Best Dishwasher Detergent: These Are the Top 8 Choices

Despite all the problems dishwashing gels have, Cascade Complete Dishwasher Gel is one of the best dishwasher detergents out there. It cleans very well on both normal and heavy settings, leaving very few hard water spots and soap residue. If you hate soaking and rinsing your dishes before you put them in your dishwasher, this gel may be the best dishwasher detergent for you. It cleans off grease and stuck-on food; something many other detergents just can't do. Customers say that it doesn't clean cooked-on food very well, though, so it's not the greatest detergent to use if you're cleaning a bunch of dirty pots and pans. Some customers say that it works its best when you use it in combination with something like Jet-Dry. 

This is Walmart's store brand, but even store brands can work well. Its three biggest pros are that it's cheap, it's easy to use, and it's very effective against hard water spots. This powder is also good at removing baked-on food, but you may still want to scrape off the biggest chunks before putting your dishes in the dishwasher. You might have some trouble measuring out how much you need for each load since it is a powder. However, it comes with clear instructions, so if you can find a good scoop or a measuring cup of the right size, you shouldn't have any problems. Customers say that Great Value works every bit as well as Cascade's powder detergent, and for a better price. 

You might not think that these eco-friendly dishwasher detergents would work very well, but that's not true. Ecover's Ecological Automatic Dishwashing Tablets are great for your dishes and the environment. It leaves glasses sparkling and virtually residue-free. For a standard load of dishes, it can leave hard-water spots and some residue, however, a good rinse aid like Jet-Dry should help take care of that. Even so, customers on Amazon rave about these tablets. One says that every green detergent they'd ever tried left residue on the bottom of their dishwasher, but Ecover's tablets do not. The primary problem customers have with Ecover's tablets is that they come wrapped in plastic. That kind of defeats some of the purpose of using eco-friendly dishwasher detergent. Regardless, they feel they're getting a good detergent while helping out the environment. 

Cascade is very well-known for its dishwashing detergent, so it's no surprise that they'll show up multiple times when looking for the best dishwasher detergent available. These pods are a combination of Cascade dishwasher powder and Dawn dish soap. That gives it a little more "oomph" when it comes to cleaning greasy dishes. Overall, this works well on normal and heavy settings but can leave some hard water spots on flatware and other dishes. People who buy these pods say that it does an excellent job, but only if you rinse your dishes first. It also dissolves well on normal and heavy settings, so there's no soap residue left when your cycle is complete. They don't work well for flatware, with some customers complaining that these pods turned their flatware black. 

Up&Up Powdered Automatic Dishwashing Detergent

This is another store brand, demonstrating again that store brands are not necessarily synonymous with poor quality. Up&Up is Target's brand. If you're looking for the best dishwasher detergent available at a reasonable price, consider this brand. It's a lemon-scented powder that cleans cookware very well. If you like to cook, then you need a detergent that will clean cookware as well as it cleans your other dishes. Its one main drawback is that it can leave a cloudy residue on your glasses. Despite that, some customers feel that this works better than Cascade for less money. Since it's a powder, you'll need to measure it out to be sure you don't overfill your soap dispenser. 

It's hard to argue with the quality of Cascade's dishwasher detergents; even their standard powder. Cascade Complete Dishwashing Powder works very well on normal and heavy cycles, leaving few hard-water spots and soap residue on dishes. This does not work well on cooked-on food or grease, despite being formulated with Dawn for precisely that purpose. Also, since it's a powder, you need a way to measure it to avoid making a mess when you pour it. Customers say that when you combine Cascade's dishwashing powder with a good rinse aid, you don't have to worry about the hard water spots at all. However, some customers say that it cakes in their dishwashers, meaning it might not dissolve properly. A few say that it leaves a sticky residue and leaves a funny odor on their dishes. 

Miele's dishwasher tablets fall into the category of best dishwasher detergent in part for their three layers of cleaners. Miele formulated these tablets to work with their dishwashers, but these work well with other dishwasher brands, too. They not only clean your dishes without leaving a residue, but they can also help eliminate any strange odors inside your dishwasher. However, people who have bought this rave about its cleaning abilities, with or without a Miele dishwasher. Some say that the tablets are too big for a normal load and don't dissolve completely, so they cut them in half. 

These pods give you what's possibly the greatest value for detergent. If you're looking for the best dishwasher detergent out there, consider these. They leave hardly any hard-water spots or residue on dishes, glassware or flatware. Even with really dirty dishes, you can run your dishwasher on its normal cycle, and your dishes will quite likely come out sparkling clean. Customers on Google say they are easier to use than either powders or gels, and they do their job exceptionally well. However, you generally still have to rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.