I messed up. You're using too much detergent.

*cracks knuckles* Chemistry expert and former detergent chemist here, chiming in. Modulo some small semantic differences, you're 100% spot on. Functionally, there is zero difference in the formulations. Every powder dish detergent on the market comprises the same functional components, though the exact chemicals selected may vary. It's always some combination of detergent, anti-deposition agent, water conditioners, strong base, oxidizers, enzymes, buffers, "processing aids", and what I call "foo foo juice" - colors and fragrances.
The Purpose section is annoyingly vague so I'm going to break down each of the categories and give their examples. These aren't strict categories, in fact many of these chemicals perform double or even triple duty.
*Detergent/Surfactant* - Allows water to bind grease molecules by virtue of having two halves, hydrophilic (water loving) and hydrophobic (water hating or grease-binding). These can be basic/anionic (negative charge): sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS); neutral: isotridecanol ethoxylated, PEG C10. Acidic/cationic (positive) are uncommon in dish detergents but you may see them in rinse aids. Bonus fact: rinse aids are typically mild acids ( pH about 3) which helps dissolve calcium deposits and soap scum. Because of this, they have to use neutral or cationic surfactants.
*Anti-deposition agent* - Once you dissolve the grease, you don't want it to deposit back onto the dishes. Cascade calls this "boosts shine" but it's basically film prevention. The line between detergent and anti-deposition agent is blurry, and many chemicals can fulfill both roles. Acrylic copolymers are the best example here, but the PEGs (polyethylene glycol) also help in this regard, as do any neutral detergents. They tend to be weak detergents on their own, but their big advantage is they don't create soap scum (calcium fatty acids, more on that later).
*Water conditioners and chelators* - Hard water means calcium, iron, and other large positive ions in solution. Calcium reacts with anionic surfactants (aka soaps) to form insoluble scum. This both reduces cleaning power and makes extra goop that needs to be cleaned! Water conditioners exchange sodium for calcium, binding it so it doesn't form scum. This category includes polycarboxylates, citric acid, sodium phosphate (discontinued), EDTA, and our friend sodium acrylate/maleic/carboxylate copolymers again (yes it doubles as both anti-deposition and water conditioner. Synergy!).
*Strong base* - Anionic detergents work best at a high pH (alkaline/basic). Alkali also saponifies grease, giving it a hydrophilic group and turning it into soap! Lye (sodium hydroxide), bleach (sodium hypochlorite), sodium percarbonate aka sodium carbonate peroxide aka "OxyClean", sodium silicate, and sodium phosphate are all strong bases. See all that sodium? They also help condition water as well!
*Oxidizers* - These react with staining molecules such as tomato sauce, berries, tea, and coffee, as well as natural polymers like proteins (cheese) to break them apart. Sodium hypochlorite and percarbonate are oxidisers. "Transition metal catalyst" has a similar role, except instead of being consumed, it facilitates the bleaching action.
*Enzymes* - Starch and protein when heated and hydrated form a natural glue of sorts. Anyone dealing with stuck-on cheese or rice knows what I'm talking about. Enzymes are natural molecules that break these polymers down so they unstick from surfaces. Amylase specifically digests amylose (starch) and Subtilisin (protease) breaks down protein. Pro-tip: any time in biology you see _whatever_-ase, that breaks down _whatever_.
*Buffers* - prevent the base from being _too_ basic and etching glassware. I think this is what zinc carbonate is doing, but I'm not 100% sure.
*Processing Aid* - Any time you see "processing aid" or "enables liquid processing" - that just means it's an inert bulk transport, because either the active ingredient is too viscous, or cakes easily, or whatever. Glycerin and Dipropylene glycol act as liquid solvents in those colorful liquid sections of the gel packs, since too much water would dissolve the pack. Sodium sulfate is just an inert powder.

He may suggest we click on different chapters to skip parts, but we all know we’re watching this 48 minute video from start to finish lmao

"There's also sodium hydroxide in here, not gonna lye" made me kinda sad, because it made me realize just how many of your jokes are probably going right over my head

"There's even sodium hydroxide in here, not gonna lye." Magnificent. Utterly magnificent. Hats off, sir. I also have enormous respect for your commitment to delivering the synopsis at the beginning at speed, rather than using digital trickery to make it seem like you did. Truly an artisan.

