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I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

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Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#121

Post by dprice1 »

I have been using Dirty Labs dishwasher powder for about a year, since we got a new dishwasher, and inspired by some of his older videos on this topic. The performance has been good, no complaints. I don't torture-test my dishwasher like Alec does :). With the powder, I can do the whole some-on-the-door, some-in-the-dispenser thing mentioned here, or just use less for light loads. It is without a doubt not a budget option.

One aspect I like about it is that they have a fragrance-free variant, and even the "fragrance" one is not too bad. A second aspect I like is that it's biodegradable, et cetera. So a bit lighter on the environment, I hope, and the SDS is prominently available on the website.

I think another thing which is under-appreciated is that you need to know how to do the basic cleaning chores for your dishwasher-- for example if it has a filter, learn to clean it! Otherwise its ability to clean will probably be compromised.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#122

Post by Youden »

jeffbee wrote: post #74

I was a long-time adherent of powder for all the reasons in the video. I used the Seventh Generation powder that is widely available, or once was. One day I couldn't find it, so I got Cascade Free & Clear Pods. I was completely blown away by how much better the pods work. And they work faster, too, because my dishwasher cycles are based on water clarity and they end sooner if the detergent is working faster. So I per…

In the video he ran a similar test and had similar results. IIRC his conclusion was that the manufacturer is deliberately sabotaging the performance of powders in order to direct more sales to the higher margin pods.

It's also why he's endorsing a new powder product he was involved in developing: it performs as good or better than the pods.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#123

Post by throwaway2037 »

tonymet wrote: post #100
emtel wrote: post #80

Pods work great for me, and I love not having crumbs of powder under the sink, or a bottle of liquid detergent with encrusted drips down the side. It's just gross. They are more expensive, but I buy them on sale at Costco for about $16/100, so at $0.16 per load I really don't care if powdered detergent is only $0.03 per load or whatever. There is clearly a revealed preference for pods among consumers for these things…

The issue of letting consumers choose the worse product is that the good products get pushed out of the market. Grocery floorspace that was once primarily staples and whole foods is mostly now junkfood. Proper razors have been replaced with disposables. Skincare & toothpaste products contain sodium laureth sulfate , which lathers well, but causes mouth sores and skin irritation. Letting consumers choose usually ends…

    > Skincare & toothpaste products contain sodium laureth sulfate , which lathers well, but causes mouth sores and skin irritation.
This is only true for sensitive individuals. Billions of people use these products every day and have no issues.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#124

Post by throwaway2037 »

ruraljuror wrote: post #105
johnfn wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if you have powder crumbs under your sink you might need to improve your technique. With a pod there is no technique to be improved. They just work, every single time.

I have a bad habit of not fully drying my hands when retrieving pods. The pods all clump together if they get wet. This is one of the many reasons I prefer powder.

"if they get wet". Ok, so don't get them wet. If not wet, did you ever consider using chopsticks to pick one out of the bag/container? That might work well.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#125

Post by _whiteCaps_ »

tguvot wrote: post #43
eitau_1 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't remember if it was main video or second channel one, in which Alec states with confidence that big brands make powder worse on purpose to push their higher margin pods. The opinion is based on his experience (horrible residue left by big-name powder in contrast to store-branded great-value powders being problem-free) and lab results.

i used cascade powder to refill miele cartridges. there was 0 difference with regards to residue/etc. also SDS was very similiar. i just went to check amazon. cascade complete powder has 4.6 with 9k reviews. if it was subpar, pretty sure that rating would have reflected it. for example plant based detergents hover around 4.

It's also highly dependent on how soft your water is. The people complaining about performance probably have hard water. Do you ever have to descale your kettle / coffee maker?

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#126

Post by Yizahi »

RealityVoid wrote: post #5

I've found it harder and harder to find powder dishwasher detergent in my country. I think they intentionally pull them off the market, I used to buy a large Finish container and now I can barely find a place that sells _any_ sort of dishwashing powder.

Yeah, in Poland two "premium"-ish brands stopped selling powder in favor of tablets, and the cheaper brand is often missing from shelves, I need to order it in delivery separately. Situation is funny, since salt and rinse liquid are still widely available along with supposedly 3-in-1 tablets :) . I guess they are not so 3-in-1 as the ads say. But I will continue buying powder for as long as it will be manufactured. It's cheaper and more efficient. Same with washing machine power.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#127

Post by gpt5 »

tonymet wrote: post #96
losvedir wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has been his stance for a long time. He has a lot of dishwasher videos for some reason! One thing I can't get a good answer to is whether the "prewash" step is universally the case or not. I have a good Bosch dishwasher and there's no compartment for a bit of pre-wash detergent. I don't even know if my dishwasher cycle has a pre-wash step. I would assume the dishwasher manufacturer knows what's best. The owner's…

his dishwasher detergent videos are a good example of an "improved" product being more expensive and less effective (like disposable razors). With better understanding you can achieve far better results. I no longer rinse or even scrape dishes. with the right approach my dishwasher performance has been stellar. The user manual also includes proper tuning to local water hardness levels. Poor dishwashing also discourag…

I find his videos to have quite a bit of hand waving and poor methodology together with being overly verbose.

For example, he kept on saying that pods are not better in previous videos, but in the study he presented in this video, it showed that pods are performing significantly better than powders in every category. The study (which was not linked and I couldn't find it) was sponsored by a powder maker which the video recommends, but even this study showed just on par results with pods.

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#128

Post by usefulcat »

analog31 wrote: post #89
basscomm wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Maybe the pods foam up too much, because it seems hell of a foamy inside. Dishwasher detergent doesn't make suds. Dish soap does. Are you sure you're using the correct stuff? Or prewashing the dishes for some reason and not getting all the soap off?

Anecdote: My spouse and I visited some friends for supper at their place. After the meal, was when they decided to try out the dishwasher in their apartment for the first time. With dish liquid. It's almost like the movies where the wash machine fills the house with suds, and the occupants go floating out the front door.

I bet they had a really clean kitchen floor afterwards!

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#129

Post by metabagel »

losvedir wrote: post #83
383toast wrote: post #2

summary: The creator argues that most dishwashers are designed to use a pre-wash dose and a main wash dose of detergent, a fundamental often ignored by single-dose pods, and presents independent ASTM testing confirming the new powder matches or exceeds the performance of a leading premium pod. The video also features a detailed demonstration using temperature logging and peanut butter to stress the importance of purg…

This has been his stance for a long time. He has a lot of dishwasher videos for some reason! One thing I can't get a good answer to is whether the "prewash" step is universally the case or not. I have a good Bosch dishwasher and there's no compartment for a bit of pre-wash detergent. I don't even know if my dishwasher cycle has a pre-wash step. I would assume the dishwasher manufacturer knows what's best. The owner's…

Perhaps there is an indentation on the outside of the detergent dispenser where you are meant to pour a bit of detergent for the pre-wash.

Like in the video: https://youtu.be/DAX2_mPr9W8?si=Njn749InqNCbjhQd&t=822

Re: I was right about dishwasher pods and now I can prove it [video]

#130

Post by arjie »

I love that there are people who will go into this much detail on stuff. It's really cool that they do. But the whole thing is that if you follow some sequence of steps, powder will clean as well as or better than pods for a third the cost. All right, this isn't a significant portion of my expenses so I'll pay the 3x cost since my dishes come out clean anyway.

I wish the description of the video was like an abstract.

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