to touch dirty plates, the machine will do everything itself. But the dishwasher itself, without the help of good detergents, is not capable of washing very dirty dishes. “On the horizon” the following difficulty has arisen: how to choose a suitable detergent for the dishwasher? This is not as simple as it might seem at first glance, let's try to figure out what's what.

About the selection criteria

First, let's define the criteria that you need to focus on when choosing detergents for your dishwasher. There are not many of them, but a lot depends on their definition.

Firstly, any detergent must have a composition that is safe for health. Ideally, it should not even contain chemicals that could potentially cause allergies.
Secondly, tablets, powders, etc. must have an affordable price. Let Europeans and Americans buy too expensive products.
Thirdly, the product must perform its function with a plus. There is no point in taking powders or tablets that wash dishes anyhow.

There is also no need for products that dissolve poorly in water and leave a residue on the dishes.

Fourthly, tablets, powders or gels should be used economically. Even if the savings are small.
Fifthly, the product should have convenient packaging so that the user can quickly and deftly put the dose into the machine and start the program, rather than looking for measuring cups throughout the kitchen and scattering the powder.

As you can see, there are quite a lot of criteria from which the requirements for the product arise.It will be difficult to find a powder, gel or tablets that meet all the requirements, but we will try.

Powders

Freshbubble powder For each type of means, in addition to the general ones, there are also special requirements. In particular, powders should not generate dust or emit an excessively strong aroma. In addition, the package must clearly indicate the dose that should be placed based on the number of sets of dishes. It is unacceptable that the user, out of ignorance, does not add powder or, on the contrary, puts too much of it.

The relatively new Russian product Freshbubble can be considered one of the best dishwasher powders. The composition of this powder is dominated by baking soda and citric acid. The remaining components enhance the effect of soda and lemon, making the product very effective and safe. The powder does not contain chemical fragrances or any components that can cause severe allergies, and it cleans dishes just perfectly. The average cost of 1 kg of Freshbubble is $8.5, which is quite acceptable. The powder is recommended for washing even children's dishes. Therefore, based on the totality of its advantages, our experts gave it the highest score.

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 slightly higher than for Freshbubble, about $10, but it is concentrated and used very sparingly.

Pills

Tablets, unlike powder, are more convenient to use.They do not require dosing and usually contain everything you need to wash dishes and maintain your dishwasher. But quite often, manufacturers shove a huge amount of harmful chemicals into tablets, which can be hazardous to health. You need to be more careful.

The environmentally friendly and safe Nordland tablets are considered the most suitable for use. They do not contain fragrance, much less chlorine and phosphates. The tablets dissolve perfectly, wash dishes and cutlery until they shine, and do not harm the human body. Also, these tablets are best washed off dishes. The average price for a package of 32 tablets is $8. For this money you can wash the dishes not 32 times, but much more, since these tablets are so effective that you can even cut them in half.

BioMio dishwasher tablets cannot be called the leader of our impromptu rating. However, they are also quite worthy of taking a place in your cabinet, next to the dishwasher. These tablets contain oxygenated bleach and enzymes that are safe for humans and the environment. Bleach and enzymes perfectly break down all types of contaminants, so that the dishes are always clean and shiny. The price of these tablets is reasonable. A package of 30 tablets will cost $8.

Gels

Gels have some advantages over powders and tablets. The main advantage of the gel is that it dissolves best in water. For example, dissolving a tablet in cold water is very problematic. The gel, on the contrary, dissolves well even in ice water, and in warm or hot water it dissolves almost instantly. The gel rarely leaves marks on the dishes, and the prices for gels are always very attractive. Synergetic for PMM

For our rating, we chose German-made Synergetic gel. It costs on average about $4.5 per liter bottle. This bottle is enough for about 40 dishwashers in the machine with a full load (12 sets of dishes). The gel does not contain chlorine, phosphates or any harmful chemicals in general, but it does contain a fragrance, so it may not be suitable for allergy sufferers. Overall, this is an extremely effective product that does not leave streaks on the dishes and gives them a delightful shine.

BabyLine. This is a gel for washing children's dishes in the dishwasher. It is even recommended for washing vegetables, hinting at the safety of its composition. The gel is easily washed off from dishes, without leaving even the slightest trace. It perfectly removes any dirt, does not cause allergies and dissolves perfectly in cold water. BabyLine does not contain fragrances or any other harmful chemical components that could harm the baby's health. Price – 3 dollars.

There is also BabyLine gel for washing dishes and vegetables by hand. It cannot be used to clean dishes in the dishwasher. The design of the regular BabyLine and BabyLine dishwasher bottles is very similar, so it’s easy to confuse them.

Auxiliary aids and their importance

In addition to powders, gels and tablets, the dishwasher requires auxiliary products. Without these products, the dishwasher will either not work properly or will not be able to fully perform its main function. What means do we mean?

Dishwasher salt.
Dish rinse aid.
Cleaning agent.

Dishwasher salt This is an absolutely necessary remedy. If you do not pour special salt into the car, it will very soon become overgrown with limescale. Our experts recommend buying Somat salt.It is inexpensive and great for restoring the function of the ion exchanger in the dishwasher.

Dish rinse is needed if you use powder. Rinse aid helps remove detergent residue from dishes during the final rinse process and gives them a dazzling shine. If you use tablets, they may already contain a rinse aid, so you do not need to buy it separately. We recommend using TopHouse rinse aid. It is completely safe for health, capable of removing unpleasant odors, stains from dishes and giving them shine.

Why are cleaning products needed? These funds are not used constantly, but from time to time. Approximately once every 1-3 months, the machine should be cleaned from the inside, running a long program without dishes using a cleaning agent. This is necessary in order to remove dirt from hard-to-reach places and prevent the growth of fungus inside the washing chamber.

For our part, 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 like new inside. 250 ml of product costs $7.

So, which detergent to choose for your favorite “home assistant” is up to you. You can listen to our advice, or you can look for your own set of tools. The only request is, do not neglect the advice that the manufacturer gives in the instructions for the equipment; do not operate the dishwasher without any products at all, as this may lead to its breakdown.Treat your dishwasher with care, buy only good powders, tablets and gels for it. In this case, the “home assistant” will always please you with the cleanest dishes.