Friday, December 21, 2007

Cascade Dishwasher Detergent - What You Need To Know

Clean dishes are about more than just the dishwasher. It's about the detergent too! And with so many on the market we decided to tell you about our favorite - Cascade Dishwasher Detergent - here's what you need to know.

Cascade two in one has been a real hit and I think it goes beyond the great job it does. When you open the package you see these wonderful little bright blue and spring green bubble. They are rather refreshing on their own.

The tablets are rather intriguing to look at. The plastic casing will dissolve with the water and inside the pouch is Dawn dishwashing liquid and Cascade dishwashing powder. That's it. And just in case you might forget whose product you have in bold red letters on the bottom you'll discover the word Cascade.

There are actually two varieties that you can choose from. The Original blue Dawn or the new Citrus Breeze scented orange Dawn. What will you do with two choices?

Now I love Dawn as a dishwashing detergent so the logical deduction would be that I would like the Cascade dishwasher version. And of course I was right.

The packaging that holds the pouches is easy to open. Use your scissors, cut the top, and then it reseals with a zip lock style top. In fact Cascade has gone as far as including a diagram of a pair of scissors at the top. The reseal holds well and since the pouches are water soluble that's important!

It's a good idea to make sure your hands are dry before grabbing the pouches since they could become squishy and start to dissolve in your hands.

They are a breeze to use. No unwrapping, no pouring, no puncturing. Just take the pouch out of the bag, pop it into the dishwasher's soap dispenser, close the door and start the dishwasher. That's it - how simple is that? No fuss no muss!

Both of the scents that are available are nice but if you don't like fragrance or are sensitive to it stick with the original blue. No matter which you choose the strong smell of the dishwasher soap can still be smelled.

Now let's talk about performance. On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd give this product a 10. It works well, cuts grease, no streaks, no spots, and no fogging. The Action Pac works great! There's no reason to rinse the dishes. It cuts through grease without hesitation. And it's easy and convenient to use.

As with any of these cleaners it comes with a warning not to get it on you skin or in your eyes and to keep it away from children. It also lists the first aid treatments clearly on the packaging.

You can buy a pack of 20 pouches for around $4.00 so that works out to about 20 cents a cleaning. Shop on line and you can even save more. I think It's a great buy and with all that cleaning power how can you go wrong?

Dan is a part-time appliances repairman and with his dishwasher website at http://www.alldishwashers.com, he gives reviews of both commercial and residential models and states common problems that he encounters with each one, with solutions! To learn more visit the dishwasher reviews website.

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Thursday, December 6, 2007

Dishwasher Belt – Don't Let It Slip

 

You have an older dishwasher and it's serving you well. Let's make that was serving you well. See, the problem is… fixing it. If your dishwasher has stopped filling or draining all of a sudden or has its moments when it will work and when it won't - check the belt.

The belt connects the motor to the pump using pulleys. When the motor rotates in one direction the pump fills the dishwasher. When the motor rotates in the opposite direction, the pump drains the dishwasher.

If your dishwasher isn't filling or draining at all, the belt could be broken. If your dishwasher occasionally works, the belt is probably stretched and is slipping. Take a closer look at your dishwasher's belt.

The belt is approximately 25 inches long and made of clear or black rubber. The belt is located behind the lower access panel, which is sometimes referred to as a kickplate. Getting to the belt is easy and since you don't have pull the dishwasher out from the wall, this repair won't take long. The only tool you will need is a screwdriver.

Always remember:
It's important to cut the power source to the dishwasher before attempting any repairs. You can unplug the power cord, remove the fuse from the fuse box, or flip the breaker in the circuit breaker panel. After the power is cut, you may continue.

Open the dishwasher door to locate the screws for the access panel. Once the screws are removed, close the door and remove the panel. The old belt will be stretched a bit making it easier to remove. It will slip down off the pulleys. Replacing the belt is not so simple. It will have a much tighter fit.

The easiest way to get a new belt on the pulleys is to put one end of the belt around the pump housing, directly above the pump pulley. Put the other end of the belt around the motor pulley. Carefully roll the belt down the pump housing until it sits properly in place.

Finally you can reattach the access panel and reconnect the power source. Your old dishwasher is back up and ready to go again.

Tyler Anderson is a writer for Total Appliance Parts: Helping you repair your dishwasher and other major appliances. Learn how to repair your own appliance and find parts for your dishwasher, refrigerator and more at EasyApplianceParts.com.

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