Make your dishwasher tabs go twice as far! Buy only the dishwasher detergent in tablet form so it can be broken in half. Use just one half for each load unless running a very soiled load. Dishes get just as clean and the box lasts twice as long! Also, there is a $2.25 coupon for these tabs on a regular basis that often coincides with a grocery store special.
Source: My frugal self - just tried it a few times and was convinced!
By Nan from Charlotte
This page contains the following solutions.
Do not fill the two compartments full with dish washer soap. The heat and the movement of the water will clean the dishes before the soap is released. So only fill the first compartment half full.
I saw dishwasher pods for the first time at Dollar Tree. The pods were 10 in a package for $1, which makes them 10 cents a pod. They work just as well as the Cascade Platinum, which I can get for the lowest price of $3.99, which happens if they are on sale and I have a coupon.
To keep your dishwasher in good working condition, stay away from gel type detergent. The repairman explained to me that it can cause the floater to get clogged and then the water to the washer cuts off.
A few weeks ago I bought some powdered dishwashing detergent at a discount/damage store that had been wet. I took this home and put it in a plastic bag and broke the lumps up with a hammer.
I had my dish washer repaired and I got a tip from repairman. If you are in an area like Memphis, which has soft water, you need use only a fraction of the amount of dish washer detergent recommended.
Here's a great handy hint: When I am finished with my dishwashing detergent, I turn it upside down on one of the prongs in the dishwasher and there is plenty of detergent in the bottle to do one more load of dishes...
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I am looking for a good deal on dishwasher detergent.
I seem to save money buying the powdered versions than the liquid. Especially with laundry detergents also.
Good Housekeeping magazine recently had a review of dish washer detergents. They determined that WalMart's Great Value brand of powdered dish washer detergent works the best! Plus, it was the cheapest! Not sure of the price, as that varies from area to area, but that is what I will be buying from now on!
I do add about a quarter cup of baking soda about once a month, to help keep the 'dishwasher smell' down. Hope you find something you like!
I've found that if you don't have a good quality dishwasher to begin with, no matter what brand/type of detergent you use dishes will not come clean. A good dishwasher has two of the things spinning out water; one at the top and one at the bottom. My rental has only one and I've given up on using it. So I always wash by hand.
I buy a 26 oz. box of (dry) Sun dishwasher detergent for $1.00 at Dollar Tree...AND it's made in the USA!
I also just started using the the Sun Dishwasher Detergent @ Dollar Tree, and it is better than I expected it to be. With any brand I use I will often add a splash of vinegar inside the dishwasher bottom and the glasses are never cloudy.
Coincidentally, I was just researching this on google yesterday. There are many recipes, most consisting of the same ingredients, with straight vinegar for the rinse reservoir. However, one recipe also listed citric acid, which is supposed to prevent the baking soda ingredient from caking and streaking. I am listing that recipe here:
*This is the most expensive ingredient purchased in bulk, but comes out to $1.35 per batch. Apparently, brewery supply stores sell this. Look online.
**Some commentators questioned the kosher salt and tried this recipe without the salt.
Also: I re-read my DW instruction manual, and if I use the short cycle, I am only supposed to use the regular dispenser cup (not the prewash cup) and only fill it 1/2-way if my water is soft, full if my water is hard (our water is soft), so that is a savings. I also saw a GE Youtube video on loading a Dishwasher and actually learned a thing or two, surprisingly! For the most effective washes.
Since they have taken out the good stuff in dishwasher detergent, mine just does not work. I had been using Sam's Club brand, which was a good price. Does anyone use one that's cheap and actually works? I have been told the Finish Quantumatic works, but it's so expensive.
By Coriale
I just use the dollar store off name brand. It works well and comes in a big bottle for a dollar.
I buy a 26 oz. box of (dry) Sun dishwasher detergent for $1.00 at Dollar Tree. It works well, and it's made in the USA!
I use the store-brand bottle of "palmolive" green stuff from the Dollar General for $1. Works really good & is the only kind that is kind to my hands.
I use the family dollar brand and put vinegar in the spot for the rinse agent and it seems to work quite well.
I just heard that using Tang in your dishwasher will keep your dishes crystal clear and from spotting. Does anyone know if this is true?
By Rhonda from Clyde, TX
Using Your Dishwasher? TANG and More (from everydaysimplicity.blogspot.com)
Okay, using a dishwasher may not be the simplest of things. You're using electricity and water that washing by hand avoids.
However, simplicity is a continuum -- we are all on different points on the line. And, for those still using their dishwasher, here are some handy hints:
1. Don't pre-rinse the dishes with a running tap. Take a bowl; fill it with hot, soapy water; use a sponge and wipe the dishes using this water. Tell yourself you're being European if this helps. Studies show that running a tap to pre-rinse the dishes uses 25 gallons per meal. Appliance manufacturers suggest that you just scrape and load: as we all know, this doesn't work well - which is why pre-rinsing continues.
2. If the dishes come out spotted, or worse yet, with a soap film - try Tang. There are those vinegar stories out there, but a half-container of Tang run thru a full cycle in an empty dishwasher gives a better result. (It's the citric acid in the Tang that helps to clean the dishwasher itself.) For a really good cleaning, after the Tang run, try a run of vinegar and baking-soda combo -- the dishwasher will run as good as new.
3. Run the hot water in the tap till it's hot, before you turn on the dishwasher. Hot water is essential for a good dishwasher result. Hey, and use the water you ran for something: make tea, water a plant, refill the dog bowl.
4. Always run the dishwasher when the load is full.
5. Don't use the dishwasher's "dry" function. Once the rinse is done, let the machine's work be done. Crack the door open, and air dry.
Haven't tried Tang, but it could possibly work! I use a product called LemiShine which is basically a citric acid based product. It works great! I wonder if it would be cheaper to use Tang or powdered Lemonade? I guess I'll have to try it out tonight. :-)
