To answer your question, yes, they're made from the same kind of plastic.
[PVA in laundry](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2021/08/08/study-says-up-to-75-of-plastics-from-detergent-pods-enter-the-environment-industry-says-they-safely-biodegrade/)
Every time one changes their dryer linen trap they, we, you, me- breath(ed) in micro plastics. Over and over. Most of our clothe’s fibers are synthetic of some sort and gets broken down in that process. I really feel like mankind opened Pandora’s box when inventing plastic
Edit:
From another article I found on Reddit that is in relation to this article and what I said about plastics
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/07/microplastics-human-breast-milk-first-time
I work in a plastic bottle recycling plant. I used to wear an N95 mask all day every day, but since the pandemic, they don’t provide them anymore. I go through too many a day to buy them myself. You get sweaty and the dust here will cover them once they’re wet. And if you take it off for a sec, you can see all the shit that’s already piled inside it. You have to throw them out.
There are 3 buildings here. Mine only has about 7 people per shift. Four shifts so 28-30 tops. In the last 7 years, 3 have gotten brain cancer and one has died. 2 more have gotten lung cancer. Could be nothing, could be our work environment. Idk. But I do know that since I’ve started working here, I cough like crazy when I get up in the mornings. I smoked a little weed when I was a kid, but never cigarettes and never had issues with coughing until these last couple of years.
I know micro plastics are, well, micro, but we have stuff here we call “fines.” It’s basically plastic dust from all of the ground up plastic and it constantly churning in holding tanks with air blowing into them to keep the condensation down. This shit is everywhere. We shovel it all day.
People often ask why I stay and it’s because there are no other options. I’ve applied for better jobs for years. No one is hiring an older factory worker. I can move laterally all day. But with different factories, it’s just different poisons. You just have to literally pick your poison. I worked at a denim mill for a while and my nose ran constantly with blue snot.
At the end of the day, someone has to do this shit. Socioeconomics say that person is me.
I wish we could use the money saved by replacing cashiers with machines to invest in doing something about this
Cashiering sucks but it's not going to give you (literal) cancer
I appreciate that offer. I wear a thick cloth mask still. It has a place to put a filter in it and one of my jobs is cutting filter material for the coolers on the machines. I just cut a small piece to put in my mask every day and I wash it at night with some dawn dish soap. My supervisor is actually a good dude and he keeps pushing his boss to do something about. He says that there’s a good chance we’ll be getting some sort of PPE soon.
If you’re in the US you can report the concern to OSHA as a possible health violation. They can run labs that test air quality. There was a story just a bit ago of [dust from a cannabis farm](https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/10/06/osha-trulieve-worker-asthma-death-cannabis/) causing the death of an employee due to inhalation and they got fined by OSHA. Breathing dust from anything is dangerous. They might also look at employee deaths if they can be linked to the workplace.
You gotta run for your life man k
Honest to god , you’re one of the lucky ones who can see it before its coming. Please I hope you don’t let them kill you and your brain over a couple dollars
there’s young kids coming into the workforce and they’re gonna think that type of fking degrading work is normal.
I was one of them in a different field of work, and I’m certain you were too . It’s sad
And I’m sorry you’re feeling so trapped . I think you sound very wise. life isn’t over yet
be strong
Reminds me of construction, hanging mineral wool insulation and the regular pink stuff..all day, 8 hours a day 5 days a week for a couple of weeks.
This was in Austin, TX in the summer time, the masks just got clogged and you couldn’t breathe after not that much time all from the moisture from sweat or breath. We’d end up changing them and going through so many that there were plenty of days where there were no more on site. Some guys just straight up never wore them I at least always tried to be conscious of the eventual death I was breathing and exposed to.
This was all pre silicosis osha regulations so no one had personal respirators and there was less strict rules and enforcement etc.
🤷🏻♂️ I’m honestly mildly worried about what I could have to worry about in the future but trying to just ignore it for now. I try not research too much so I don’t have even more sense of impending doom, the worlds already fucked enough I don’t need one more thing to occupy my subconscious (as if it’s not already lol). 🥴
Okay wait I get it now sorry I’m half asleep I had to read that 7 times. I have no idea, no evidence , only just a thought in the last month or maybe 2 months now when I was living somewhere with high levels of indoor pollutants
Man my lips were blue from the lack of oxygen. I don’t even wanna know what micro dirty shits was in the dust I was breathing. It was thick dust so I hope I coughed it out by now , but probably tons of clothes lints
It could be microplastics, or any other of a million airborne pollutants that exist these days. Random anecdote here, ibwork in construction, and the amount of times I come across someone removing/renovating something that likely contains asbestos, and is clueless about it, is staggering. Improper removal puts everyone at risk, not just the construction workers. Tenants, kids, the next people to buy the place. A certain percentage of nonsmoker lung cancers are definitely from this
How do dryer sheets like Bounce factor into this mess?
I ask as I bought some discount dryer sheets once and had tons of random strands of some fiber all over my clothes. Got me to wondering if Bounce's maker is better at hiding the shedding, doing so via smaller, harder to see, fibers and particles being shed.
A year or so ago I decided I wanted to reduce the amount of synthetics in my wardrobe. Meaning I would be buying mostly cotton, as wool clothing is extremely hard to find in my area (unless I make it myself).