Wow. I have spent half my life working on dishwashers, 1000's of dishwashers of all brands over two decades. I also use a dishwasher at least 3 times a day because I have a huge family. I am embarrased to say that I have learnt something new, adding a bit of detergent for the prerinse. Makes a lot of sense, lol. Subscribed and liked. Thank you sir.

"I'm a midwesterner, I'm no stranger to principled suffering" is an amazing line :D

"By the magic of buying way too much fu*king dishwasher detergent" is my favorite TC moment by FAR.

Your dry delivery (and perfectly timed bleep) of the phrase “way too much fu**ing dishwasher detergent” is the funniest thing I’ve heard all day.

Can I just say that adding soap during the prewash is A GAME CHANGER!!!! I always called BS on anyone saying “you don’t have to rinse your dishes.” After watching these videos I was like yeah right, but fine I’ll give it a go just so I can say you’re wrong. I have never been so happy to be wrong before. Everyone in my family does this now and agrees it’s great. Thank you!!

Laundry detergents: YES....make an entire series about every household consumable like this, I've wanted this sorta thing for years.

Never thought I'd watch this long of a video about dishwasher chemicals, but you have a great personality and level of thoroughness that I appreciate.

I just discovered your channel today, and I'll admit, I find your commentary entertaining enough that I watched most of this video despite not having owned or used a home dishwasher in over a decade.
That is all.

Okay let's just appreciate that we got a better apology from the internet toaster and refrigeration guy for accidentally misleading a handful of people about detergent, resulting in a few incompletely rinsed dishes than we usually get when people actually do real bad things that hurt people.

“through the magic of buying way too much f*cking dishwasher detergent” almost felt like it was a planned out punchline, that you only made the reoccurring “through the magic of buying two” as a buildup to it… I know that’s probably not how it happened but it just was delivered so perfectly.

your video auto-played next from something i was listening to while i was grocery shopping with my son. i didn't change away because i wanted to 'not be picky' and let it play.....and also because my phone was zipped into my jacket. i am now home, finished putting away my groceries, rewatched your video, about to explore the rest of your channel, and am now sad i JUST left my local Walmart without getting non-tablet detergent powder. Thank you sir.

This Video (and its predecessor) has brought me so much joy. the Joy of not doing the dishes anymore. I was under the impression that dishes had to be soaked and rinsed to effectively wash in a dishwasher. My whole family holds this perception, this video has disrupted us and set us free from the damning binds of dirty dishes. This video saved my LIFE

“We’ve got to talk about dishwashers again”
Me - You have my full attention, go on.

"I'm not gonna lye" I would have missed this gem without the closed captioning. Thank you for a good punny laugh.

I love how the Cascade says "Number 1 product". Which, I wouldn't be surprised if it had a star next to it, and the star says in small print " Among products named Cascade".

You ever seen an industrial dishwasher? My first job, we had a room dedicated to dish. You'd load dishes on a conveyor belt on one end, they'd get washed and come out the end. The water inside was so hot you often needed gloves to handle the dishes as they left. Which is actually fantastic, because not only is heat really good at killing pathogens, but we never had to towel dry anything. Both a time saver and a means of always following best practices. You're allowed to towel dry, but you really should air dry in a kitchen wherever possible.

I guess this is what being adult is like: watching a man on youtube rant about dish detergent and walking away with valuable life lessons...

"Through the power of buying way too fucking many of them" has got to be the most hilarious payoff of a running joke on any channel or video series or whatever that I've ever seen omg

38:58 "It's not like the only thing you can do with that time is pace a rut in the floor waiting until you see your precious dishes again!" Why did that make me laugh so hard 😂😂😂

I've had this bookmarked for a couple years now to because these two sections are literally the best dishwashers for idiots clips I've seen thus far:
- "You can use way less detergent than the box says" - Fun fact, my box doesn't even have dosing instructions.
- "Rinse Aids (use them!)"
Great stuff.

Your previous video on the subject has garnered the adoration of my 76-year-old mother, as she proudly reclaims 20-30 minutes a night by shoving dirty dishes directly into the dishwasher without allowing them anywhere near the sink. She even goes so far as to "challenge" the dishwasher by intentionally creating scenarios that put it at a disadvantage, just to see if she can make it falter. Thus far, the dishwasher always wins, and she's ecstatic.
Thank you.

