You might love those colorful little detergent pods that look like candy for mermaids. But here’s a shocker: many pods are designed for average water, not hard water. If your water is harder than a week-old baguette, you need a powder or gel that allows you to add extra boost to the pre-wash cycle.
Most pods only release detergent in the main wash. So your pre-wash phase is just splashing warm water on your dishes, accomplishing nothing except giving your plates a bath in their own filth. It’s a tragedy, really. A 30-second tragedy.
Load It Like You Mean It
Hear me out: you may be loading your dishwasher wrong. No judgment—I once put a spatula in the silverware basket. But if you’re stacking bowls so they face up, you’re creating little swimming pools of dirty water that don’t drain. That water dries, and boom—more white residue.
Angle everything downward. Let the spray arm hit every surface like a hyperactive fire hose. Your dishes need to be rinsed by physics, not just baptized by lukewarm prayer.
