Sunday, April 22, 2012

Favorite Dishwasher Detergent: Finish versus Cascade

Hi all! I've been wanting to write this post for a while, because if you've read some of my precious posts, you know that I've been on a mission to find the best dishwasher detergent for some time. Actually, for years! I'd seen commercials on Finish dishwasher detergent, but I was pretty sure that with my (admittedly old) dishwasher and very hard water, that only the pricier Cascade detergent would do the trick. I stayed loyal to Cascade powder detergent for years. But guess what? My favorite dishwasher detergent is now Finish. Oooh...when it gets a bold font, you know I mean business, right? Why I love Finish Detergent 1. It's cheaper - here in Canada I can get a regular sized box of Finish detergent for $4.00 even. 2. It just works better. My glassware that looked etched (but wasn't truly etched) and foggy came out crystal clear. I don't need to pre-scrub the dishes as much as before, thereby making my life easier, which I truly appreciate. I had become pretty disillusioned, since Cascade seemed like the high end choice. But, no matter what I added along with the Cascade powder detergent (and yes I tried liquid/gel type detergents too...but always found that the powder worked better in my dishwasher) it just wasn't getting the dishes adequately clean. I'm so glad I tried Finish instead! If you haven't, I highly suggest that you do. (And no - I haven't received any free Finish detergent. This is all my honest experience and recommendation.) I still wish I could find a truly environmentally friendly dishwasher detergent that works as well as Finish detergent does. Does anyone know if such a thing exists? And what do YOU think - is Finish dishwasher detergent your favorite? Or do you still prefer Cascade dishwasher detergent? Please post a comment and let us know! What is YOUR favorite dishwasher detergent? And have you ever successfully experimented by making your own dishwasher detergent?

11 comments:

Janey said...

They have done something strange with the detergent where I live because it doesn't clean off the hard water stains anymore. Kind of puts a damper to my whole house cleaning project when I have foggy dishes everywhere. I'll have to try your suggestions about what detergent to use. Do you ever have hard water problems with your dishes?

Anonymous said...

I love cascade but the little pillows keep popping out sticking on my silver or front dishes. I don't know why but after 14 years I have just about haqd it. aMaybe I'll go back to liquid! #3

Michael said...

I use Finish myself to clean dishes; find it to be very effective and economical at the same time.

Air Duster High said...

I normally use the Cascade but lately I've been using the Finish in an attempt to get the tomato sauce stains out of the inside of the dishwasher. I think it works really well at getting the dishes clean. As far as removing the stains, not so much. Maybe I'm just being too impatient & it will take several uses.

TheEcoEngineer said...

I have a recipe for a non-toxic home-made dishwashing detergent. Mix equal parts of borax and baking soda and store in a tightly sealed container. Use 2 tablespoons per load. If you
have hard water, double the amount of baking soda in your mixture. For either mixture,use vinegar in the rinse cycle.
The last step is the most important, by far!
Vinegar works like a rinsing and drying agent, and should be used with any dishwashing detergent. It also helps keep the filter and drain clear because of its slightly acidic pH.

Barb said...

My favorite dishwasher detergent is the Walmart brand, Great Value powdered detergent. It's cheap, but it works great! I've never had any luck with the more expensive brands and the liquids/gels always make everything look horrible.

Click today said...

Mmmm, interesting! Thanks for sharing!

Click here said...

Great post!!!

John Smith said...

I have used a lot of detergents in my dishwasher in a bid to settle on one. I have used this one as well and I think it stands well out of crowd.

Unknown said...

I love this blog and all the information you post on it! I think it is all great info and I always read and try to put it to you. All of your tips and new products help me so much with my own house cleaning and make it go much faster. Thanks for posting this information! I think it is all great and I do really love this dishwasher soap!

Lindsay said...

This is a great house cleaning tip. Now I know which detergent to buy without having to do this kind of research.