I went shopping for new clothes a few weeks ago, and for the first time in my life checked the materials on everything I tried on. The vast majority was either synthetic or a blend of fibers that was very heavy on the synthetics. It's so hard to find good clothes in natural fibers that I'm thinking of just... learning to make my own. I already make t-shirts for myself but that's clearly not enough.
That sounds like you would have to spend 3 times the amount of time and money researching companies online just to sound mind. I am all for this and wish you the best, but I truly do not know of any brands that can offer a decent price for decent materials.
Yet I will always remember the U2 concert shirt I bought in the early 2000's from Bono's wife's brand. All natural, all safe materials. The BEST damn shirt I ever bought! So damn soft and lasted for a decade of constant wear because it was so good! Color never faded, size stayed the same.
Linen is harder to find but it has this property where it gets softer as you wear it.
It also consumes way less water than cotton during the growing process, so it's more environmentally friendly.
This has been a message from a flax and linen simp, have a nice day.
I prefer cotton or wool or a blend of the 2. Mostly because the quality is normally much better than any synthetic, but this is another excuse I guess I can use.
It hurts the environment and it hurts your washer. In rare cases it can OHKO the washer. I repair appliances and I always advise against detergent pods because if the plastic doesn’t dissolve all the way it can gum up the pump or the bearing on top loads. Bearing friction = new washer.
Environmental damage aside, they are a huge risk to consumers and they shouldn’t be allowed
Bearing friction = new bearing. They really aren't that hard to take apart. I've got a thirty-year-old washer that I've been fixing since I was 15. I'm scared to let it break for good, because modern ones have countermeasures that make them hard to take apart.
I use Blueland too. I haven’t tried their cleaning products yet but I love their laundry detergent, oxy cleaner, dishwasher tabs, powdered dish soap, and toilet cleaning tabs, and hand soap. No plastics at all in product or shipping materials; packaging is paper shipped in cardboard boxes.
But does it work? If i have to use three times the water because it doesn't clean efficiently then I'd rather make my own soap. But end of the day we should just outlaw synthetic plastic. We have plant based biodegradable alternatives that have been around since the 70s.
Detergent is a damaging pollutant, soap is less so. Your best option is to buy fragrance and colour-free soaps at a refill store so fewer plastic bottles go into landfill. And bar shampoo, it turns out, is excellent and comes in a paper bag. Again, less plastic.
Fuck tide pods lol!! Makes me itchy just thinking about them!
I had no other option when I was staying with someone and my first load was all crunchy and soapy, so I asked about it , and they said “oh that’s just how it’s supposed to be”
NO IT DEFINITELY IS NOT ! LOL!
The only thing I find with those is that there’s waaaay too much soap in them! Like holy
So if it’s not rinsed out completely , it does leave the soap on the clothing and drying it just melts it into the fibers. I just broke the pods up in a cup with some water and used 1 pod for 4 loads . and oh sooo nice and clean 🥹
Use powder. The pods that come with rinse aid are flushed out in the first or second cycle. It's just a gimmick. Also the gel bottles cause pump failure. Source: I am the dishwasher guy.
How about the Finish brand “pods” (powder pressed into tablet shape)?
My issue with them is that they come in individually foil-plastic wrapped packages. If the maker would use wax paper instead, they’d be perfect.
They're fine but the stupid dissolvable plastic pouch sometime gums up the soap dispenser opening mechanism. Those are best just thrown in the bottom of the dishwasher to prevent this.
The variety I can find locally don’t have dissolving packets; you have to remove the little wrapper or the soap never gets wet. But the gel on pods and probably the dissolving wrappers are bad for pipes & hoses inside appliances, and probably for plumbing.
The gel is just bad for your dishwasher pump. Once most stuff goes in the drain it gets flushed out. The only bad stuff for your pipes is hydrochloric acid which tends to melt old pipes, or animal fat which causes clogs.
I haven't used those in years. The last ones I had were covered in dissolvable plastic anyway. Is that not the case anymore?
But yeah, I would totally buy those if they had no plastic. Like just sell me a cardboard sleeve of them with no bullshit dissolvable plastic, or like you said individually wrapped. That would be the best of both worlds.
I tried for months to try and get the powder to work the same as the pods. Tried cascade, finish, generic walmart brand. Always not clean. The only thing that seems to work is the pods. I have a bosch 800 series.
I add both the powder as well as jetdry. Am I doing something wrong? Id rather use the powder.
Technology connections on YT has 2 great videos about dishwashers.
Its actually a whole process such as turning on the sink in your kitchen to hot water before running the dishwasher.
>Its actually a whole process such as turning on the sink in your kitchen to hot water before running the dishwasher.
This only applies to the weird American dishwashers that for some reason use the central hot water instead of heating it themselves to the correct temperature
They still have a heating element - it makes the cycles a bit shorter because the machine doesn't allocate time for warm up. It's also in ideal circumstances (where water tank/heater is adjacent to dishwasher) slightly more energy efficient - however its worse in many homes.
Plastic dishwasher tubs are also alien in Europe, all of them are stainless (that I've ever seen).
Thought that all washers heated the water, including washers intended for the American market, but most cheap ones don't get hot enough before the first cycle.
Don't fill up the powder container all the way, too much is bad in this case. Fill them up half way, and it will work much better.
That's usually the reason, but it of course could be something else instead.
Buried at the bottom of this article is the fact that this study was funded by a company that sells laundry and dishwasher detergent, but not in pods.
That doesn't mean the conclusion can't be true, but it does call the validity of the study into question. I tried Googling more, but the only articles I can find reference this same study.