When using powders, the "pre-wash" is the powder you spill while trying to fill the cup.

The line about the design flaw where a plate blocks the dispenser from opening SAVED ME I thought something was broken but I realized I had a big cutting board right up against the dispenser when it closed. I was getting said clumpy powder mess. THANK YOU SO MUCH

Great video! Here in the USA, my German (Miele) dishwasher uses the dishwasher salt. It requires finding out the local water hardness from municipal water quality reports, and programming that into the machine. The internal water softener really makes a difference. When salt is added, Miele requires that an express wash with liquid dishwasher soap, is done with an empty dishwasher, to protect the interior from the corrosive effects of any salt that escaped the salt compartment. They specifically warn that on shorter wash cycles, the little dishwasher pods do not have time and water to fully disintegrate.

"Through the magic of buying too much fucking detergent..."
I'M HOWLING

Never apologize for being snarky, that's what I keep coming back for.

The only real advantage to detergent packs that I can see is that if you have mobility, dexterity, or grip problems they are much easier to use than a large jug or box. In fact this was the sole reason my grandmother resorted to them (she is a nonagenarian from Mississippi and can make a penny scream louder than just about anyone I have ever met so she always buys the cheapest smallest powder only packs the store stocks)

Learned a lot from this video. On the topic of handwashing, there are a few good reasons to hand washing certain items. WOOD items in particular don't do well, the harsh chemicles dry out and destroy the wood. KNIVES (esp with wood handles) tend to dull faster. CAST-IRON seasioning does not hold up well. SILICONE either holds on to grease/oil or a hard water buildup. The things that you use and wash frequently. Lastly... some people like me find hand washing dishes to be a pleasant and relaxing task. Since I'm one of those people that enjoys hand washing, I use the diswasher for all the glass, ceramic, and stainless steel things I can jam in there. I certainly don't want to wash everything every day, but I do like to take care of those items that don't fare well in the automatic washer.

oh man, as a 30-something homeowner, this is exactly the content I need right now. This is why I don't pay for cable, can't get this anywhere else.

If you had an entire Netflix season over dishwashers I would spend all day binge watching it. I have no idea how you are making this so interesting but I absolutely love it.

Re powdered laundry soap: When I grew up in Austria in the 1990's, there was a laundry detergent scheme all the rage called the Baukastensystem (building blocks system). You bought detergent, water softener and fabric softener separately (the first two usually powdered), filled your washing machine with clothes, and put in water softener according to how hard the water was, detergent to match the (subjective) soiling level of the clothes, and fabric softener to match your expectations of fluffiness.
Sadly, with the rise of the all-in-one cleaning tabs, it soon fell out of grace with the advertisers.

Nothing more respectful than admitting when you’re wrong and clarifying your misunderstandings. Good job 👍

From a Minnesota born, Chicago raised kid, I want to highlight "I'm a Midwesterner. I'm no stranger to principled suffering," as a high point in your writing career. It belongs on a cross-stitch on the narrow stairway to the too-warm upstairs. Or prominently on your CV.

“I’m a Midwesterner, I’m no stranger to principled suffering!” Holy shit that line fucking got me

I love the addition of the bloopers. I;m impressed you did the fast bit like that... I was sure that was just all editing! Such commitment. Thank you!

that "sped up" part was insane...
and I learned a lot about dishwashers too! Thank you!

I’m a 31 year old man watching another grown man explain dishwasher detergent. And there’s drama attached some how. I’m thoroughly enjoying it 🤣

Just needed to chime in and rave about the writing here. I actually don't know how someone can take something like dishwasher detergent and make a 48 minute video that is well spoken, clear, entertaining and genuinly funny. I wish that any actual 'comedy' KRplusr out there could make me laugh as much as that snarky John Henry coment.

Rewatching again.
Excellent video. I've used powder and added for prewash, for the last year. Very happy with the results.
I also add a pinch of a sterilising agent to the main wash powder. Keeps the machine fresh.
Love the 1970's BBCtv t-shirt.

