Posted on 01/25/2011 6:41:58 AM PST by Kaslin
Note: We were forced to introduce low volume flush toilets two years ago but the powers that be didn’t increase the slope of the main piping system. The flushing action has been acceptable but not great.
For the last year I have been pouring 5 gallons of boiling water down the drain every week followed 10 minutes later by 4 or 5 flushes. That seemed to clean out any deposits that the low flow rate didn’t carry away.
A teaspoon of lime juice will cut the old deposits that have built up. 1/2 tsp after will keep everything clean.
We use the following mixture:
1 lb. Finish Glass Magic mixed with 1 1/2 lb. Cascade Complete. Mix well.
To use:
We add 1oz. of mix to detergent compartment plus we add 1/2oz. of Finish Glass Magic to the tub.
Works great.
BTW: Phosphates are ONLY outlawed in HOME products - Cascade makes a terrific COMMERCIAL product that has phosphates. Alas, we cannot purchase it locally, shipping is expensive.
We ARE very happy with our solution.
So they sell you ‘phosphate’ with no phosphate in it??
Unbelievable..
I asked one of the Ace employees I trust about TSP without phosphate, he replied: ‘Oh, your WANT phosphate. TSP doesn't have any, but I think I can order some for you.’
Current TSP concoctions use acid to replace the phosphate.
Sam’s Club sells a no-name brand (in a green bottle) that has the normal level of phosphates in it.
Or at least it doesn’t say that it is phosphate-free and when I switched from Cascade to this no-name brand my dishes were clean again. Night and day difference.
Just use paper products or plasticware and throw everything away.
That will solve the dishwasher problem (but probably not what enviromentalists envisioned).
More like DO NOT know what they're talking about!
I remember also when washing detergent contained phosphates and your whites got whiter and the entire laundry cleaner. Things changed and now you have to add other products to get them clean and bright
From someone I know who is working on a PhD in biology in the fauna of the Cheaspeake Bay waters, I got to say that non point source phosphate pollution in that watershed is now the number one pollutant in the region, right behind it is the point source phosphate from agriculture...
Between suburban lawn fertilizer and phosphates from the prior concoction of dishwater detergent, it was killing huge swathes of the Cheasapeake Bay.
Took scientists over 20 years of research to come to widely tested and accepted conclusions about phosphate and nitrogen levels in the Bay.
To the point, if you like to eat seafood caught off American shores, the easiest way for average Americans to maintain water quality in the tributaries and nurseries for seafood is to avoid phosphates in the kitchen and the yard.
I’ve switched over to colored glass in the kitchen, if you can’t see the spots it doesn’t affect your enjoyment of food and beverage.
Regards,
Oh, I think they know what they are talking about. They're just hoping WE don't know what they are talking about.
I noticed the film and grubby dishes too. And the 1/4tsp. of TSP makes a world of difference.
We’re scrapers here because we have a septic tank, so they’re not excessively dirty when we put them in the dishwasher. There was no excuse for how lousy job the reformulated stuff was doing other than for the absence of TSP.
So I put it back in.
Interesting;
I used FINISH the last few weeks and just threw out half the box. I honestly assessed it at the worst cleaner I’ve ever seen attempt to clean!
The packet didn’t dissolve and they didn’t make anything clean at all.
I’ve gone back to the Cascade packets and they don’t work like they used to so now I’ll be adding in the phosphate from the hardware store.
You DON'T want to do that. Trust me.
My husband accidentally plumbed our toilet that way once. The hot water will eventually melt the wax ring and...I'll be honest...the "steam effect" makes an extended stay on the toilet a very fragrant experience. And it makes your butt sweat.
That’s freakin’ crazy, I’ve been dealing with the same thing, and our glass have a white film all over them, they look terrible, anybody else notice this?
Added TSP as a keyword.
I bought some for Mrs R2 in December after reading up on it.
Advice: BE VERY CAREFUL HOW YOU USE IT. 1/4 teaspoon is all you need. But use it.
Wow. The first useful thing that Mona Charen has written in quite a while! The fact that it’s merely about detergent should not detract from its contribution, however minute.
Oh God! I didn’t even think of that.
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