EcoverAutomatic Dishwasher Soap Tablets, Citrus, 25 Count

Ok my final update. I believe they have changed their product too much and it just wasn't getting thendishes clean and was leaving detergent residue on my dishes. And after a while my dishwasher just really quit cleaning well at all. Like 2/3 of the dishes were coming out untouched. So I have not used this anymore and have just been handwashing and using the dishwasher to set all the wet dishes to dry.---------------------This is the ONLY detergent that will work in our washing machine, I have tried so many things over the years...cascade (several different types) and a few other store brands, wave tablets, 7th gen, and even the ecover powder which was ok but not as good as the tablets.I think it probably depends alot on your water quality as well, I think we have pretty hard water as we live in the south near the beach and also have alot of minerals in our water. And as for our dishwasher it's a cheapo piece of junk, but so far we have been able to not have to replace it since finding the ecover tablets.Now I do also put a small dime size drop of biokleen dish detergent in the machine as well...would not do that with any other dish detergent as it would be too sudzing, but it seems to be just enough of a boost to get the dishes about 95% clean.11/15/2010Wanted to update my review, because recently Ecover came out with a new version of the tablets, based on the ingredient list there was one item changed, I don't have the name of the ingredient since I threw out the old box, but it seems that now my dishes are starting to get food particles stuck to them again like with other products and I also get a film/residue of detergent left on some items as well, especially plastic (I don't use much plastic but I have a few preserve dishes and I have to hand-wash those.) I also put a drop of biokleen dish soap or produce wash in the beginning of the cycle to help give a boost, now I'm finding I have to do it in the rinse with this new change, as well as add vinegar to the rinse. The dishes DO come out clean with those additions, but it's a hassle. and when I mean a drop i mean no more than the size of a dime or you would have a mess of bubbles and would NEVER use products like dawn or other store detergents, Biokleen or another low sudsing natural brand. I'm dropping a star since it doesn't make sense why they would change the formula and give a lesser product. I intended to email the company and inquire about this. I will update my findings.2/27/13Update again. So far I have still been using Ecover tablets and they are working well for me even despite the minor change in formula. I do still use a drop of biokleen detergent and that seems to make the whole difference in these tablets for me. We've since moved from FL to NC and also a 2nd time within NC to another home and dishwasher and with 3 different dishwashers and 3 different water qualities (the first was municipal water in FL near the coast which lends itself to being hard water, the 2nd was well water with a water filter and softener installed and a decent quality dishwasher, and 3rd time with a decent dishwasher not as cheap/base grade as our first was and with city water, not great either, we don't drink it we take bottles to fill at our local co-op.) and so far the tablets have worked well for us. I don't usually prerinse or wash the dishes either, I just put them in there, I only rinse if it's something really heavy or a large amount of food, but some people practically "wash" their dishes before putting into the dishwasher and I do not do that in the least. So for my experience thus far, these are still very excellent tablets. I also do not sense or smell any off gassing chemicals or anything as you would with most other store or popular brands of dish washer detergents.I did run at at one time and used some of my biokleen laundry powder with a bit of borax and natural oxygen bleach by earth friendly products and that worked ok for a mean time but not as good as the ecover. But I also have a friend who just uses baking soda in hers, but I didn't have enough just baking soda at the time to try that. I hope to experiment in time with my own mixes to get even more eco friendly and budget friendly but for now, these work great and I think are at least a stop gap for more eco friendly cleaners.

