Dishwasher Detergents

Detergents are made up of 6 ingredients:

1) Oxygen Bleach, which removes stains, including tea and coffee and also removes coloured food residues.

2) Surfactants, specifically to remove greasy food left overs from the crockery, surfactants actually surround the grease and lift it from the crockery and then suspend it in the water so it can’t redeposit onto the crockery.

If you have hard water, it will make it more difficult for the surfactants to work efficiently, however the next ingredient will help to solve that problem.

3) Builders, specially designed to remove water hardness allowing surfactants and the other ingredients to work effectively.

4) Enzymes, there are different types of enzymes each effective on different types of food stains and residues, very effective on very tough stains and food leftovers. By using a combination of enzymes the best results can be obtained.

5) Polymers, once the other ingredients have removed the food and stains from the crockery the polymers suspend the soiling in the water, preventing redepositing of the food or stains. Polymers also assist it making the pots shine at the end of the wash.

6) Perfumes, for that fresh clean smell at the end of cycle, not just any old perfume, but a blend of several to appeal to you the consumer.

Summary

Generally the more you pay for a detergent the better the quality of the ingredients and a more varied combination of ingredients will have been used. Remember though not to over dose your dishwasher.  If the appliance is a table top, drawer style dishwasher or even a slimline do not use a dose of powder or a tablet that is designed for use in a full sized appliance, this will cause your dishwasher not to function correctly. Likewise, if you decide to use 3 in 1 detergents which include rinse aid and salt, do not then double dose by filling the dishwasher reservoirs.

Problem with fridge icing up or freezer over icing

If your fridge or freezer door has a seal that is warped or doesn’t fit flush to the door, this can result in a flow of room temperature air inside the appliance. Over time this air causes the fridge or freezer to ice up, starting at the point the air enters through the seal.

If the ground underneath your fridge or freezer is not flat, the insides of the appliance could become warped resulting in a misaligned door and gaps in the seal. This is another common cause of air flowing into the fridge or freezer producing over icing and frost build-up. A solution to remedy this problem would be to make sure the appliance is level using a spirit level and adjusting the feet to compensate. One way to check the seal on a fridge or freezer is by holding a sheet of paper so it’s held just in-between the seal and the doorframe, close the door and  if it falls out or moves then it’s likely that the seal is warped or damaged.
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