The dishwasher in our apartment is super old and the landlord seems to have little interest in replacing it (we got a new stove out of them so I'm not going to push my luck lol). It doesn't seem to clean very well...there is a white powdery residue on the dishes after I "wash" them so I've resorted to handwashing them now. Is there any way to fix this? Does it have to do with the type of detergent I'm using (the little detergent + Jet Dry packs) or what? Or is this dishwasher just dead and I should give up?
ETA: In general the dishwasher doesn't clean very well at all...it leaves crusts of food if I don't prerinse. Also the Jet Dry dispenser is broken, which is why I've been using the two-in-one packs.
Re: Ancient dishwasher help?
The old dishwashers are pretty resilient, so I doubt it's dead. Mine is 20 years old and it still works fine.
Old dishwashers required pre-rinsing, that's why you get leftover food particles if you don't pre-rinse. The water jets weren't made to blast the dishes like the new models are made to do. Different technology back then.
As far as the residue, skip the jet dry. I've found that it doesn't do anything in my dishwasher, it's just a waste. Use vinegar instead (see below); it's cheaper and does a better job.
I pre-rinse my dishes, I use a Cascade detergent pod and a cup of white vinegar (in the bottom of the dishwasher is fine) and let it run. The dishes don't get that weird white residue and the glasses are clear.
http://pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi#general
It's not you. This summer about 16 states passed legislation requiring phosphates be removed from detergents. Most big companies voluntarily followed suit- like Cascade. Lots of people thought it was their dishwashers and went out and bought new ones (I would be
) You can add the phosphate back in yourself, cheap and easy:
http://www.appliance.net/2010/states-ban-phosphate-laden-dishwasher-soap-1988