When green isn't good enough: The phosphate issue
In reaction to multi-state restrictions, dish detergent makers have done away with the 'magic' ingredient that gives dishes that spot-free sparkle: Phosphates. But not everyone is so happy about it ...
Photo: Young Kwak/AP Yet now, with the content reduced, many consumers are finding the new formulas as appealing as low-flow showers, underscoring the tradeoffs that people often face today in a more environmentally conscious marketplace. From hybrid cars to solar panels, environmentally friendly alternatives can cost more. They can be less convenient, like toting cloth sacks or canteens rather than plastic bags or bottled water. And they can prove less effective, like some of the new cleaning products.
| Previous Post Poor Little Fishbowl Sink: Conserve or else ... | Next Post Sink/fishbowl designer in hot water with PETA |
Comments
I use my dishwasher a couple times a week. I use Finish Quantum to wash and Finish hanging basket rinse aid to help keep the dishes shiney. Dishwashers can get a bad build up of minerals if you have hard water like we do, so once a month I use a cleaner especially made to clean out the lime and calcium deposits. This has helped me tremendously!
I know exactly the white film you speak of, but no longer have that issue.
If you want quality, concentrated, phosphate, chlorine, ammonia, formaldehyde free
safer products for all you needs.......I can share wonderful alternatives with you. :)
Life is full of compromises, like forgoing the chocolate cake to maintain your diet resolutions, or passing up the purse you’ve had your eye on to buy soccer equipment for your child. But you shouldn’t have to compromise the safety.... More
Not only are my dishes getting the residue, but I can taste it and I have gotten sick. I have thrown up twice cause of it. They couldn't come up with a way to filter out the Phosphate before it went into the streams and rivers!? I am going to have the inlaws ship some stuff down from Canada.
Glass Magic is still on the shelves in some grocery stores. It has the necessary phosphates in it to get dishes clean. I plan to make a run on all the stores possible and buy it all up. The do-gooders who want to run our lives can sit in a corner and suck their thumbs. I'll be watching for the black market to start in dishwasher detergents that actually work!
I had no idea what happened to my dishwasher about 6 months ago. It went from doing a GREAT job cleaning the dishes to doing a TERRIBLE job. I have to basically pre-wash all the dishes and even then it is difficult to get them clean. And now the glasses have a film on them. I, too, now use 2 to 3 times as much detergent. Nothing yet has worked. If anyone knows a detergent that works I would LOVE to know it.
The arrogant authoritarians in government love to tell people how to live.... More
In all fairness, I don't agree with a complete ban but name calling people who try to fix potentially damaging problems won't fix anything. I've found that distilled white vinegar works great at getting rid of film and residue. And you don't smell it on the dishes after they dry.
I am very angry that i did not have a choice in the matter. I am forced to use phosphate free detergent and it is ruining my dishes. There is a white cloudy film on them and they look dirty. I tried hand washing them and the film does not disappear. Now my dishwasher is useless and I am back to hand washing dishes.
I too thought my dishwasher had broke or that it was the cheap dish soap I had bought. I threw out the cheap soap & bought my usual Cascade but noticed the phosphate content was no longer disclosed on the box. The box now stated phosphate free. It rinsed a little better that the cheap brand but there was still soap & food granules and film left on my dishes that had NEVER happened before. I'm worried that my dishes aren't being sanitized and just might start handwashing everything! .... More
Dishes are sanitized by the water temperature, not the phosphate content. Don some gloves and fill the sink!
I have had the same problem and just got a new dishwasher in May and thought it was the new dishwasher - my brand new glasses are cloudy and dirty - has anyone found anything that works or are all brands phosphate free now?
Had no idea detergents were going phosphate-free. Thought I was losing my mind. Glasses were emerging from dishwasher with FOOD dried on them and covered with white/chalky residue. Switched from powder to liquid . . . same thing. Had service tech come out and he grabs my TWO very full containers of Cascade and shows me the Phosphate-free disclaimer on both bottles. I simply refuse to let dirty dishes soak in stagnant water all day and then load into dishwasher; that's a breeding ground for.... More
Any idea how to get the white film off of everything now that we are having to use phosphate-free detergent? I'm as environment friendly as the next person (and note I am NOT a soccer mom), but I'd sure like to have clean dishes.
Oregon went phosphate free as well. But I found and switched away from P&G, Colgate-Palmolive J & J etc..... big bang and quality for the shift. Just switched where I shopped, and will NEVER go back.
You can email me direct. sunrunner235@gmail.com
white vinegar in the receptacle for 'rinse aids' will help bring back sparkling clean dishes. Just beware of using it if your dishwasher detergent contains baking soda.
Everyone I know who has a dishwasher, regardless of if they use the chemical-filled garbage detergent or not, complains that their dishes NEVER come out clean & they end up having to hand wash them anyway. So I am VERY happy to hand wash every single dish we dirty which is a LOT because I cook everything from scratch, I can all of my own canned goods, and I bake my own bread. I use Seventh Generation Free & Clear and no complaints here. :o)
Yeah, well maybe you should get rid of the clothes washer too since you have so much free time at home.
I have that exact bottle of Palmolive phosphate free dish detergent, and quite honestly, it works great for me. Granted, I do pre-soak my dishes before I put them in the washer (which I have always done regardless of what detergent I use). I also have a really new eco-friendly washer... maybe that helps?
Did not know I was purchasing Phosphate Free...thought my diswasher was letting me down. Glasses looking grim, coffee cups had baked on stains/rings, tableware unusable. Went to thorough byhand pre-wash, tried a no-soap in case of build-up & they looked a little better. NYT article confirmed I was not loosing my mind or my auto dishwasher. Now what? Back to hand washing? Confession: went to thrift store & bought 6 lbs Cascade. Do 2 loads per wk excuse me?
I went several years without a dishwasher so when I got one, I couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. Turns out, it's the soap. I have the palmolive that's pictured and it's the worst of all of them. I use half a compartment of soap, run it on a heavy wash cycle, and the soap residue literally sluffs off like dead skin. I have five kids and cook everything from scratch and I don't have time to hand wash everything but at the same time, I can't keep up with my dishes because the dishwasher.... More
Just as the article noted, the alternatives are usually (much) more expensive. I wish that there was some kind of tax breaks for environmentally friendly products. Guess what: Soccer moms would find their dishes equally clean.
