# Dishwasher inserts v. pellets



## MostlyWater (Jan 1, 2011)

I went to buy the pellets the other day and could only find the 12 wash inserts.  And they're triple the price !

Anyone ?


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## pacanis (Jan 1, 2011)

I don't know what inserts are.
I used to buy those power balls, but they stopped making them and the company changed hands, so now I buy the replacement gel things. And not thirty minutes ago, as I was unloading the dishwasher from last night, I found some of the blue gel laying in the bottom, undissolved of course. They'll be getting a call from me on Monday. The dishes seemed clean, but how could a gel not dissolve?


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## 4meandthem (Jan 1, 2011)

Plumber told us to use just plain powder.We use Cascade powder and have less problems than we did with liquids and everything else we tried.


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## MostlyWater (Jan 1, 2011)

Pacanis, it could be that your water isn't hot enough.  In the wintertime, I've noticed that our warm water isn't very warm at all.


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## pacanis (Jan 1, 2011)

You may be onto something, MW. I ran the DW right after a shower and a load of laundry. Thanks.


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## MostlyWater (Jan 1, 2011)

Yup.  I didn't realize it until my around-the-house-clothes started not getting clean enough.  I have a front loader, and it wasn't so easy to figure out the water temperature, you can't just stick your arm in there like you can for a top loader. Long story short, when it's cold, I don't run any laundry on a cold wash, even delicates.  

FTR, I always run my dishwasher on the short cycle, but with hot water.  I find that works best for us.


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## Andy M. (Jan 1, 2011)

Modern dishwashers don't depend on the temperature of the water piped in to wash the dishes.  Water is collected in the DW and the coil on the bottom heats it to the appropriate temperature, then the wash cycle starts.


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## pacanis (Jan 1, 2011)

I thought that coil was used for drying. I need to read up on DWs, mine is getting up there in years.


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## Andy M. (Jan 1, 2011)

pacanis said:


> I thought that coil was used for drying. I need to read up on DWs, mine is getting up there in years.




Fred, it does both.


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## Midnight_Merlot (Jan 1, 2011)

I have nothing to offer, since I don't have a DW...just good 'ole elbow grease here for me, but, when I did have DW's in the past, I found that I never did use them properly - to me, they were just "safer" hiding-places alternative to the oven. Oh, the things that I have ruined in my past!!


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## taxlady (Jan 2, 2011)

My dishwasher has a button for heater. It's on a thermostat, so we always have it on.

We don't use any of the premeasured dishwasher detergents, we have a ~2/3 size portable dishwasher, so the amounts are wrong.


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## jabbur (Jan 2, 2011)

I've tried a number of DW detergents and found Cascade to do the best job of getting the dishes clean without leaving a film and dissolving well in the machine.  I have not had any left in the dispenser with that brand.  I use the little gel packs that just pop in.


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## MostlyWater (Jan 2, 2011)

So - no one has tried the 12-use inserts, yet ?


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## Andy M. (Jan 2, 2011)

MostlyWater said:


> So - no one has tried the 12-use inserts, yet ?




Don't know what they are.


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## MostlyWater (Jul 19, 2011)

It's been 6 months.  My nearby store ONLY has the refillble insert thingy and I broke down and bought one.

Anyone ?


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## Timothy (Jul 19, 2011)

I have really hard water. I use a tablespoon of "Lemi Shine" plus one small squirt of this:

I mix one ounce of Dawn Dish Detergent into a full size empty bottle of Dawn and then fill the bottle to the top with water and shake it good to mix.

Using only the Lemi Shine and the diluted Dawn DWD, my dishes come out with no spots and clean as can be. I don't taste any residue on the dishes either. That's why I quit using the packets. When I filled a glass with plain water, I could taste the soap  and it gags me. Never have that problem now.

Lemi Shine is sold at Walmart.


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## Dawgluver (Jul 19, 2011)

Timothy said:
			
		

> Lemi Shine is sold at Walmart.



Is it with the DW detergents?  Have never heard of it.


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## Timothy (Jul 19, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> Is it with the DW detergents? Have never heard of it.


 
Yes, it is. Here's a pic of it:


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## Dawgluver (Jul 19, 2011)

Timothy said:
			
		

> Yes, it is. Here's a pic of it:



I will give your "recipe" a shot.  We replaced our DW less than a year ago, and have been unhappy with its performance.  Hard water may just be the culprit!  Thanks!