When it comes to dishwashing I don't care if it's natural or not as long as it cleans and won't hurt the dishes. I've tried almost all brands. Whatever is used to clean leaves such minuscule residue it cannot be easily detected with Bosch dishwashers anyway. That said, the added bonus with these is that they are ok for the environment. I have used these pods for years now. They are my go to tablets. They clean well and leave no stains, etchings or markings on my designer glassware or cutlery. So that's a win when there's no need to keep buying new dishes or rewash. They are affordable too around $5ish a pack. I have hard water so I use them together with a rinse aid from Ecover or one called Wave-Jet. No need to look further for me. I won't buy another brand.

have purchased several times and works well, but hate that so wasteful in packaging

From my experience with these Ecover automatic dishwashing tablets, they neither deliver results, nor are their green benefits exceptionally greater than mass market products, nor do they pack a punch commensurate with their higher purchase price. I have been using them now for several months, and I have found that they do not work as well as the major commercial tablets or powders, which I left specifically for greener pastures, so to speak. Although I expected some trade-off in diminished strength for the environmentally friendly label, I had no idea that my standards would be under-reached to this extent. Based on the manufacturer's advertisement for this product, I would like to rebut some points.*Cleaning Power*The product's webpage at Ecover's website claims that it: "cleans and degreases effectively;" the tablets make for "easy dosing;" it is "hygienic, efficient and safe;" leaves "no residue;" and has a "subtle citrus scent." Lightweight greases, such as liquid oils (e.g., olive oil, pecan oil) and some lower-temperature fats (e.g., butter) do remove easily; however, thicker greases (e.g., shortening) tend to remain on the pans, and lipstick and baked-on greases do not come clean in the wash. Caked-on particles in general do not wash off at all, let alone equal to what they did with my previous name-brand commercial tablets. "One tablet will clean a machine load of normally dirty dishes!" ... I disagree: I must pre-wash (not rinse but scrub with dish soap and water) all but barely soiled plates, yet still I find myself using two tablets whereas, previously, I only used one tablet with no pre-washing for a similar level of cleanliness. Although the instructions suggest to "Regularly check the Rinse Aid," I find that this is not optional; in order to avoid horrid dish spotting/residue (with one or two tablets, either), I find that I *must* use a separate rinsing agent, which has never been the case previously. Even then, the dishes are often left with gritty, white residue, no matter how many cleaning tablets I use; I can only assume this to be the Ecover soap. I have checked the filter on my dishwasher, but it is clean, and the change in dish cleanliness and residue began directly upon switching products. Additionally, there is an odd smell to the dishes that was not present with other cleaners; it is similar to a lingering food smell, rather than a clean or "subtle citrus scent."*Environmental Properties*The product claims as its environmental benefits that: it is made from "plant based ingredients;" is "phosphate free;" has a "quick and complete biodegradability;" a "minimum impact on aquatic life;" is "not tested on animals;" and is "safe for septic tanks." I appreciate several of these points, particularly in terms of manufacturing and post-wash water treatment, which is why I did not rate the product lower than I did; however, I see some faults in their argument, particularly due to overall impact. The additional waste of water (pre-washing) and soap (doubled-tablet and pre-washing), as well as the necessity to purchase an additional rinse agent in its own packaging, override many 'green' benefits of the product, IMO. Both my previous major name brand and Ecover were phosphate free following the multi-state and the American Cleaning Institute's (ACI) voluntary bans in 2010, thus a direct comparison of the before and after is valid, and my observation of the uncleaned dishes is not a reaction to the lack of phosphates decreasing efficacy as described in the mass media (e.g., Time on 22 Nov 2010 and NPR on 15 Dec 2010). The packaging is made mostly from recycled materials and is, like many competitors' products, designed to be recycled. The paper carton can be recycled with standard cardboard (non-courrogated) or heavy paper recycling. Each tablet, however, is individually wrapped in a recyclable PET plastic wrapper, which--due to the limitations of many municipalities' recycling centers refusing lightweight plastic wrap--must be thrown into the garbage to head to the landfill. The multipack of Ecover boxes (as in this pack of 6) is also shrink-wrapped in heavy-duty PET (petroleum) plastic. Neither of these wrappers is a PLA-based plastic (corn plastic), which could be industrially-composted.In sum, I don't feel that the product delivers on its promises of cleanliness, its green benefits are arguable, and its higher price therefore isn't justified. I'll keep looking for another product, once I finish the products on-hand.

Wonderful idea and so convenient!