I’ve never had an electric dishwasher; that is until I moved into our current house. I’ve been washing dishes myself since I was six. Maybe that’s why I often don’t bother to use the thing.
I will admit that I had some preconceived notions about dishwashers. I figured they didn’t get the dishes clean and that they put as many germs back on them as they removed in the first place. I can’t tell you where I picked up those ideas. I guess they just accumulated over the years.
My husband still shakes his head when he sees me making dishwater in the sink. He thinks I’m crazy or old fashioned. Maybe I am or maybe I just haven’t found the right dish powder until now.
I was trying to use the Sun brand because it was cheap. That was my second mistake, with my first one being a refusal to use the appliance in the first place.
I finally broke down and bought some Cascade Complete. It promised to wash away food even if it had been stuck on for hours. I wasn’t sure I bought into that promise but I decided to give it a try. I have to say that I’m glad I did.
Cascade Complete bills itself as the All in 1 dish detergent. That means you don’t have to wash you dishes before you put them into the machine. I always thought was stupid about dishwashers was the fact that you had to do your dishes before you put them into the darn thing in the first place. If you are going to wash them by hand, what’s the point of washing them a second time?
However, with Cascade Complete there is no need to wash the dishes ahead of time. This dish detergent will remove everything from simple residue to hard food stains with ease. I do recommend rinsing excessive dirty dishes before inserting them in the machine, especially if the cycle isn’t going to be started right away. However, there is no need to complete wash the dish before insertion.
In any case, Cascade Complete gets 5 stars for meeting that claim with absolute accuracy. Pre-washing isn’t needed.
Next, the product says it will work on tough food that prefers to stick to the dish rather than wash away. While that is somewhat related to the first claim, it has a slight difference. Certain foods like egg, marshmallow, sauces and gravies tend to harden very quickly. That makes them the devil to remove once the food stain has really taken hold.
However, Cascade Complete removes those stains with ease. I’ve even waited longer than 24-hours to start the machine. Dishes still come out perfectly clean and spot free. I find that absolutely amazing. So Cascade Complete gets 5 stars on that claim as well.
Cascade Complete also claims to aid in the rinse process to help eliminate water spots that make your dishes look dull and old. That was a key point for me since the product contains no phosphates. I wondered how well it could work without that extra lathering power. I need not have worried at all.
Once again, this product delivers. It leaves dishes looking as clean as they really are. Cascade Complete gets yet another 5 stars.
The product also has a little something called shine shield. Related to cleanliness, but again slightly different, this means Cascade Complete doesn’t just leave the dishes clean. It leaves them both clean and shiny.
My china and crystal never looked better. Therefore, you guessed it, Cascade Complete gets yet another 5 stars.
Finally, Cascade Complete promises to fight against stains that permeate dishes and adhere forever. Foods like spaghetti, egg yolk and blueberry are well known for this little trick.
However, Cascade somehow managed to break through the stains to keep them from turning dishes a different color. That is a final 5 well-earned stars.
With 25 stars out of a possible 25 stars, Cascade Complete has proven itself. Maybe that is why it carries the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.
A word of caution is important here, though. There are chemicals contained in this product. Those chemicals can be irritating to the skin and eyes. They can also be dangerous if swallowed. Therefore it is important to keep Cascade Complete out of the reach of children at all times.
If the product should get in your eyes or penetrate your skin, rinse the affected area with cool water for at least 10 to 15 minutes. If the irritation continues, report to an ER facility as quickly as possible.
If the product is swallowed, give the patient a glassful of water and immediately contact the local poison control center for further instructions. Otherwise, report to an ER facility quickly.