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## sparrowgrass (Jul 19, 2011)

If you have hard water, try setting a custard cup on the top rack and filling it with vinegar.  The vinegar trickles out as the cup fills with wash water, and it really works for getting rid of spots on glasses and the deposits on the dishwasher.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Jul 19, 2011)

I put vinegar in my rinse agent tank, and I use lemon scented dishwasher detergent. Every time I wash anything with olive oil on it, all my dishes end up smelling like salad.


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## Andy M. (Jul 19, 2011)

MostlyWater said:


> So - no one has tried the 12-use inserts, yet ?




I repeat.  What is a 12-use insert?


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## Timothy (Jul 19, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> I will give your "recipe" a shot. We replaced our DW less than a year ago, and have been unhappy with its performance. Hard water may just be the culprit! Thanks!


 
Sure! I've also found it to be better if I unload the dishwasher as soon as it's finished and the dishes are cool enough to handle. When I leave them in the humid dishwasher to dry, it always makes them have spots on the lowest, (as it sits), part of each glass dish.

There are advantages to hand washing dishes. They turn out much cleaner and spot free. I do that with the dishes I use when company comes over.  Thank goodness I don't have much company!


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## Timothy (Jul 19, 2011)

sparrowgrass said:


> If you have hard water, try setting a custard cup on the top rack and filling it with vinegar. The vinegar trickles out as the cup fills with wash water, and it really works for getting rid of spots on glasses and the deposits on the dishwasher.


 
What a neat trick! Thanks!


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## Caslon (Jul 19, 2011)

Timothy said:


> Yes, it is. Here's a pic of it:



Lemi-shine is inexpensive and works great ($3.77 at Walmart).  I use it when my plastic spatulas come out of the DW coated with a white powder.


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## Andy M. (Jul 19, 2011)

MostlyWater said:


> It's been 6 months.  My nearby store ONLY has the refillble insert thingy and I broke down and bought one.
> 
> Anyone ?




Third time.  What are they?  Who makes them?


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## Dawgluver (Jul 19, 2011)

Ritalin all around!  Do we have trouble focusing?


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 20, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> I repeat.  What is a 12-use insert?


http://www.finishdishwashing.com/finish-quantumatic-product-info.php


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## Timothy (Jul 20, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> Ritalin all around! Do we have trouble focusing?


 
Thanks Dawgluver! I feel much better now! 

I did a pretty good search for this item, using the information given and found nothing that would direct me to this product.

I'm glad Steve Kroll found it for us. Pretty cool little device. I have a PVC lawn watering device that works on exactly the same principle, but of course, is much larger. Mine works on water pressure instead of heat, but does exactly the same mechanical processes.

Thanks Steve and thanks to "Mostly Water" for mentioning the device. Its hard to keep up with the new gadgets! 

I use a small counter-top dishwasher that holds only 3 gallons of water per/cycle. I'm not sure this device would be used completely in my machine during each wash. I'll bet it's a pretty expensive little thing too.

My guess; $10 each.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Jul 20, 2011)

What does a dishwasher look like?


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## Caslon (Jul 20, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> Third time.  What are they?  Who makes them?



I think he means this product. I bet it doesn't do dishes well.
I'm not sure how it gets thru the rinse cycle. 

Dishwasher Ball Manufacturer, Exporter and Developer



"Roger, Caslon--, we copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again. Thanks a lot."


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## Snip 13 (Jul 20, 2011)

I use finish dishwasher crystals, not sure if you get it by you but it works great.

I also put my dishwasher on once a month without any dishes in it, put bicarbonate of soda in the soap dispenser and let it run a full cycle to keep odours out.
An open container filled with bicarb placed in your fridge will absorb bad odours too. Just don't use the bicarb again!


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## Timothy (Jul 20, 2011)

Snip 13 said:


> I use finish dishwasher crystals, not sure if you get it by you but it works great.
> 
> I also put my dishwasher on once a month without any dishes in it, put bicarbonate of soda in the soap dispenser and let it run a full cycle to keep odours out.
> An open container filled with bicarb placed in your fridge will absorb bad odours too. Just don't use the bicarb again!


 
I use a full gallon of vinegar in the dishwasher once a month. It dissolves all the buildup that gets on the element and keeps the inside of the dishwasher sparkling clean. I put the vinegar in the machine, turn it on for half of the first cycle and then shut it off before it drains and let it sit overnight. Turn it back on in the morning and let it finish and the inside stays looking brand new.

Hey snip, I've been using an open box of "Arm and Hammer" in the fridge since I was a kid. You're right, it works real well in keeping the fridge smelling nice.