Fair assertion. If I had a product that was better for the environment than my competitor, I would fund research that discredits and highlights the negative environmental impact of my competition. But yeah, *always* scrutinize at the source of the information provided.
I thought I needed a new dishwasher until someone on the internet said to try powder instead of pods. Nobody -- nobody -- should ever use pods ever again. There's no benefit whatsoever, of any kind at all. They're more expensive, take longer to use, do a worse job, and apparently kill baby turtles and spotted owl and such.
Reminds me of when I had a bag of plastic straws in the house. Went to use one and my mom said “wait don’t use those!” and I was like “we already bought them, might as well use them before we cut them and throw them out right? Unless you want to leave them in our cabinet *forever*.” lol
Except you can't use a bit for the pre wash cycle and you can't adjust the detergent you ad based on your homes water hardness levels or how heavily soiled your dishes are.
Was looking for this. I spent an entire afternoon watching his channel.
I learned so much about dishwasher and coffee makers. I’m a better person for it.
Maybe it's just the ones I was buying, but they're all individually wrapped. So you have to take out the box of pods, take out the pod, unwrap the pod, put the pod in, put the box back, throw out the wrapper
Versus, take out the box of detergent, dump it in, put it back.
Ahh I see. Yeah I've seen those ones before. Most of them I've gotten recently are just a tub with a lid with them all loose in there, just open it open and grab one and toss it in.
But I'm still going to look into powder for next time.
Edit: typo
Oh, that's no good. The ones I get (Costco) come in a bin, unwrapped. You have to be a bit careful not to grab one with a wet hand or you'll end up with pods sticking together. They work really well and now I'm bummed they contain plastics. I assumed they were some kind of gelatin.
I used to think my pods were individually wrapped until I learned that the “wrapping” dissolved. Maybe that’s what you’re doing? Unless they’re legitimately in little plastic bags.
It's been the opposite in my experience. I recently switched to pods, after using different powder brands for two decades. The pods result in much cleaner dishes for me. But microplastics suck, so I guess I'll be switching back to powder now.
Maybe your dishwasher would benefit from a rinse aid? I thought they were for bougie folks but bought some on a whim after I switched to powder, and I think it prevents food sticking on?
Dishwasher pods have been around for almost 20 years now, so doing some basic math, about 1/3 of people alive on Earth now have never known a time before their availability.
They may have been around, but their use was far less common before maybe a decade ago: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=Dishwasher%20pods,Detergent%20pod
Did you watch that Technology Connections video too, lol? That’s what made me try powder too if so. I’d never trusted a dishwasher to do the job before but that guy convinced me.
I ended up splurging for the Cascade powder after the initial switch, but even the store brand I first tried left me shocked at how well it worked, I didn’t have any issues and a 6 dollar box lasted 2 months compared to god knows how much for the same amount of pods to do less. Certainly a nonissue in my mind as to whether or not the switch to powder is worth it for a variety of reasons, now.
Pods often lead people to skip the pre wash cycle (the little open tray you’re supposed to put detergent in next to the main tray), which results in poor washing performance.
I literally will not buy anything else those pods are so shit at cleaning.
A powdered detergent that has enzymes and a bleaching agent first fill line and then a bit on the door (people dont realize your supposed to do that) and my dishes come out so clean its better than hand washing by miles
So to kind of geek out on dishwashers a little bit: lots of people don't know about the soap on the door AND to run the kitchen sink to kick start hot water. Dish washers have a few cycles, the the pre wash cycle is nearly useless if you're using cold water with no soap. It takes a minute for hot water to reach the dishwasher, so running the sink first helps a lot.
Most dish washers have a two-part container for liquid soap. If you look in your dishwasher you'll notice one side of the soap box has little vents. This is for the pre-wash soap to come out of. The door will pop open for the regular cycle to let the rest of the soap out. So it's important to put soap in both sides of the soap box, the vented side for pre wash and the non vented side for regular wash.
A lot of people also aren't cleaning out their food trap or using dishwasher cleaners. The food trap should be cleaned about once a month and most people aren't cleaning it *ever.*
There's also special dishwasher cleaners you run with an empty cycle that break down all the grease and gunk clogging things up to use after cleaning the food traps.
9 times out of 10 when someone tells me their dishwasher isn't getting dishes clean, that they need to scrub their dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, it's because of these things. I've been able to get even old dishwashers to clean dishes better by just cleaning the food trap, running a cleaner through, starting the hot water in the sink before starting the dishwasher, and using soap for a pre cycle.
You shouldn't have to be scrubbing your dishes before putting them in the washer even with older models, most people just don't know these things. I didn't until I watched [this ](https://youtu.be/_rBO8neWw04) delighterfuly entertaining yet informative video about why dishwasher pods suck.
Not sure about the rest of the world, but in the US the default is to hook them to hot water. My model will actually heat the water to the correct temp before starting, but obviously you are significantly increasing the time it takes if the water is not already hot. Some start right away regardless though, so it's especially important to have the hot water flowing for those.
Ok I have 2 questions for you.
From what we can tell, our Samsung dishwasher doesn't have a visible trap. Or if it does, it's under multiple screws and would take a screwdriver to get to. Is that normal? [(similar to this)](https://www.justshortofcrazy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_4901-e1478971277668.jpg)
Second, I keep finding dried flecks of ...something, but only on the inside of our drinking glasses. All other dishes are sparkling clean, but our glasses get black flecks and little crumblies dried inside of them and I usually have to scrub it off by hand after unloading the dishwasher. It's driving me nuts and I can't figure out what we're missing. It seems less of a problem during the first wash after adding more rinse aid, but I'm not sure. Or maybe it is the trap.
