Just what you need for squeaky clean dishes
Even after buying the best dishwasher in the market, you can’t guarantee spotless dishes unless you’re using powerful dishwasher detergent. You need a dishwasher cleaner to remove grease, oil, hard water deposits, limescale, and food stains that will only get tougher if not dealt with promptly.
While some dishwashing detergents work splendidly for stainless steel tubs, others are specially designed to clean your dishes in a plastic tub dishwasher.
In this guide, I’ll discuss some of the best dishwasher cleaners you can use to remove everything from the most challenging stains to the nastiest odors.
The Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner has been designed to clean your dishwasher by penetrating the stains and dissolving them thoroughly. Additionally, it removes the lingering odor and its source instantly. Thanks to Affresh, you don’t have to subject your dishwasher to bleach cleaning anymore.
Besides, the Affresh tablets have a patented design and last for the whole wash cycle. You can use them for plastic tub and stainless steel dishwashers since the tablets are septic safe.
The EPA has also recognized them for having safer chemistry. Thus, you don’t have to worry about them contaminating the dishes. The manufacturers suggest using the product once a month to give your dishwasher a thorough clean.
One of the reviewers said that ‘it worked like a charm’ while most others regarded it as an easy-to-use cleaner for monthly use. The majority of reviews gave it five stars for performing excellent, but some of them warned not to use the cleaner with a loaded dishwasher.
One user said that she put the Affresh dishwasher cleaner in the tub with the dishes, and it scraped the glaze off one of her pots. Thus, I’d suggest using the tablets on an empty dishwasher to prevent such accidents.
As someone who has dealt with hard water, I can vouch for sodium dishwashing tablets that also act as deodorizers. The Summit Brand Dishwasher Freshener and Cleaner are just what you need to remove water deposits and odors from your dishwasher.
The dishwasher cleaner is devoid of bleach or phosphates, so you don’t have to worry about it damaging your dishes. Moreover, it has an enzymatic formula containing lipase enzymes that break down the food and hard water stains.
Besides cleaning hard water deposits, the dishwasher cleaner also eliminates scents lingering in the machine from your dirty dishes. Since it is septic safe and does not damage the plumbing, you can use the cleaner every month without any hazard.
You can use it in one of the two ways. First, put the tablet in an empty dishwasher and start a hot water wash. Alternately, you can put the tablet in the base of the dishwasher and run your regular cycle.
As the tablets have a lemon scent, they will freshen up your dishwasher, along with removing soap scum and mineral deposits. You can also buy the tablets in an 8, 16, and 24 count pack.
Reviewers say this is an ‘odor eater’ as it removes the stench of even the strongest scents. The only issue with the tablets is their packaging. It’s quite hard to open the packaging without breaking the tablets in the process. However, you can try cutting the blister-packets with a scissor to prevent this.
Other than this, this machine cleaner is a blessing for people living in areas with hard water.
If your kitchen is always filled with a bad smell from the dishes, you need to give Cascade Platinum Dishwasher Cleaner a try. Featuring the Good Housekeeping Seal, the dishwasher cleaner is incredible at eliminating limescale, odors, and grease stains.
Plus, it’s phosphate-free, so you can rest easy knowing that it won’t damage your dishes. Like most other dishwasher cleaners, the manufacturers recommend using it every month to remove bad dishwasher smells.
Most importantly, the dishwasher cleaner is very easy to use. It comes in a single-dose plastic pack that you have to empty into the dishwasher’s tub on a regular cycle.
Most reviewers said that this dishwasher cleaner helps with odors, especially those lingering in the kitchen for a long time. However, some people thought that the cleaner would be more potent and better if it came as a liquid.
Some reviews hinted that the cleaner was a bit more expensive than the average dishwasher fresheners. I’d say if you have a foul smell in your kitchen, opt for this cleaner to get rid of the nasty scents. For removing regular stains, pick any other product from my list.
The Finish dishwasher cleaner has a simple job: removing limescale buildup from your dishwasher. With regular use, dishwashers become prone to stubborn limescale and mineral buildup.
Along with removing limescale, the dishwasher cleaner also fights odor and keeps your machine smelling fine. Finish recommends using the cleaner once a month or when you notice a smell building up in the kitchen.
While you’re using this cleaner, you don’t have to add any kind of detergent. Instead, simply put the cleaner in an empty dishwasher and run on the hottest cycle. Viola! You have a fresh-smelling kitchen now.
