Now if you recently bought a countertop dishwasher for your home and you are thinking about which is the best dishwasher detergent that is ideal for a countertop dishwasher then read on.
Dishwasher detergents come in different forms and shapes: liquid, gel, powder, and even cake forms.
Table of Contents
Best dishwasher detergent for countertop dishwasher:
There are so many brands and makers of dishwasher detergents, and it can be overwhelming, especially for someone who just got a new countertop dishwasher.
Generally speaking, the best countertop dishwasher detergent is the one that contains natural, and environmentally friendly ingredients.
There are dishwasher detergent that contains chemicals that are also very effective at getting rid of tough stains, however, it has been proven that these types of detergents are not healthy and safe in the long term.
Here’s our top 3 recommendations of countertop dishwasher detergents:
Cascade Free & Clear Dishwasher Pods, Actionpacs Detergent:
Cascade dishwasher detergent also helps you save a lot of water as there is no need for your to prewash your dishes you can load in your dishware and begin your wash cycle.
It dissolves very fast in water, and it is also very effective at getting rid of grease and any oily food remains.
It is one of the top recommended dishwasher detergent in northern American mainly because it cleans better than most brands and its friendly to the environment.
Seventh Generation Natural Dishwasher Detergent Packs:
This detergent uses a 78% bio based environmentally friendly products and it is also fragrance free.
The seventh generation natural dishwasher detergent does not contain any harsh chemicals or dyes which makes it convenient to use as especially if you are washing your dishes by hand.
A convenient single dose dishwasher pack, ready to toss right into the countertop dishwasher and available in an easy to use resealable pouch or tub and there is no need to pre rinse your dishes which helps you to save water.
Finish - All in 1 - Dishwasher Detergent - Powerball - Dishwashing Tablets:
This detergent dissolves easily in water and also contains a rinse agent that helps to completely rinse away residues from dishes making them free of spots and giving dishes a sparkling look.
A great feature of this dishwasher detergent is that they don’t stick together like the gel one does.
You can simply open the small foil wrap and then toss the dishwasher pod into the dishwasher to begin your wash program which makes it convenient and easy to use.
Finish Powerball Tabs are approximately 1.5″ x 1.0″ x 0.5″. Additionally, the tabs can be placed on the floor of your countertop dishwasher.
Finish is the worldwide leader in dishwashing and is the recommended brand worldwide by more dishwashing brands than any other brand.
How to choose the best detergent for countertop dishwasher:
Detergents are an important part of a kitchens hygiene whether you wash by hand, or you use a countertop dishwasher you just have to get the right detergent for your dish washing.
However, when choosing a dishwasher detergent for your kitchen there are some things that you need to look out for to get the best detergent.
Amongst the various ingredients that are used to manufacture dishwashing detergents there are 3 common ingredients that many commercial detergent producers always use.
They are phosphates, chlorine, and petroleum based ingredients. When choosing detergents avoid any detergents that contains any of these 3 ingredients.
Here is why:
Phosphates:
Phosphates are one of the common ingredients that is added to detergent so as to soften hard water which helps to increase the cleaning efficiency of the detergent.
But phosphates can cause not only health related problems, but it is also harmful to the environment.
When you wash your dishes with detergents that have phosphates in them, and you eat your food with these plates the residues of these phosphates on them can cause nausea, skin irritations, and even diarrhea.
After using a detergent that contains phosphates to wash all your dishes and then you drain the waste water down the drain into the sewage of the city.
If this phosphates finds its way to streams or rivers it can act as fertilizer that will help algae to overgrow which in turns reduces the amount of oxygen that is supposed to get into the water which then leads to the death and reduction of water living animals.
Chlorine:
The reason why detergent makers add chlorine to detergent is because of its highly powerful disinfecting properties.
Sadly, this also poses some healthy risk and hazard to you as it is highly corrosive and it can cause problems with respirations, stomach upset, and it can also cause skin irritation.
Chlorine when combined with other chemicals or cleaners is also known to pollute the environment.
Petroleum based ingredients:
The main downside to petroleum based ingredients is that during the production of the ingredients the environment is greatly damaged.
Now with these toxic ingredients out of the way how do you determine which dishwasher detergent is safe to use for both you and the environment?
You just have to look through the list of ingredients that are used in manufacturing each of the detergent and make sure to look beyond brands that labels their detergent as being eco-friendly, green, and natural.
Whatever detergent you are looking at it must be specified on the brand itself that the detergent is phosphates free, chlorine free, petroleum product free, including any other harsh chemicals that you can look out for.
Which is better for countertop dishwasher liquid, pods, or tablets detergents?
You can use any dishwasher detergent in you countertop dishwasher however out of all the different types of detergents that are available out there you should avoid liquid detergents with suds as this may not get you the cleaning result you hope for.
It is advised that you use only the recommended types of dishwasher detergent for your countertop dishwasher be it in the form of pods, powder, or even tablets.
Although when it comes to cleaning efficiency and performance the dishwasher pods is quite reliable as many people consider it to be the most effective when it comes to dealing with greasy stains and washing of other food remnants away from your dishes.
Also, when you take into consideration the convenience and ease of use of the dishwasher pods which just require you to load in your dishes and then place in one pod in the countertop dishwasher and then you begin your wash.
With all these in mind the dishwasher pods is more better and easier to use and with a better cleaning efficiency just like the tablets and powder detergents.
Sources:
nyc.gov: Phosphorus Concerns with Detergent Use
homeguides.sfgate: Why Are Phosphates in Detergent So Dangerous?