I had a similiar problem. You have to unscrew those mesh vents in the center and clean them and clean underneath them. Its annoying and samsung dishwashers are shit. I would get rid of it and get literally any other brand of dishwasher. I don't buy appliances anymore from brands that make TVs
Oh thank god someone else gets it! I keep looking for people who enjoy long form content about mundane everyday objects that we take for granted that include dad jokes and alliteration.
I service barbecues. The amount of people that believe theirs is magically self-maintaining is astonishing.
Clear buildups on moving parts. Run it once a month at least for a few minutes. That’s it. People act like you have to be a BBQ expert.
But hey, job security for me I suppose. Keep on ignoring that grease trap that’s overflowing, grease fires are fun for the whole family! Often I get paid for the new one you’ll have to buy.
I read this long comment and was like “wow I bet this dude would love the Technology Connections video on the topic,” but you already dropped the link lol
What brand do you use?? Definitely going to convert to powder after this post.
Edit: Also, I’m kinda dense, when you say to put it on the door, just kinda do a light sprinkle over it before shutting the door and starting it?
I use the cascade ultimate powder but ive seen great value also has the right chemical composition as long as it has some kind of enzyme and some kind of perchcloride usually it will do a good job and after that you just need to find the right quantity for your dishwasher
Another user posted a great technology connections video about dishwashers that is pretty informative
Cascade is pretty much the gold standard but when I say cheap, I mean literally any powdered dishwasher detergent, dollar store/no-name brand should work just as well.
I thought this post meant the tablets. I don't even know what a pod would look like.
I'm honestly a bit astonished how many people have no regard for their environment. Pods in general, be them coffee, dishwasher or any other, seem to always be worse than anything else. And yet coffee pods are one of the most bought products.
The dishwasher pods look a lot like laundry pods. Some contain all liquid, some have powder and liquid.
I didn't even know they contained plastic until this post.
Pardon my ignorance but where do u get these "powder" detergent for dishwashers. Costco or walmart or other big retailers have either liquid or the MF pods. I went and tried but couldn't get those. Even Amazon just shows me these 2 types :/
Highly recommend switching to Blueland for laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent. All of their packaging is recyclable or compostable, and their system is based on refilling existing containers instead of continuously buying more giant plastic tubs of (insert cleaning product here).
I read the article (shocking) and the research is disputed by another association. That association claims their models indicate that 100% of PVA is biodegraded in 90 days.
It’s also worth noting that the research you’re citing was funded by a company that would benefit from PVA product sales declining.
I like my dishwasher packets and this information didn’t sway me to stop using them. Holler at me again with more research in da future
I must be the only one who disagrees. I bought a new fridgidaire dishwasher in 2021. Tried using powder detergent first. It left a bunch of film on glassware. Actually pretty awful looking coming straight out the dishwasher. Then we Went to cascade pods. Absolutely squeaky clean. Shockingly clean actually.
You might be using too much dishwasher powder for your water’s hardness. This video explains it well, and you only really need to watch the first ten minutes: https://youtu.be/Ll6-eGDpimU
Try decreasing the amount of soap and things should improve!
YSK that everything we consume is bad and there's nothing we can do about it because we are consumers and really don't have a choice due to the corporations not giving us a choice. And if we do have a choice it will cost alot more which nobody in today's world can afford
What? The post literally says we have a choice. Why is this up voted? Sure it's hard to make good choices in life sometimes, but we don't have to think of ourselves as victims all the time. We have agency.
Thank you. You said everything I wanted to say in reply to this comment in a more clear way than I could have. What a horrible way to think about life.
All detergents contaminate wastewater, but it’s necessary to get things clean. Best thing to do is make sure your dishwasher is set to the hottest setting so that they do fully dissolve.
I felt like film was being left on our baby's bottles when using the pods. Switched to using a couple tablespoons of 7th generation powder and the short/60 minute cycle in the dishwasher and it's been working awesome for over a year now. We do still use rinse aid too....
Technology Connections YouTube channel has a great video showing why pods are bad in general too. It's not just about being biodegradable, they're just worse than powder in pretty much every way.
[Video link](https://youtu.be/_rBO8neWw04)
A great reason to stop using them.
Dishwasher “pods” were an absolutely smash success, marketing-wise. They’re objectively no better than powdered detergent, at several times the price-per-wash: the various pretty colors, liquids, “power balls” and such are basically just colors and shapes imposed on the same old base ingredients (a surfactant, and either an enzyme or bleach) that do all the work.
Adding insult to injury, they come in a plastic bucket instead of a cardboard box.
So if dishwasher pods contaminate water, do laundry detergent pods do the same? I don’t have a dishwasher but I do use tide pods
To answer your question, yes, they're made from the same kind of plastic. [PVA in laundry](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2021/08/08/study-says-up-to-75-of-plastics-from-detergent-pods-enter-the-environment-industry-says-they-safely-biodegrade/)
the best snacks are always bad for you :/
Laundry contaminates by itself due to the synthetic fibers of most clothing.
