What’s the difference between a dishwasher detergent, a dishwasher tablet and dishwasher gel?
As a dishwasher newbie earlier this year, I was confused about what would be better to use - a dishwasher detergent or dishwasher tablet. I purchased both - to try it out and in this video I talk from experience.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of dishwasher detergent and tablets. Watch till the end where I discuss in which case it is best to use what.
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WHAT IS THE BEST DISHWASHER DETERGENT?
First let’s talk about dishwasher detergent. The dishwasher detergent or powder is the most cost effective medium for the dishwasher. It does need to be combined with salt and rinse aid to achieve good results. Even with the combination of salt and rinse aid - the overall cost of using a detergent is quite low. In addition - you can use only as much as you need for every wash cycle. I.e., at any point if you are running a half load, you can reduce the amount of detergent you use and hence saving more. The washing quality depends on the brand of detergent you are using. In my experience - it has not been consistent and comparable to using a tablet. There are a number of different brands available in the market like Finish, Crystale, IFB, Fortune, Arnigo (an Indian company) and you can go with any of these.
WHAT IS DISHWASHER GEL / LIQUID DETERGENT?
Next let’s talk about the dishwasher gel or liquid detergent. These are more expensive than detergent but cheaper than dishwasher tablets. Similar to the detergent - it does require salt and rinse aid for best results. But washing quality is not as good as both detergents and tablets, so I do not recommend using gel / liquid detergent at all. It is also not available that easily in India. In addition - these liquid gels contain a higher quantity of surfactants which can be detrimental to the environment.
IS DISHWASHER TABLET EXPENSIVE?
And lastly let’s talk about the dishwasher tablets. Tablets are usually all in one that contain salt, rinse aid and detergent in one simple package. Although the manufacturers say that you don’t need to add salt and rinse aid while using a tablet - in my experience, adding both of them gives better cleaning results. You can adjust your hardness settings to reduce the amount of salt intake for the washing cycle but it definitely gives better cleaning with it. I find that tablets give the best cleaning results, but they are also much more expensive than detergents and the overall cost of running a dishwasher using a tablet is much higher. It is also a lot easier to use tablets - especially when you are running a full load as you don’t have to think much about how much detergent has to be added. Again almost all top brands like Finish, Crystale, Fortune, IFB have dishwasher tablets. I recently also noticed VIM has introduced dishwasher tablets - I have not tried that. I use the Finish tablets - which unfortunately are the most expensive - but give me the best cleaning results. As per Bosch - be sure to choose a high-quality tab as cheaper tabs can corrode your glasses and don’t always dissolve properly.
SHOULD I USE DISHWASHER DETERGENT OR TABLET?
So when should you use detergent v/s tablets? Use detergent when you have a half load and want some flexibility in how much detergent you want to include. Also if you are budget constrained - use detergent as cost per wash is much lower when using detergent. Use tablet when you want more convenience so you don’t have to measure how much detergent to use and also for much better cleaning.
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