Adding Trisodium Phospate to Your Dishwasher Detergent

In the past few years, dishwasher detergent manufacturers have taken out that magic ingredient called phosphates.  For a period of time we handwashed all of our dishes because

the new phosphate free detergent wasn't getting our dishes clean and was actually leaving a nasty film on the entire load of dishes.

  

I happened upon a homemade recipe for dishwasher detergent which worked well for some time.  See my recipe here Truly Amazing Homemade Dishwasher Detergent.  The film was less noticable but dishes weren't completely squeaky clean after a few months of using the homemade detergent. Still, it was acceptable.

We recently moved to home on the outskirts of town.  We love being out of the main part of the city but our water supply is hard.  Once again, we were dealing with a yucky film on our dishes.  I tried a commercial detergent again, thinking perhaps the formula had improved since last time.  But the results were not good.   

This was the inside of our dishwasher door.  There were smudges and stains that weren't coming off after multiple washes. These smudges were there from the previous occupants.  Yuck!



I'm a dirty rotten cheater!  But to the best of my knowledge, I'm not a lawbreaker! I did a little bit of research and found that I could mix a little phosphate into each wash load.  I found a box of trisodium phosphate on the internet.  You can purchase it here - Savogran 10621 Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) for about $7.  Most sources I found suggested to add approximately a 1/4 to a 1/2 teaspoon to each load.  I purchased the box approximately six weeks ago and we still have a TON left so I'd say that adding TSP is very economical.  Once I run out of the commercial dishwashing detergent, I'll probably go back to my homemade recipe and add the trisodium phosphate to it.



I just sprinkled about 1/4 tsp of the Trisodium Phosphate into both detergent cups on top of the detergent.

As you can see, the inside of the door is no longer disgusting!

Dishes are clean!!! I've noticed a few hard water spots but I'll bet a little vinegar in the "rinse aid" dispenser would take care of that issue. 

 No more gunk, no more powdery film!

See? Nice and shiny!

I can see through my glass again! It worked!  If you would like to read more about trisodium phosphate you can read this article wikipedia - Trisodium phosphate or Natural Handyman - TSP Cleaning For Big Dogs!