This is actually something I’ve been wondering about forever! I already came to the conclusion that you were paying more to get less on those packs, but was really close to rigging up a camera to see for sure what was going on in there… thanks for saving me a GoPro!

Technology Connections: "We need to talk about dishwashers again."
Me: "Damn right we do."

Alec getting entirely too upset about people washing their dishes wrong is like the best thing about this channel.
Except for all the other things.

I think the concept of "messy" is that the box loses powder wherever you store the box like under the sink. I remember that as a kid.

This man's the epitome of knowing a topic so well he makes it sound simple enough for a toddler.

“Upgrade. Do it. More colors. Pretty.” is going to become my ringtone now

"Through the magic of buying way too much F***king Dishwasher Detergent"
This. This is why I'm subscribed to you. You're like a role model to me at this point.

I actually find your sarcasm to be one of the most fun things about your channel. So thank you and do with that what you will

As suggested by you, I went back to normal powder, add a little prewash dose separately on the inside of the lid. Incredible how much of a difference it makes.

"They were out of Mega Millions" when mentioning the "power ball" pack, that one got me good.

A man that can say "i was wrong" loud and proud is a man that has my full respect.

You'll be glad to know that Whirlpool has carefully labeled the bottom half of the dispenser with "soft water" and the top half with "hard water" with embossed lettering.

As someone who does not own a dishwasher I found this oddly compelling to watch entirely...
Good job! XD

How it started for me: "Let's watch a fun video while having lunch!" Halfway through: "Soap companies are bribing dishwasher manufacturers to mislead us! Get the torches and pitchforks!"

I'm not gonna miss a video about dishwashers for any reason in the world. Bring it on!

An update from me for any who care! Following the advice in this video I am getting perfect results! My first two tries left some spots but by my third wash I had it dialed in just right! Thank you so much for these dishwasher videos!

Having sensitive skin made me start using way less laundry detergent and vinegar instead of fabric softener because I could literally still feel it on my clothes after being washed. Which then made me realize how much we overuse soap/detergent in cleaning in general. So i naturally started using less dish soap/powder.

"It's not like the only thing you can do with that time is pace a rut in the floor waiting until you see your precious dishes again." THIS HAS ME CRACKING UP!

"There's also sodium hydroxide in here... not gonna lye" I Love this channel.

I've got to say, ever since we started using some prewash powder in our dish washer not only has it cleaned our dishes better but also has kept the tub one heck of a lot cleaner!! We used to have a lot of build up in the bottom of the tub but now it's cut that amount in half. As far as my dishwasher, it doesn't have a prewash compartment. Even in the manual it only talks about using packs and that's it so we just add some powder to the bottom of the tub.
Since this is the first time I've ever had an actual dishwasher I didn't know or even think about doing a prewash so thank you for the great into!!!

I love the way this dude talks it’s so easy to listen to a large amount of info in a short amount of time and actually remember everything

"The red ball, is the cherry on top." why am I laughing so hard

"There's also sodium hydroxide in here, not gonna lye." + dead face. I love you.

Wow, thank you. I used to pre-wash my plates until I saw your videos. I put a little detergent at the bottom so the pre-wash cycle had some and that did the trick. Thanks again!

Cheers and Thanks, and the reason some older folks hand wash is because it is pleasurable and gives a romanic feeling of sorts. I have struggled but your first video on dish washing changed me. Cheers!

"I'm a Midwesterner! I'm no stranger to principled suffering!" Never heard such a succinct description of us Midwesterners. Amazing.

The fact that I can sit through a 48 min video on the nitty gritty details of dishwashing detergent is a testament to what a great presenter Alec is.

Love your videos bro, it amazes me how can you trap my attention for an hour so , one that is very difficult for me to keep in the same thing always. Great job and thank you.

You know those google surveys people keep meme-ing about, where they ask if you thought a video was life changing? This one is, 100%.
We've had a dishwasher since I was a kid. We had always used powder anyways as it's cheaper and pods aren't a thing in my country, but my mom would always complain it didn't wash properly unless it was in the pots and pans setting (heats the water up hotter+each step is longer, so it uses more electricity).
After watching both your dishwasher videos I found the manual for ours online and yep, that little unlabelled groove I assumed was to anchor your fingers while you opened the detergent dispenser? Was in fact meant for the pre-wash detergent. I tried loading the dishwasher with very dirty dishes and put it in the normal setting with the pre-wash detergent and... Perfect dishes.
We started using our dishwasher almost daily to great results since, and I'm certainly saving on my electricity bill by not having to run it in the pot setting every time. Thank you thank you thank you!

