I tried it and it left white stuff on my dishes. Then I read the box and it said I might need a rinse agent(?--can't really remember). I decided it was not worth the effort.

The automatic dishwashing powder is a great product (so no need to buy the more expensive dishwashing gel in its plastic packaging!)

There are printable coupons for all of these on the Seventh Generation website.
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/coupons

I've been using Shaklee's for about 4 months now...my dishes come out great and I am NOT a pre-rinser.

I'm not a bit surprised. I've tried most of them, too, and 7thgen was the one that worked.

I thought the Ecover dishwasher detergent we used was good. Then we noticed that nothing was shiny and an our coffee cups were getting grimy. Then we used a "green" phosphate-free detergent from (i think) Clorox or some other major brand. Everything was so super clean! It was the chlorine in that brand that got everything spotless.

I want to use a truly green product, but get the sense that the chlorine is the ticket. Is this true? Does anyone's favorite green brand get their stuff absolutely clean?

hey well if it didn't work perfectly then it probably isn't worth the effort. i'll just go back to using the stuff that works and i know totally pollutes the water. its just easier you know?

sorry to be so sarcastic but that first comment is ridiculous

I have found Ecover works well and when I did the math, seems the best bang for my buck

"thepictures", I don't think the first comment was ridiculous. We had the same problem (all of our glasses were being ruined because the green products didn't have rinse agent).

We've since changed to the President's Choice biodegradable individually packaged stuff from Superstore (ind. packaged in biodegradable packaging) and it works fantastic.

thepictures - Are rinse agents ecologically friendly? Would buying an extra product negate whatever good I was doing by buying the Seventh Generation stuff? I do prerinse--was I going to have to postrinse, also? I haven't checked into it yet, but those were the thoughts I had about it.

my dishwasher is a Kitchenaid "high efficiency" model and I almost destroyed it by using non-high efficiency eco-friendly detergent. The only high-efficiency detergent I've been able to locate is Electrasol tabs, which are (needless to say) not eco-friendly. Has anyone found any high-efficiency detergent that is more environmentally friendly? (It's got to have the big "HE" on the package)

We really like Ecover tablets. We do use it with a rinse aid (also Ecover) and together they get our filthy, unrinsed everything really clean.

I use Ecover powder in a box and I love it. I don't like tablets because it works out to be more expensive per load that way, and if I do a mean job pre-rinsing then I like to use a little bit less detergent than necessary and let the hot water do its job.

Prerinsing dishes is a way to have all your dishes covered with white spots and etching. Dishwasher detergent is designed to break down foodstuffs and grease so when you prerinse, the detergent works directly on your dishes. Just scrape your plates. I liked the method cubes, but like gourmandizzy said above, the powder is cheaper by the load.

The white stuff that Seventh Generation detergent left on my dishes was leftover detergent. It didn't damage the dishes, but made it necessary to rinse them again after the cycle. I have since tried it a couple of times with the vinegar-in-a-cup trick, which worked on about 3/4 of the load.

Joan A. I use white vinegar for a rinse aid. if you have a place in your dishwasher specifically for the rinse aid, put it in there. i usually put a slosh or two from my big jug into that hole and i usually put a slosh of it right into the bottom of the dishwasher. all my dishes come out really clean. sometimes i've overfilled the soap and i'll notice that white stuff again. just be sure not to overfill your soap dispenser, and try the vinegar. works like a charm every time for me. good luck! :)

I moved into my first dishwasher-equipped house right after this recent Re-Nest post: http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/test-lab/product-review-3-ecofriendly-dishwasher-detergents-test-lab-111572

I went with Method tablets along with white vinegar, which seems to get everything clean. Granted I've only been using this for a month now, but so far so good.

There have been two times where I've noticed some residue, which seemed to not happen when I used just a bit more vinegar (maybe a half cup total).

I have had great luck with 7th gen. I do use Earth Friendly Wave Jet in the rinse aid dispenser. To avoid residue, I also make sure not to use too much detergent. It is amazing how much difference that makes without sacrificing cleaning. And I NEVER rinse and only scrape the really big chunks.

If I remember correctly, the Cascade bottle is green. But the soap itself is more of a blue color.

That's the one I clicked to comment and suggest! I've tried them all, and it's worked the best by far.

I buy the large boxes by the case from amazon and have found it to be much, much cheaper than local sources.

we use the method tablets and break them in half most of the time (when we don't have a full load). we've tried many other brands, and keep coming back to method. everything else leaves powdery stuff or streaks.

The article specifically mentions dishes coming out less cleanly in hard water. Where I live, the water is very very hard, and my dishes must be pre-rinsed even when using regular detergent. When I tried phosphate-free detergent (Seventh Gen), all my dishes had tons of minerals encrusted on them, even with vinegar. Is there any hope for us with very hard water?