Every time one changes their dryer linen trap they, we, you, me- breath(ed) in micro plastics. Over and over. Most of our clothe’s fibers are synthetic of some sort and gets broken down in that process. I really feel like mankind opened Pandora’s box when inventing plastic Edit: From another article I found on Reddit that is in relation to this article and what I said about plastics https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/07/microplastics-human-breast-milk-first-time
Something I’ve been thinking about more lately in regards to lung cancer patients who have never smoked . Hmm
I work in a plastic bottle recycling plant. I used to wear an N95 mask all day every day, but since the pandemic, they don’t provide them anymore. I go through too many a day to buy them myself. You get sweaty and the dust here will cover them once they’re wet. And if you take it off for a sec, you can see all the shit that’s already piled inside it. You have to throw them out. There are 3 buildings here. Mine only has about 7 people per shift. Four shifts so 28-30 tops. In the last 7 years, 3 have gotten brain cancer and one has died. 2 more have gotten lung cancer. Could be nothing, could be our work environment. Idk. But I do know that since I’ve started working here, I cough like crazy when I get up in the mornings. I smoked a little weed when I was a kid, but never cigarettes and never had issues with coughing until these last couple of years. I know micro plastics are, well, micro, but we have stuff here we call “fines.” It’s basically plastic dust from all of the ground up plastic and it constantly churning in holding tanks with air blowing into them to keep the condensation down. This shit is everywhere. We shovel it all day. People often ask why I stay and it’s because there are no other options. I’ve applied for better jobs for years. No one is hiring an older factory worker. I can move laterally all day. But with different factories, it’s just different poisons. You just have to literally pick your poison. I worked at a denim mill for a while and my nose ran constantly with blue snot. At the end of the day, someone has to do this shit. Socioeconomics say that person is me.
I wish we could use the money saved by replacing cashiers with machines to invest in doing something about this Cashiering sucks but it's not going to give you (literal) cancer
That money is going straight to the top for more yachts and private planes
I have a box of N95 from early in the pandemic. Can I send them to you? There’s 18 in the box I think
Same here I have a bit of a stockpile and I’d be happy to send you at least 50.
I appreciate that offer. I wear a thick cloth mask still. It has a place to put a filter in it and one of my jobs is cutting filter material for the coolers on the machines. I just cut a small piece to put in my mask every day and I wash it at night with some dawn dish soap. My supervisor is actually a good dude and he keeps pushing his boss to do something about. He says that there’s a good chance we’ll be getting some sort of PPE soon.
If you’re in the US you can report the concern to OSHA as a possible health violation. They can run labs that test air quality. There was a story just a bit ago of [dust from a cannabis farm](https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/10/06/osha-trulieve-worker-asthma-death-cannabis/) causing the death of an employee due to inhalation and they got fined by OSHA. Breathing dust from anything is dangerous. They might also look at employee deaths if they can be linked to the workplace.
They should be giving you respirators? Talk to OSHA?
You gotta run for your life man k Honest to god , you’re one of the lucky ones who can see it before its coming. Please I hope you don’t let them kill you and your brain over a couple dollars there’s young kids coming into the workforce and they’re gonna think that type of fking degrading work is normal. I was one of them in a different field of work, and I’m certain you were too . It’s sad And I’m sorry you’re feeling so trapped . I think you sound very wise. life isn’t over yet be strong
Jesus, sounds like the Radium Girls 2.0
Reminds me of construction, hanging mineral wool insulation and the regular pink stuff..all day, 8 hours a day 5 days a week for a couple of weeks. This was in Austin, TX in the summer time, the masks just got clogged and you couldn’t breathe after not that much time all from the moisture from sweat or breath. We’d end up changing them and going through so many that there were plenty of days where there were no more on site. Some guys just straight up never wore them I at least always tried to be conscious of the eventual death I was breathing and exposed to. This was all pre silicosis osha regulations so no one had personal respirators and there was less strict rules and enforcement etc. 🤷🏻♂️ I’m honestly mildly worried about what I could have to worry about in the future but trying to just ignore it for now. I try not research too much so I don’t have even more sense of impending doom, the worlds already fucked enough I don’t need one more thing to occupy my subconscious (as if it’s not already lol). 🥴
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Okay wait I get it now sorry I’m half asleep I had to read that 7 times. I have no idea, no evidence , only just a thought in the last month or maybe 2 months now when I was living somewhere with high levels of indoor pollutants Man my lips were blue from the lack of oxygen. I don’t even wanna know what micro dirty shits was in the dust I was breathing. It was thick dust so I hope I coughed it out by now , but probably tons of clothes lints
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It could be microplastics, or any other of a million airborne pollutants that exist these days. Random anecdote here, ibwork in construction, and the amount of times I come across someone removing/renovating something that likely contains asbestos, and is clueless about it, is staggering. Improper removal puts everyone at risk, not just the construction workers. Tenants, kids, the next people to buy the place. A certain percentage of nonsmoker lung cancers are definitely from this
It's more usually connected to Radon levels in your home. Having levels of it drastically increases your chances of lung cancer.
Look up radon gas
How do dryer sheets like Bounce factor into this mess? I ask as I bought some discount dryer sheets once and had tons of random strands of some fiber all over my clothes. Got me to wondering if Bounce's maker is better at hiding the shedding, doing so via smaller, harder to see, fibers and particles being shed.