I'm one of those that thought my dishwasher was just crappy at it's job until I saw the original video. Getting great results now, thank you!

I think it's funny that he's likely going to change the market share of certain detergent types just by ranting about them on youtube. Good job Technology Connections. I'm proud of you.

We just got a new dishwasher after our 15 year old one died. My daughter had me watch both your KRplus videos about pod detergents and prewashing. I am now going back to powders and will use the pre rinse and post rinse aids as recommended. Happy to stop using big plastic bottles (or buckets) that can't be recycled. I am 70 and now a subcriber.
Priscilla Leach, Michigander

Just as my partner and I were talking about getting a dishwasher, this video from two years ago popped up on my front page.
I love this channel.

"They were out of Mega Millions"
That's the kind of Dad Joke that got a fairly loud "HA...nice" from me. Keep up the great videos!

“And now, rinse aids!”
I was already on the edge of my seat and that just pushed me off the edge. Not gonna lye, I got super excited when he pulled out the rinse aid.

This is the first video I have seen of yours. Came for the information, subscribed for the humor and thoroughness.

I really need to thank you for this bc I switched from pods to powder, simply bc I didn't know they were still selling powders bc the shelves are full of pods. Again thank you for sharing your knowledge.

"And I’m a Midwesterner! I’m no stranger to principled suffering."
There's so much good writing in this video, but this is just... *chef's kiss*

You my friend are the only person I can bring myself to listen to speak about soap for nearly 50 minutes. Bravo

Been using a same box of powder for months now and I haven't been happier! Thank you.

Thanks for this follow up. All the more good sense I got from viewing this one. Keep up the good work. And yes, let's have you tackle laundry detergents next.

Pro tip from a pro 50 year old housewife. Take the cheap powder detergent and place in an airtight tub/container and find a suitable small scoop. Eliminating mess. These videos are genius and I love them! Household mechanics are my life.

"There's also sodium hydroxide in here, not gonna lye." Sir, that is illegal. I was taking a drink and almost choked.

Absolutely great video thanks for sharing! As a Canadian who has moved to a place with very very hard water (3 weeks to plug a shower head) a softening system was installed in our house after moving from a place with very soft water. Now with that said, regardless of water hardness, dishwasher common sense is needed! Load the dishwasher correctly, soiled surfaces facing the water stream, pointy things facing down etc. Scrape off the big bits, and FFS don't wash your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher!!!!! Its a dishwasher not a dish-rinser!!! The "pre-wash" detergent section is very important I have found. The pod sales companies don't want us to use this feature. When I cook a meal for a large family gathering I will toss a "pod" into the bottom of the dishwasher or or add some powder or liquid detergent to the door area. I find this removes grease and oils very well. I must back up though, I run the sink water until it is hot so that my dishwasher has hot water and not just cold/lukewarm water as it has filled from the water line that was cold. After years of using gels, packs, powders etc. I have found that correct loading and ensuring hot water is ideal. I run my current Maytag on the normal cycle with heat and sanitizing option or the "power blast" setting for extremely soiled dishes and pots and pans. The only time I have to re-wash dishes is after the Mrs. loads the dishwasher incorrectly with dishes facing away from the water spray and leave utensils and bowls facing upwards so they fill with dirty water...an ongoing educational battle that has yet to be solved! :) I have also found that when washing dishes with baked on goo such as: lasagna, turkey, duck etc, some baking soda added to the pre-wash detergent adds extra grit to scrub off the hard to clean mess.

After watching your first video, i started using tabs like "Finsih" ones you bought and cut a piece off for the pre wash compartment.
That and loading my dishwasher better made the results more satisfactory.

Fun story: When I was a kid, I used to think that the dishwasher filled up completely, or at least halfway, like an aquarium, and it would flood the kitchen if I opened the door.

