I'm Approaching a Dishwasher Pod Crisis

[Music Lover]

Had a new dishwasher installed and the first thing the installer/repairman said is don't use pods. The polyvinyl doesn't completely dissolve and gums up the drain. At some point you'll be paying a plumber to clear the clog. Do use a powdered detergent instead.

We use pods but peel the plastic off. We've also found that a half pod cleans just as good as a full pod.

 

[aja8888]

76 posts on dishwasher pods....Yikes!

 

[rayvt]

Powdered detergent works as well as pods, and are a lot lot cheaper.

 

[CaptTom]

I've had my dishwasher apart, and no sign of pod residue. I know powder is probably more economical, but I don't consider pods really in BTD territory. Especially buying the store brand.

 

[Koolau]

76 posts on dishwasher pods....Yikes!

I am our dishwasher. I don't use pods.

 

[old medic]

I am our dishwasher. I don't use pods.

We have had our dishwasher about a year and a half.... has not uses a single pod, drop of water or amp of energy.... May even hook it up some day.....

 

[aja8888]

We have had our dishwasher about a year and a half.... has not uses a single pod, drop of water or amp of energy.... May even hook it up some day.....

Mine is 18 months old and does have power, but its never been used..

 

[Montecfo]

It is a triumph of American marketing that there is so much passion around these!

We do not use them for the reasons identified in the earlier video.

We have reached peak first worldishness when putting some powder or liquid into a machine that washes dishes for you is just too inconvenient!

Those pods also can't be helping the environment.

 

[mystang52]

Never too old to learn something! I was 25 years old when I got my first house in 1977, and it came with a dishwasher, my first exposure to that Heaven-sent invention. 47+ years later, thanks to the video posted here and comments, I learned about the detergent pre-wash slot. My dishwasher doesn't have one, but in the future when there is a particularly dirty load I will throw some dishwashing powder into the tub (note: we use pods for the main cleaning, but also keep a small box of powder).

 

[Koolau]

Mine is 18 months old and does have power, but its never been used..

There was one in the condo we now live in but we totally changed the kitchen and chose to add more base cabinets instead of reinstalling the dish washer. Our batches of dishes are so small it seemed a waste.

SO, I gave our dish washer to some older folks in our church. They hadn't a clue how to install it. Fortunately, most of the plumbing was already there (from a previous dish washer). I figured it out and installed the washer for them. It felt good to find a place to send it since we weren't using it. I would have hated to just put it in the dumpster.

 

[CaptTom]

I can't explain the pod thing, either. I'm about as cheap as they come in just about every other aspect of life. I know I should do it, but storing and pouring powder just doesn't seem worth the pennies I'd save.

Now, if you really want to get a dishwasher-related argument going, let's talk about pre-rinsing.

I go against the collective wisdom of YouTube and pre-rinse everything. I have what I think are good reasons, but for now I'll just sit back and see what slings and arrows come my way.

 

[Gumby]

In my opinion, it may not be absolutely necessary to pre-rinse, but it's certainly not harmful, so that's what I do.

 

[Texas Proud]

Well, IMO there is pre-rinsing and pre-cleaning....

I rinse the dishes of the big stuff...and things that might stick... but you KNOW that the dish is dirty when you look at it... DW used to almost clean the dishes before putting in the dishwasher, they looked clean... now not as much...

 

[Koolau]

One of the reasons we ditched the dish washer and went to hand washing is that we both insisted on pre rinsing (almost pre washing) dishes before placing in the dishwasher.

We couldn't force ourselves to do a batch every day (we had to wait until we had a full load) so NOT rinsing led to food left on dishes when we finally ran a load after a week of the dishes sitting in the dish washer. YMMV

 

[CaptTom]

C'mon, I know there are some passionate anti-rinsers out there. There are two in my own extended family! And you have all that "expert" opinion on YouTube on your side.

 

[aja8888]

Even though I live in a four bedroom house full of appliances, I have, as a widower, figured out how to live comfortably by only using paper plates and the microwave. I have nothing to put in the dishwasher (except maybe the grills from my smoker, which I never think to do).

 

[Koolau]

Even though I live in a four bedroom house full of appliances, I have, as a widower, figured out how to live comfortably by only using paper plates and the microwave. I have nothing to put in the dishwasher (except maybe the grills from my smoker, which I never think to do).

We too use paper plates quite often. I often drink from a bottle or can of soda. Wooden dispo chopsticks are often our silverware. Not a lot to wash.

 

[target2019]

American Water Co. and Exelon desperately need our support. We use the dishwasher every other day to help them out.