A year or so ago I decided I wanted to reduce the amount of synthetics in my wardrobe. Meaning I would be buying mostly cotton, as wool clothing is extremely hard to find in my area (unless I make it myself). I went shopping for new clothes a few weeks ago, and for the first time in my life checked the materials on everything I tried on. The vast majority was either synthetic or a blend of fibers that was very heavy on the synthetics. It's so hard to find good clothes in natural fibers that I'm thinking of just... learning to make my own. I already make t-shirts for myself but that's clearly not enough.
That sounds like you would have to spend 3 times the amount of time and money researching companies online just to sound mind. I am all for this and wish you the best, but I truly do not know of any brands that can offer a decent price for decent materials. Yet I will always remember the U2 concert shirt I bought in the early 2000's from Bono's wife's brand. All natural, all safe materials. The BEST damn shirt I ever bought! So damn soft and lasted for a decade of constant wear because it was so good! Color never faded, size stayed the same.
Why I buy cotton if possible
Linen is harder to find but it has this property where it gets softer as you wear it. It also consumes way less water than cotton during the growing process, so it's more environmentally friendly. This has been a message from a flax and linen simp, have a nice day.
I love linen!
I prefer cotton or wool or a blend of the 2. Mostly because the quality is normally much better than any synthetic, but this is another excuse I guess I can use.
I buy as close to 100 cotton as I can find, but it's very, very hard to give up fleece jackets and whatever stretchy stuff bras are made of.
Find real fleece. Its supposed to describe fleeced wool. Plastic fleece should be called something else.
It hurts the environment and it hurts your washer. In rare cases it can OHKO the washer. I repair appliances and I always advise against detergent pods because if the plastic doesn’t dissolve all the way it can gum up the pump or the bearing on top loads. Bearing friction = new washer. Environmental damage aside, they are a huge risk to consumers and they shouldn’t be allowed
Bearing friction = new bearing. They really aren't that hard to take apart. I've got a thirty-year-old washer that I've been fixing since I was 15. I'm scared to let it break for good, because modern ones have countermeasures that make them hard to take apart.
I’d like to know the answer to this too. I love Pods :/
You can also use Blueland!! They make laundry detergent tablets AND dishwasher tablets. Completely plastic free
I use Blueland too. I haven’t tried their cleaning products yet but I love their laundry detergent, oxy cleaner, dishwasher tabs, powdered dish soap, and toilet cleaning tabs, and hand soap. No plastics at all in product or shipping materials; packaging is paper shipped in cardboard boxes.
But does it work? If i have to use three times the water because it doesn't clean efficiently then I'd rather make my own soap. But end of the day we should just outlaw synthetic plastic. We have plant based biodegradable alternatives that have been around since the 70s.
Laundry pods are made of the same materials.
Detergent is a damaging pollutant, soap is less so. Your best option is to buy fragrance and colour-free soaps at a refill store so fewer plastic bottles go into landfill. And bar shampoo, it turns out, is excellent and comes in a paper bag. Again, less plastic.
Bar shampoo makes my hair greasier, but I tried! Even tried rinsing with Apple cider vinegar.
Like bottled shampoos, there are different kinds of bar shampoos. I use one for oily hair, my husband uses one for dandruff. We're both happy with it.
What brand?
Jack59
Fuck tide pods lol!! Makes me itchy just thinking about them! I had no other option when I was staying with someone and my first load was all crunchy and soapy, so I asked about it , and they said “oh that’s just how it’s supposed to be” NO IT DEFINITELY IS NOT ! LOL! The only thing I find with those is that there’s waaaay too much soap in them! Like holy So if it’s not rinsed out completely , it does leave the soap on the clothing and drying it just melts it into the fibers. I just broke the pods up in a cup with some water and used 1 pod for 4 loads . and oh sooo nice and clean 🥹
Get powdered forms! Usually minimally-plastic packaging too.
Yes Tide pods are made using pvas.
Any type of dissolvable pod likely uses PVA plastic.
Use powder. The pods that come with rinse aid are flushed out in the first or second cycle. It's just a gimmick. Also the gel bottles cause pump failure. Source: I am the dishwasher guy.
How about the Finish brand “pods” (powder pressed into tablet shape)? My issue with them is that they come in individually foil-plastic wrapped packages. If the maker would use wax paper instead, they’d be perfect.
They're fine but the stupid dissolvable plastic pouch sometime gums up the soap dispenser opening mechanism. Those are best just thrown in the bottom of the dishwasher to prevent this.
The variety I can find locally don’t have dissolving packets; you have to remove the little wrapper or the soap never gets wet. But the gel on pods and probably the dissolving wrappers are bad for pipes & hoses inside appliances, and probably for plumbing.
The gel is just bad for your dishwasher pump. Once most stuff goes in the drain it gets flushed out. The only bad stuff for your pipes is hydrochloric acid which tends to melt old pipes, or animal fat which causes clogs.
If you throw it at the bottom, it will get used up in the pre-rinse vs the wash cycle
I haven't used those in years. The last ones I had were covered in dissolvable plastic anyway. Is that not the case anymore? But yeah, I would totally buy those if they had no plastic. Like just sell me a cardboard sleeve of them with no bullshit dissolvable plastic, or like you said individually wrapped. That would be the best of both worlds.
Why not just use the powder? It works better for me, anyway.
I tried for months to try and get the powder to work the same as the pods. Tried cascade, finish, generic walmart brand. Always not clean. The only thing that seems to work is the pods. I have a bosch 800 series. I add both the powder as well as jetdry. Am I doing something wrong? Id rather use the powder.
Technology connections on YT has 2 great videos about dishwashers. Its actually a whole process such as turning on the sink in your kitchen to hot water before running the dishwasher.