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## Snip 13 (Jul 20, 2011)

Timothy said:


> I use a full gallon of vinegar in the dishwasher once a month. It dissolves all the buildup that gets on the element and keeps the inside of the dishwasher sparkling clean. I put the vinegar in the machine, turn it on for half of the first cycle and then shut it off before it drains and let it sit overnight. Turn it back on in the morning and let it finish and the inside stays looking brand new.
> 
> Hey snip, I've been using an open box of "Arm and Hammer" in the fridge since I was a kid. You're right, it works real well in keeping the fridge smelling nice.



I'll try your vinegar idea  Just a bit stingy with my vinegar, I use it for my pickles! I'll buy some spirit vinegar, cheap junk..lol!


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## Timothy (Jul 20, 2011)

Snip 13 said:


> I'll try your vinegar idea  Just a bit stingy with my vinegar, I use it for my pickles! I'll buy some spirit vinegar, cheap junk..lol!


I use the cheapest vinegar I can find. I think it's about $1.50 a gallon. When I'm doing a large load of glassware, I put a cup full in the machine also. It makes the glass come out cleaner.

Good Morning, btw! To bed at 2am and up at 6am...I see a nap in my future!


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## Andy M. (Jul 20, 2011)

Steve Kroll said:


> FINISH® QUANTUMATIC? Dishwasher Detergent Dispenser | FINISH®




Thanks Steve!  I appreciate your taking the time to answer my question!


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## MostlyWater (Jul 20, 2011)

Look what lively conversation we had after I got off-line!

It sounds like no one has used the 12 wash insert yet.  I guess I'll have to be the first one ....


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## Snip 13 (Jul 20, 2011)

Timothy said:


> I use the cheapest vinegar I can find. I think it's about $1.50 a gallon. When I'm doing a large load of glassware, I put a cup full in the machine also. It makes the glass come out cleaner.
> 
> Good Morning, btw! To bed at 2am and up at 6am...I see a nap in my future!



Good morning, or shall I say afternoon now  I'll give it a go thanks!


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## Caslon (Jul 20, 2011)

Snip 13 said:


> I use finish dishwasher crystals, not sure if you get it by you but it works great.
> 
> I also put my dishwasher on once a month without any dishes in it, put bicarbonate of soda in the soap dispenser and let it run a full cycle to keep odours out.
> An open container filled with bicarb placed in your fridge will absorb bad odours too. Just don't use the bicarb again!



I'm gonna try this (baking soda).  At times, I've taken a clean glass out of the dishwasher and filled it with purified drinking water.  Up raising the glass to my mouth to drink, I smelled on odor not coming from the water, but the glass.


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## MostlyWater (Jul 20, 2011)

Wouldn't that mean your dishwasher isn't rinsing correctly?  I usually run a Quick cycle but if you find soap and yuck in your glasses, why not use a Regular or Heavy cycle ?


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## Timothy (Jul 20, 2011)

Caslon said:


> I'm gonna try this (baking soda). At times, I've taken a clean glass out of the dishwasher and filled it with purified drinking water. Up raising the glass to my mouth to drink, I smelled on odor not coming from the water, but the glass.


 
That happens sometimes when I use a lot of vinegar. I can still smell the vinegar on the glasses. When this happens, I just run another rinse cycle and it makes it go away. That might work for you too.


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## Caslon (Jul 20, 2011)

Its not soap or yukky stuff, the glasses are for the most part very clean looking.  They just aren't neutral smelling when drinking purified water. Other drinks mask any odor, but purified water tells the tale that the dishwasher rinse cycle is imparting an odor to the glasses.  

I think it might be that this happens when I let the load air dry instead of heat dry, longer time for the glasses to get smelly.  I'm going to air dry a load and then heat dry a load and check the results.


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## Timothy (Jul 20, 2011)

Caslon said:


> Its not soap or yukky stuff, the glasses are for the most part very clean looking. They just aren't neutral smelling when drinking purified water. Other drinks mask any odor, but purified water tells the tale that the dishwasher rinse cycle is imparting an odor to the glasses.
> 
> I think it might be that this happens when I let the load air dry instead of heat dry, longer time for the glasses to get smelly. I'm going to air dry a load and then heat dry a load and check the results.


In that case, it may be residuals in the dishwasher itself.

Try running it empty with a full gallon of vinegar in it. Stop it after it sprays the vinegar around well and then restart it in the morning when you wake. This will give the vinegar time to dissolve the residuals and mineral deposits that might be present in it's system. After it finishes, run a regular load through it and the smell you have noticed should be gone. The dishwasher will be very clean and shiny too.


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