You have a rare skill of being able to present boring data in a very entertaining way. You had my wife and I laughing at this one. Thank you :)

I wanted to add two comments as a former appliance salesperson.
1. most dishwashers have a rinse only option that uses half of the water of a regular cycle and you can run that if you don't have a full load instead of rinsing by hand and then wait until you have a full load until you run the regular cycle.
2. The worst place to store laundry detergent is under the sink because it will lose its effectiveness if it gets humid.

I only found this channel a few days ago but I love it.
Dishwashers, I grew up with them. My mother had this written in stone policy that she would not live anywhere without one. I was born in 1960 and don't remember ever not having one. Growing up I loaded it for my allowance. Never put soap in the prewash. Never had a problem. One thing though, my dad was a aircraft electrician and he always bumped up the temperature on the hot water tank. I remember this because growing up you could get burned from the hot water tap.
I think the prewash soap comes down to how much you rinse/clean the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.
Today I pretty much only use the dishwasher for the sterilize part of cleaning. One reason is we don't pay for water use here and since I retired I don't have much to do so I clean them pretty well before I put them in the dishwasher. Ya I'm bored.
Anyway, great, wonderful channel and content!

"Did you know you can get *powdered* laundry soap?"
Please, please, go on a tirade about that! PLEASE!

So thanks to the magic of The Algorithm I have now watched a combined 80 minutes on friggin dishwashers and been loving every second of it. You, dear Sir, are a gentleman and a scholar and have earned a new subscriber.

I have to say that the listing of ingredients and the functions that they serve is a brilliant idea and should be something other chemical manufacturers should consider.

10:56 I was expecting "buying two of them" and was scared that TC was so enraged that he purchased another dishwasher

KRplus: "Hey do you wanna watch a guy talk about cleaning dishes for almost an hour?"
Me: *sigh* "yeah ok"

Alright chief, you've convinced me. I'm one of those jerks that has a dishwasher but insists on hand washing my dishes. I even put them in the dishwasher afterwards and use it to sanitize the clean dishes, so I guess I'm a super jerk. I'm going to take your advice and try using the dishwasher as a...dishwasher. I'll pre-heat the water, use the pre-wash cup, the whole bit. I'm still going to rinse off the food chunks because I don't want that crap in my dishwasher, but they'll still be dirty and greasy, promise (my wife is from the south, we use A LOT of butter)! Great channel, keep up the good work!
* I'll never put my non-stick pans in a dishwasher. I'll keep hand washing those babies.

Was going to comment on this video anyway before I found that other thread to reply to. I watched the original video and found both interesting. I totally take your points and see why I for instance, and others would annoy you. First though yes we do have powdered laundry detergent… over here that is by far the most common… I don’t know if we can get anything else that’s a liquid except what I know as fabric softener or cuddly, which as far as I know doesn’t clean? So to dishwashers and videos. I enjoyed both and like many of your videos, ironically especially the ones about lamps and gas lights etc and even lavalamps. You’re one of the first people that this blind person’s found who not only explains why I should care about light and colour, but also that explains it in a way I can mostly understand which is rare in my life. But out of these 2 vids specifically, yes I like pods. No I don’t understand people that are able to wash up after themselves when they live alone and thus save the time and the water though I see where in that case they could make the savings. Especially if dinner only uses one pan for instance. But I’m the same. I’d rather run my dishwasher once a week or even 2 and end up using too many dishes even though I live alone. Why? I hate doing dishes! Recently my dishwasher has been broken and I’ve been using a lot more hot water, and over a couple of months literally litres extra of dish soap. Then the sponges etc… I really want my dishwasher back. I just wish the newest fad in this country wasn’t to seal all appliances in MDF… its allowed to be an appliance. Why does it have to cos-play as a cupboard? Of course that’s the very feature unnecessary as it is that’s broken on mine lol. Other than that if I was to winge it would be at dishdraws. Fine they’re almost silent but they don’t clean, break all the time, and take twice as long as a normal machine. But meantime thanks for explaining why I needed to use 2 pods, one in the dispenser and one in the tub.

The other day I was camping, and my brother pulled out his Coleman lantern. That got me spending the next ten minutes trying to explain the appeal of this channel. "Well, he goes on pedantic rants about the minutia of everyday objects for a LOOOOONNNG time. It's great!" I don't think he was impressed.