Best Dishwasher Soap, Absolutely

This has changed my world. Truly.

I've been using this product for a few months and my glassware is perfectly sparkling.  I also continue to use the JetDry product in its built-in dispenser--our city water is hard enough to cause issues without requiring a (dreaded) water softener.

(My daughter and niece absolutely refused to shower at GG's house when they were growing up because the water was silky-slimy. Over conditioned...)

Read the Finish product packaging carefully, because the distributor (manufacturer-?) Reckitt Benckiser has made frequent name and labeling changes.

While this is a 16 oz. (453g.) box, it is quite small--approximately 4-1/2"W x 6"H x 1-1/4"D. Think... 4 x 6 index card-sized.

As far as I can tell, you can use any kind of dishwasher powder you like as long as you add 1/4 cup of this to the bottom of your dishwasher before running the load. I said powder, because I've found the gels and tablets don't perform in the same league as the grittier, slightly abrasive dish cleaning powders. Also, skip the brands or versions with a citrus element as that can stain/discolor flatware.

Originally recommended here.

HAPPILY HOME

We are still a one car family. Delayed our car shopping until Saturday and I happily canceled plans for today. I'm home for the day. Ah-h-h... Inhale. Exhale.

Since we have time, we give the garage a much needed thorough cleaning. It'll be nice for the new car, and when the furniture returns from the upholsterer we'll store it in the garage until the hardwood floors are refinished.

I do make a quick trip to Farm and Fleet to purchase a second shelving unit to further organize our "stuff." Do you know about Farm and Fleet? When our kids were small that store was rumored to have the very best toy prices. Of course, that was pre-Target, WalMart, and just about every discount store. We had K-Mart and Zayre.

Farm & Fleet originally served, well... farms and fleets. It's still fun to putter about to see what's unique or cheap. JE's dining room table came from Farm & Fleet. It was on clearance so CA and I hauled it to Omaha when she was a single girl with her first apartment with no roommates.

The garage looks and smells good. How sad is my life that I have to go to the laundry room door--not once, but twice--just to admire our work and take a whiff? Looking good.

After CA takes off I get a burst of energy fueled by curiosity and set about rearranging the great room furniture into the pattern DV has suggested. It works! I like it. My creative juices have been flowing. More about that later.

I'm way kicked back now. Reading my good book and sipping some iced tea. I could do this for a few days...

AM I THE LAST TO KNOW?

I truly, truly struggle with cleaning the ceramic tile and rubberized shower pan. We have harder water and a constant build-up of minerals and soap scum. I can never get it clean enough. Then, I give up for awhile. Then, I struggle some more.

Today I'm cleaning my stove top--it was dirty when my guests arrived and it got allot dirtier with all the cooking we've had going on here for a week. I'd swipe at it a bit every day, but it's on a downward spiral. I appeased myself for a week (because I was lazy-busy-lazy-tired-uninterested...) thinking that I'd give it a good cleaning once all the guests were gone.

Today was the day. I really couldn't stand it any longer. The drip pans and burner hardware were so gross that I decided to soak them in dishwasher powder--Cascade, to be precise. I learned a while back (from Martha Stewart's website, I believe) that oven racks can be soaked in the bathtub in a solution of water and said dishwasher soap. It works very well, but you do need to protect your tub bottom with beach towels or some such absorbent and non-scarring padding.

financialsamurai.com

A light bulb suddenly appeared above my head this morning, as I realized that household tip could work for this situation. Immediately, I began soaking the smaller parts in a small bucket of warm water, thick with Cascade. Then, I carried the rectangular drip pans into the shower, wet them down, and liberally sprinkled on the Cascade. A few hours later I gave them a good rinsing. They're looking very fine for 10-year old drip pans that have been carefully maintained.

The offshoot was that I noticed that the shower floor had clean spots! The Cascade was working on the mineral and scum deposits--all that yellow and grey stuff that is omni-present. I spent the next 20 minutes scrubbing the shower pan and the walls, and a bit of the chrome.

This works! I'm not done, but I've decided that I'll stop for now for two reasons:

1.) I'm wearing my newest sweater and 3/4-sleeved (my favorite style) t-shirt. No, I haven't broken my Mondays-at-home routine. I'm wearing nice clothes because I fell asleep in front of the television at 11:00pm last night, and after waking up at 5:00am to Tyra Banks and her fledgling models, I've been up and at it without bothering to change my clothes. Yep, I'm a sloth today. If I'd slept in my pj's I'd still be wearing them

2.) To do the job thoroughly (I  know I almost lost the point because of digression...) Later today, I'm going to need to climb into that shower. I'll be naked and when I'm finished cleaning, I'll clean myself. Not a nice visual. Sorry. I've found it's the only way to adequately clean said shower.

And, I'm guessing that Cascade will work to clean the shower doors, too. Stay tuned.