Im a bit miffed as I only buy chemical free/ethical washing powder,whashing up liquid shampoo etc but dont seem to be able to find a dishwasher tablet that works.Have tried Ecover,faith in nature and and various supermarkets ethical range(not sure that they really are!!!) but to no avail,the dishes come out worse than they went in and it is all GLUEd on.grrrr!!!!
Anyone had any luck with any other brands?Dont mind paying a bit more if they actually work
And then someone told me the other day that ecover test on animals!!!!! was horrified!!!!
Just cant win!!

eat in the bath ! it’s the way forward ! no mess to tidy away no finger prints any where! wash dishes , kids, clothes, nappies ect in 1 tub ! lol
I have never found one either so we use finish quantum as I do like a very clean plate !

I am about to make my own powder to use in the dishwasher will let you know how I get on, once it is in use.

When we were at the inlaws we used co-op own brand which claim to be ethical, and they worked fine - we only used 1/2 tablet each wash too. My FIL kept the dishwasher scrupulously clean though - cleaned out every section after every wash, so I don’t know whether that made a difference.

The Ecover thing has been blown out of proportion to my mind to be honest. My understanding is that they don’t actively test on animals - certainly not in the “rabbit wearing lipstick” way. They test the quality of the water as it flows out of the plant into the water table, and there are water fleas which is one of the criteria they check - that the levels of water fleas haven’t decreased. I’m not sure that attempting to ensure that animals *aren’t* harmed really counts as animal testing - not in my mind anyway.

Angie

Our poor dishwasher has sadly died but we either used co-op brand and we also used hal;f a tablet and every now and again (2-3 washes) I poured a jug over the bottom of the dishwasher to clean out anything that was stuck.  We have also used the tablets in Asda which are greenforce or similar and they work the same.

sarie

I second Greenforce, but only use when I’m somewhere where they sell them. Generally use the cheaper option if not (sorry!)

Ecover mostly works in my machine but only on the eco setting.  Doesn’t work on any other setting.  I think it’s designed to work only at low temperatures. 

I tried making my own but it didn’t work.  My friend has a good recipe but I have cornered her to get it yet!

Eco ones only seem to work for me if I give everyting a seriously good wipe and rinse before putting them though the machine, and I feel in that case I might as well wash up by hand, With quantum etc I can just bung them in and they come out clean. Another interesting choice really, if you pack your dishwasher full and the detergent works on an eco cycle you use a lot less water at a lower temperature…is that better or worse than having to rinse everything first then using eco tablets but having to use a longer/hotter wash in the machine and then keep cleaning the machine? Probably also doesnt help that we have really hard water down here in Thames Valley.

I have also been trying EVERYTHING because our current dishwasher is terrible!
I find that it depends more on the type of dishwasher than the tablet.
I think rinsing plates etc before they go in the dishwasher can be eco if you only rinse them with water that has been used for something else first (washing hands etc). My father has always put all the cutlery into a small bucket that he keeps in the sink and then the ‘greywater’ automatically ends up in the cutlery bucket. Loosens the dirt before the cutlery goes in the dishwasher. Just a thought:-)

I have a couple of recipes in my book, one using baking soda (bicarbonate) and borax, the other using soda crystals. It’s on amazon for a couple of quid! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Self-sufficiency-Household-Cleaning-Rachelle-Strauss/dp/1847734588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342011036&sr=8-1

interesting..have used ecover in our dishwasher for years and find it excellant..its a siemens tho so a good make..its 15 years old and the last time it had a small problem the repair man was gobsmacked.. couldnt believe how ‘young’ it looked..it wasnt all gunged up everywhere (i looked too and he showed me inside a panel where it was all lovely-sparkly where usually they are grim)  so could it be its your machine needs a run through with one of those cleaner thingies..then try again. also dont mean to teach you to suck eggs but do you clean the filter at the bottom..i’m always getting mine out and scrubbing it..it gets incredibly yukky…

mummyk x

Siemens is great!
I do think the quality of the machine is important. I never thought I would feel passionately about a dishwasher but I absolutely love our Miele which is in storage at the moment and I miss it. Sorry, I just got a bit enthusiastic and had to post:-D
(Btw, my parents have had Miele washing machines that have lasted 30 years with no problems, so well worth the money:-)