What is the secret to have greasy soiled dishes washed sparkling clean automatically?
An automatic dishwasher holds, however, only half the answer.
The Consumer Council's attention was drawn to a case in which the complainant found the dishes cleaned by automatic dishwasher are left with an unpleasant scent of a strong aroma. The situation persisted even after the dosage of the detergent has been reduced by half.
Besides inappropriate dosage of the detergent, the problem might have been caused by inadequate user instruction shown on the package of detergent and thus the selection of an inappropriate operation programme and water temperature.
A survey was made of the labeling information of four dishwasher detergent products and one rinsing agent on the market. A number of key deficiencies was uncovered in the labeling information.
First, inadequate dosage instruction - The format of dosage instruction is not standardized. For instance, one sample was presented in terms of types of automatic dishwasher, while another in terms of number of people served.
As specifications of dishwasher machines generally include water volume and maximum accommodating number of sets of dishes, dosage instruction should therefore based on such common specifications accordingly.
Second, no indication of optimum water temperature and washing programme - In general, automatic dishwashers offer three modes of washing programmes ('economic', 'normal' and 'intensive'); different mode of programme may have different operating condition, including water temperature, number of washes/rinses, and length of wash cycle and rinse cycle.
If the operating water temperature is too low, the detergent could not be dissolved completely and therefore lead to wastage as well as unsatisfactory cleaning result. Conversely, if the water temperature is too high, it may denature the enzymes present in detergent and therefore reduce the detergent cleaning power.
The survey could find no sample which indicated an optimum temperature or a temperature range for washing action on the product package.
Third, no product ingredients and date of best use before - four out of five products had no information regarding product ingredients; and three out of five products without clear indication of the best use before date.
Both information is useful to consumers in the selection of an appropriate detergent, particularly for people allergic to certain fragrance and colorants.
Automatic dishwasher users are urged to pay heed to some environmental tips:
- For families with three to four members, try to reduce water and electric consumption by hand washing the dishes instead.
- It is highly recommended not to operate automatic dishwashers if the machine is not fully loaded. If necessary, users may consider to select the 'economic' or 'half load' mode of washing programme.
- For selection of detergent, consumers may consider products with lower phosphorus content in the interest of environment protection.
So, to conclude, the secret is, in addition to an automatic dishwasher, proper choice of dishwasher detergent, correct dosage adjustment, selection of appropriate operation programme, and right water temperature.
Happy dishwashing.
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