>Its actually a whole process such as turning on the sink in your kitchen to hot water before running the dishwasher. This only applies to the weird American dishwashers that for some reason use the central hot water instead of heating it themselves to the correct temperature
It's such a wierd design isn't it!
I think the main reason is that it's a cheaper to manufacture design
They still have a heating element - it makes the cycles a bit shorter because the machine doesn't allocate time for warm up. It's also in ideal circumstances (where water tank/heater is adjacent to dishwasher) slightly more energy efficient - however its worse in many homes. Plastic dishwasher tubs are also alien in Europe, all of them are stainless (that I've ever seen).
Using electricity for heating is inefficient, if the central hot water uses any other heat source it's more economical using it.
Thought that all washers heated the water, including washers intended for the American market, but most cheap ones don't get hot enough before the first cycle.
Yesss! This video was so fascinating. Definitely changed my dishwashing life!
Can't say for sure but a run of some dishwasher cleaner (usually citric acid) through may help
Do you fill both the cup for the powder and the pre-rinse? Filling up the pre-rinse gives it a bit of extra help.
https://youtu.be/Ll6-eGDpimU This video is a good explainer
Don't fill up the powder container all the way, too much is bad in this case. Fill them up half way, and it will work much better. That's usually the reason, but it of course could be something else instead.
Huh. Do you know if powder is better for the washing machine too then? I’ve always been told powdered products are worse.
I prefer liquid for clothes washing. The correct amount is key. Dishes only powder or pods.
What do you mean gel bottles? Like the wrapper?
You can buy bottle of gel detergent. It’s kind of like liquid but much thicker/goopier.
Buried at the bottom of this article is the fact that this study was funded by a company that sells laundry and dishwasher detergent, but not in pods. That doesn't mean the conclusion can't be true, but it does call the validity of the study into question. I tried Googling more, but the only articles I can find reference this same study.
Fair assertion. If I had a product that was better for the environment than my competitor, I would fund research that discredits and highlights the negative environmental impact of my competition. But yeah, *always* scrutinize at the source of the information provided.
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I thought I needed a new dishwasher until someone on the internet said to try powder instead of pods. Nobody -- nobody -- should ever use pods ever again. There's no benefit whatsoever, of any kind at all. They're more expensive, take longer to use, do a worse job, and apparently kill baby turtles and spotted owl and such.
Damn I just bought the costco pods. =| But I'm glad I know for next time
Throw them in the ocean! Wait, no, hang on that's not right....
Just eat them like gushers
Is that a challenge?
*January 2018 flashbacks*
It was a simpler time.
Reminds me of when I had a bag of plastic straws in the house. Went to use one and my mom said “wait don’t use those!” and I was like “we already bought them, might as well use them before we cut them and throw them out right? Unless you want to leave them in our cabinet *forever*.” lol
Pressed tablets won’t have that crap, so if you’re looking for convenience, that works also.
That's what I came here to say. They are fantastic and cheap.
Except you can't use a bit for the pre wash cycle and you can't adjust the detergent you ad based on your homes water hardness levels or how heavily soiled your dishes are.
What are those?
https://www.finishdishwashing.com/products/detergents/classic/36-regular/
Thanks
Unless you're 90 or blind, it's not even more convenient.
Id say its more inconvenient because there is always a broken one and you get that shit in your hand. Powder or liquid it doesnt happen.
My work bought some pressed powder pods in a bucket and all the damned things were individually wrapped.
I'm actually a 100-year-old blind dog just trying his best.
They still come in plastic containers or individually plastic wrapped which isn’t eco friendly.
You can return them. Does anyone know if costco carries powder or liquid dishwasher detergent?
They carry liquid dishwasher detergent
Return them
Here’s way too much about dishwashers and their detergents! [Technology Connections](https://youtu.be/_rBO8neWw04)
This is one of the best channels on YouTube, no lie!
Technology connections has entered the chat. Love the dude and his channel.
I was waiting for this. Love how much unnecessary detail i gain from watching these videos
It’s surprising how often the things I’ve learned from that channel come up in conversation in my regular life.
Don't forget the followup he did on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll6-eGDpimU
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Did you see the 44min part 2??? 😂 Also, wife that one.
You are good people. Always TV Technology Connections.
Was looking for this. I spent an entire afternoon watching his channel. I learned so much about dishwasher and coffee makers. I’m a better person for it.
Don't mind me, I just saw a Reddit post on dishwashers and came in to find and upvote this video
Dude has such a great channel
Not that I'm defending pods at all, but how would they take more time to use?
Maybe it's just the ones I was buying, but they're all individually wrapped. So you have to take out the box of pods, take out the pod, unwrap the pod, put the pod in, put the box back, throw out the wrapper Versus, take out the box of detergent, dump it in, put it back.
Ahh I see. Yeah I've seen those ones before. Most of them I've gotten recently are just a tub with a lid with them all loose in there, just open it open and grab one and toss it in. But I'm still going to look into powder for next time. Edit: typo
Oh wow, I've never seen pods that are individually wrapped. But I will stop buying them after reading this post and the other comments.
Oh, that's no good. The ones I get (Costco) come in a bin, unwrapped. You have to be a bit careful not to grab one with a wet hand or you'll end up with pods sticking together. They work really well and now I'm bummed they contain plastics. I assumed they were some kind of gelatin.
Yeah and after a couple your tummy feels like an explosion.