Reviews confirm that the dishwasher detergent is efficient on limescale as it ‘cleans the funk.’ Most people said that they would definitely buy this product again while others had issues with using it. The latter group said that the dishwasher cleaner leaves residue in the machine that later gets on the dishes.
I believe the residue buildup depends on the kind of dishwasher since people had mixed reviews. That’s why you should do a test run before using the detergent regularly.
Mold buildup in your dishwasher is never good news because the fungus can quickly transfer to the dishes. If you’re facing this issue, use the Smelly Washer Cleaner to remove mildew and moldy odors.
Since it’s a multifunctional cleaner, it can effectively work on long-standing mold and mildew in the washing machine and dishwasher. It’s pretty easy to use. Add a capful of the dishwasher cleaner to a running cycle to remove musty scents and mildew.
Moreover, the Smelly Washer Cleaner has an all-natural scent that is free of phosphates and bleach. It’s safe for septic systems and wouldn’t pose any health concerns to your family.
The best part about this dishwasher cleaner is that it has enough volume to last for a whole year. Thus, it’s an economical choice for a busier home where smelly dishwashers are a common occurrence.
Reviewers say that this dishwasher detergent is particularly good for mold and mildew. One user called it ‘a miracle,’ claiming that the detergent gave new life to his grotesque dishwasher.
Sometimes, a dishwasher cleaner alone is not enough, and you need a product that can disinfect too. Thankfully, the Glisten Dishwasher Cleaner and Disinfectant helps remove build up around the door seals and other parts of the machine.
Plus, it’s an EPA-registered sodium-based cleaner. Thus, you don’t have to worry about toxicity and contamination of the dishes. It can kill common household bacteria, including Salmonella and E.coli.
While you might just be looking at the bigger picture – the tub – grime could be hiding in other parts of the dishwasher, such as the pipes and jets. With this detergent, you can effectively clean every inch of your dishwasher, ensuring that the dishes come out spotless and germ-free.
Its effects last for a month, so you only need to clean once every 30 days. Since it’s manufactured in the US, the cleaner is in accordance with EPA’s hygiene requirements.
One of the reviewers said that he was so ‘glad I found this dishwasher cleaner’ because his machine made a lot of noise due to clogged pipes. After using the Glisten cleaner with baking soda and white vinegar, the sound and buildup went away for good.
Other users regarded it as an ideal cleaner for grime that builds up with regular use of the dishwasher.
If you haven’t cleaned your bathroom in a while, it’s likely that rust is hiding in the corners of your machine. Take it from someone with years of cleaning experience; rust doesn’t go away with regular cleaners. You have to use something strong like the Oh Yuk Dishwasher Cleaner, specially designed to remove rust and reduce maintenance.
Since the cleaner is scientifically-formulated, it will definitely work against rust and contaminants that scale the washer. Plus, the cleaner has been tested in labs to guarantee the best results with every use.
No matter which dishwasher you’re using – plastic or stainless – you can use this dishwasher cleaner to remove water deposits and rust stains. Additionally, it leaves behind a natural scent, which is a cherry on the top of its awesome cleaning results.
Reviewers were ‘super impressed’ with this dishwasher cleaner, and one of them said that he used it to remove rust that was months old. Along with eliminating rust stains, the detergent also ensures that your dishes come out cleaner than ever.
Overall, it’s a life-saver for people who live in areas with hard water and cannot prevent rust.
The Lemi Shine natural dishwasher cleaner is a biodegradable product that helps reduce your carbon footprint while keeping your dishwasher spotless. All products from the company are third-party-tested, so there’s no compromise on quality and effectiveness.
Moreover, this dishwasher cleaner is a healthier and safer alternative to bleach. Since it’s a phosphate-free formula, your dishes won’t get damaged, nor would their finish scrape off.
Often, dishwashing detergents leave a soapy residue, which further worsens the problem. Fortunately, this product removes soap scum and hard water deposits without leaving behind a residue.
Plus, it’s free of harsh chemicals. Instead, it contains natural citric extracts that will make your dishwasher smell breezy and fresh. Reviewers said that this environmentally-friendly dishwasher detergent is ‘worth every penny’ since it removes even the nastiest messes.
If you don’t use rinse aid while dishwashing, I’d recommend using this cleaner at least once a month for the best results.
If your dishes have been coming out dirty or soapy, it’s possibly because the dishwasher is unclean on the inside. You can fix this by using the Miele 10245660 Dishwasher Tabs as they’re an instant and environment-friendly option for cleaning the dishwasher.
