Consumer Reports tests best dishwasher detergents

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Sick of spots, bits of food and other grime on your dishes? Don't put all the blame on your dishwasher! It could be your detergent. Consumer Reports testers clean hundreds of dirty dishes to reveal the best dishwasher detergents.

Melinda Montanaro and her family really rack up a lot of dirty dishes and she'd love to find a dishwasher detergent that can handle the task.

"I have a big family - four girls - so I just want to be able to load the dishwasher and have everything come out crystal clean and clear and save me a lot of time but that's usually not the case," she said.

Melinda's family might create lots of dishes, but they're no match for what Consumer Reports does to its dishes to test dishwasher detergents.

"We soil glassware with an emulsification of 17 different ingredients," said Joe Pacella, Consumer Reports Testing.

Emulsification is a big word for an even bigger mess. It's a mixture of peanut butter, egg yolk and other sticky foods that's smeared onto glass dishes, baked on, and then loaded into dishwashers - all to find out which detergents tackle the mess the best.

"The best detergents will remove the soil completely, there will be no food deposits on the plates and there won't be any water spots," said Joe.

Among the recommended detergents - familiar names like these Finish Powerball Tabs as well as Cascade Complete ActionPacs with Dawn. Both are excellent for removing caked on foods.

However, Consumer Reports says you can actually get even cleaner while also saving money.

The top performing detergent wasn't a name brand, it was Kirkland Signature's Dishwasher Pacs from Costco, for less than half the cost per pod as the Finish or Cascade detergents.

And if you're a Sam's Club member - the Member's Mark Ultimate Clean Dishwasher Pacs are excellent for cleaning dishes too.

Plus, testers found if you have hard water, like in Melinda's home, they're also great for resisting water spots.

Consumer Reports says if you're still pre-rinsing your dishes - stop! Many of today's dishwashers have soil sensors so they actually perform better if you leave the food on and let the machine and your detergent do their jobs.

Also, you may not have to spend more to get a top-performing dishwasher detergent.

"Price doesn't always make a difference," said Joe.

To read the full story from Consumer Reports:

https:// www.consumerreports.org/dishwasher-detergents/best-dishwasher-detergents-consumer-reports-tests/

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