Do I need to use expensive dishwasher tablets...

We live in Wanagnui where the water is quite hard. Anything other than Finish Powerball Classic dishwasher tablets leave the dishes cloudy. As they are bloody expensive for what you get is there anyone out there with an alternative? We have tried the washing soda and this is not that satisfactory.

Commercial Dishwasher Powder Ingredients

Sodium laureth sulfate is a detergent and. It is made by mixing sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester, and sodium salt.

Sodium carbonate (washing soda). In taxidermy, sodium carbonate added to boiling water will remove flesh from bones. The mild alkalinity of borax stems from its semi-neutralized salt-like state. In contrast, sodium carbonate is more alkaline because they are fully neutralized salts.

Sodium silicate, or waterglass as it is also known, is a versatile, inorganic chemical made by combining various ratios of sand and sodium carbonate at high temperature and is readily soluble in water, producing an alkaline solution.

Sodium Chloride (salt).

Sodium sulfate the sodium salt of sulfuric acid. It is one of the most damaging salts in structure conservation: when it grows in the pores of stones it can achieve high levels of pressure, causing structures to crack.
Sodium sulfate is mainly used for the manufacture of detergents and in certain processes of paper pulping.

Sodium percarbonate is a water-soluble adduct of sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide. It is an oxidizing agent and dissolved in water, it releases hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate.

Alternative Dishwasher Powder
1 cup Borax
1 cup bi-carb soda (baking soda)
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup citric acid

Borax is safe - to a degree. Borax reacts with water (especially hot water), and hydrogen peroxide is produced. The hydrogen peroxide is a big part of borax's cleaning power and increases the solubility of borax, or it's ability to dissolve in water.

Borax has a pH value of 9. 5, meaning it's considerably basic and caustic. However, most automatic dishwasher detergents have pH values of 10. 5 to 12. 0, meaning they are even more caustic.

Borax is a natural mineral compound found deep within the ground. Although it has numerous industrial uses, in the home borax is used as a natural laundry booster, multipurpose cleaner, fungicide, preservative, insecticide, herbicide, disinfectant, dessicant, and ingredient in making 'slime'. Borax crystals are odorless, and alkaline. Borax is not flammable and is not reactive. It can be mixed with most other cleaning agents, including chlorine bleach.
The boron, salt, and/or oxygen of boron inhibit the metabolic processes of many organisms. This characteristic allows borax to disinfect and kill unwanted pests.

I have always used eco stores one, and that works, not sure about how hard our water is though...

Are you using Rinse Aid as well? That is supposed to stop the cloudiness

All it takes to soften water (make more alkaline - I think it is that way), is plain old cheap washing soda. The tablets you use probably have washing soda in them.

Maybe you could try crushing washing soda (which is as cheap as chips) to a power and mixing some with your dishwashing powder and see what happens.

I'm no scientist or even a chemist so I couldn't guarantee the results, but I am a mad experimenter.

Hi, buzzy -- I have read more than one post which said that some people only use washing soda in their dishwashers these days. I'd say you are absolutely spot-on.

I had my dishwasher repaired the other day and was told that youonly need to use half a tablet in them and if on the box it has rinse aid in them you dont use anymore. He also said to put a cleaner wash in it twice a year.

Yeah, we have terrible results with the "make your own dishwashing powder", things are left dirty, streaked and not clean at all... . I will try the "half a tablet only" as a trial, and see if we can get that to work... .

It would also be wonderful if manufacturers, especially Finish, would make mini-tablets.
Big advertising push to get dish drawer owners to use the tablets but you use double the number.

Totally O/T catfan - but nice FB. That new star looks lovely!

use white vinegar instead of rinse aid

Why, thank you nfh1. I like the nice round number also and will be sorry to lose it but it will happen soon!