They are incredibly helpful for removing grease that often transfers from the washer to the glassware. With regular use of these tablets, you’ll have no more film on the glasses.
Plus, the dishwasher cleaner comes in a compact packaging with 60 tablets that don’t have to be dissolved before use. You can let the tablet stay in the tub, and the plastic cover will dissolve in the wash.
Meanwhile, each tablet leaves glassware clean for up to a month after use. Of course, you can use another tablet if the glasses start getting dirty again. However, in most cases, this shouldn’t happen earlier than three to four weeks as the tablets leave long-lasting results.
Grease is the biggest foe of your dishes since it leaves them sticky. The Finish In-wash dishwasher cleaner is an effective grease-remover. Along with cleaning the tub, it also removes grease from other parts of the appliance, including filters, wax plug, and spray arms.
Without using rinse aid, you can expect the machine to fall prey to mineral buildup. However, if you use this dishwasher cleaner monthly, you shouldn’t have to worry about the hard water deposits.
Since the tablets contain grease-removal actives, they’re more efficient at cleaning extra grimy dishwashers as compared to everyday detergents.
While using this cleaner, there’s no need for extra rinsing. You can simply add the detergent during a regular load to clean the grime hidden in the edges and filters of your dish cleaning machine.
One of the reviewers that that ‘you have got to buy those tablets’ since they’re great at their job. Other reviews also reported that they have bid farewell to dirty dishes after using this detergent.
Besides cleaning greasy residue, it also eliminates the odor that is often left behind by oily dishes. Bottom line: it’s tough on grease, and the results last for over three weeks.
Your dishwasher is responsible for cleaning everything from your pots to the glassware you use plenty of times a day. Have you ever considered that the cleaner might need to be cleaned too? Well, it definitely does.
However, most homeowners fail to realize this and end up with grease-filled dishwashers and smelly kitchens. If your dishes come out dirty even after two cycles, it’s a sign that your dishwasher needs to be cleaned.
Since there’s an overwhelmingly large number of dishwasher cleaners in the market, it’s often hard to choose one. Worry not, though. I’ll help you pick out the best dishwashing detergent for your needs.
Lucky for you, this step is pretty easy because all dishwasher detergents in my review are 100% efficient at their job.
Although most cleaners are multifunctional, they aren’t best for every kind of stain. A rust-buster wouldn’t remove grease as effectively as a cleaner that’s specifically made for the job.
Thus, you should determine the purpose of using the cleaner before buying one. In my review, I’ve categorized the cleaners according to their specialty. You wouldn’t have a hard time finding the best pick for your requirements.
Even if you can’t buy a fully eco-friendly cleaner, opt for a detergent that comes in a pack containing a larger tablet count. In this way, you won’t be adding packaging waste to the environment.
However, most people don’t add rinse aid to the washing cycles. If you live in areas with hard water that contains a higher ratio of minerals like potassium, this can be a concern since rinsing is effective against mineral deposits.
Alternatively, you can use detergent, like Summit Brands Dishwasher Freshen, to break up calcium deposits and remove odor from the kitchen.
Most detergents come as tablets with a plastic coating. For some cleaners, you have to break open the coating before using the product. Meanwhile, in others, like the Miele 10245660 Dishwasher Tabs, the coating dissolves in the wash.
Whatever the case may be, it’s crucial for the packaging to be safe for the dishes. Some cleaners come with strict directions to not use the product with dishes in the load. Make sure you follow the instructions correctly to prevent damaging the dishes.
It might seem like using a dishwashing cleaner is easy as putting a pod in the tub, but you’re certainly mistaken. Just as hard as it is to load a dishwasher for the first time, it’s complicated to use the detergents initially.
If you’re using a dishwasher cleaner for the first time or have landed in some technical mess, these frequently asked questions might help you.
To wrap up, I’d say choosing the right dishwasher cleaner is just as important as buying the best dishwasher. If you don’t clean the machine regularly, it will leave stains on the dishes. Plus, the bacteria and mold from the dishwasher’s interior may transfer to the dishes, making them a health hazard for your family.
In this guide, I’ve talked about the best dishwasher cleaners you can use every month to keep the dishwasher clean and mold-free. Now, it’s time for you to choose a product and let me know:
Share your favorite products and cleaning tips in the comments below.
About the Author
Jeneva has over years of passion for home decorating and cleaning. She is the founder and CEO of thehousewire.com where she provides honest and objective reviews on home and cleaning products.