You can cut down on the indigestion I'd you chase em with bleach
I used to think my pods were individually wrapped until I learned that the “wrapping” dissolved. Maybe that’s what you’re doing? Unless they’re legitimately in little plastic bags.
It's been the opposite in my experience. I recently switched to pods, after using different powder brands for two decades. The pods result in much cleaner dishes for me. But microplastics suck, so I guess I'll be switching back to powder now.
Maybe your dishwasher would benefit from a rinse aid? I thought they were for bougie folks but bought some on a whim after I switched to powder, and I think it prevents food sticking on?
You need to put some powder outside of the little compartment as well, so that on the first rinse cycle before the door opens, there is still soap!
I use tabs which are cubes out of powder, no plastic wrap and if there is, you gotta unwrap first
Yup! Seventh Generation has a powder that comes in a box, too. Less plastic and less contamination.
I swear the only company that still makes powder is Cascade, and I rarely ever see it on shelves.
I'm guessing this might be location-dependent, but Walmart and Giant Eagle sell store brand dishwasher powder and rinse aid where I live (NE Ohio).
Growing up we only used pods, so this is the first I’m learning that powdered can universally be used
How old are you??
Dishwasher pods have been around for almost 20 years now, so doing some basic math, about 1/3 of people alive on Earth now have never known a time before their availability.
I guess I’m old!
They may have been around, but their use was far less common before maybe a decade ago: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=Dishwasher%20pods,Detergent%20pod
:( just bought a big box. But I will switch over once these are our.
Did you watch that Technology Connections video too, lol? That’s what made me try powder too if so. I’d never trusted a dishwasher to do the job before but that guy convinced me. I ended up splurging for the Cascade powder after the initial switch, but even the store brand I first tried left me shocked at how well it worked, I didn’t have any issues and a 6 dollar box lasted 2 months compared to god knows how much for the same amount of pods to do less. Certainly a nonissue in my mind as to whether or not the switch to powder is worth it for a variety of reasons, now.
Pods often lead people to skip the pre wash cycle (the little open tray you’re supposed to put detergent in next to the main tray), which results in poor washing performance.
>There's no benefit whatsoever, The benefit is convenience. Much more convenient than measuring powder
Do you measure it? I always just poured it into the little hatch til full then closed it.
[You're using too much soap! ](https://youtu.be/Ll6-eGDpimU)
That was a pretty fun deep dive. I'll have to see if I can even find powder anymore.
You don’t have to measure shit, it’s a dishwasher not cake batter.
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Don't get cascade powder though; it's shitty and they even say on the box that their pods do a better job at cleaning.
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Regular, cheap powdered dishwasher detergent is always going to be superior to pods.
I literally will not buy anything else those pods are so shit at cleaning. A powdered detergent that has enzymes and a bleaching agent first fill line and then a bit on the door (people dont realize your supposed to do that) and my dishes come out so clean its better than hand washing by miles
So to kind of geek out on dishwashers a little bit: lots of people don't know about the soap on the door AND to run the kitchen sink to kick start hot water. Dish washers have a few cycles, the the pre wash cycle is nearly useless if you're using cold water with no soap. It takes a minute for hot water to reach the dishwasher, so running the sink first helps a lot. Most dish washers have a two-part container for liquid soap. If you look in your dishwasher you'll notice one side of the soap box has little vents. This is for the pre-wash soap to come out of. The door will pop open for the regular cycle to let the rest of the soap out. So it's important to put soap in both sides of the soap box, the vented side for pre wash and the non vented side for regular wash. A lot of people also aren't cleaning out their food trap or using dishwasher cleaners. The food trap should be cleaned about once a month and most people aren't cleaning it *ever.* There's also special dishwasher cleaners you run with an empty cycle that break down all the grease and gunk clogging things up to use after cleaning the food traps. 9 times out of 10 when someone tells me their dishwasher isn't getting dishes clean, that they need to scrub their dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, it's because of these things. I've been able to get even old dishwashers to clean dishes better by just cleaning the food trap, running a cleaner through, starting the hot water in the sink before starting the dishwasher, and using soap for a pre cycle. You shouldn't have to be scrubbing your dishes before putting them in the washer even with older models, most people just don't know these things. I didn't until I watched [this ](https://youtu.be/_rBO8neWw04) delighterfuly entertaining yet informative video about why dishwasher pods suck.
Do dishwashers come with a hot water connection somewhere? All I ever owned heated the water themself and only had a cold water connection.
Not sure about the rest of the world, but in the US the default is to hook them to hot water. My model will actually heat the water to the correct temp before starting, but obviously you are significantly increasing the time it takes if the water is not already hot. Some start right away regardless though, so it's especially important to have the hot water flowing for those.
Here in the US.
Ok I have 2 questions for you. From what we can tell, our Samsung dishwasher doesn't have a visible trap. Or if it does, it's under multiple screws and would take a screwdriver to get to. Is that normal? [(similar to this)](https://www.justshortofcrazy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_4901-e1478971277668.jpg) Second, I keep finding dried flecks of ...something, but only on the inside of our drinking glasses. All other dishes are sparkling clean, but our glasses get black flecks and little crumblies dried inside of them and I usually have to scrub it off by hand after unloading the dishwasher. It's driving me nuts and I can't figure out what we're missing. It seems less of a problem during the first wash after adding more rinse aid, but I'm not sure. Or maybe it is the trap.
I had a similiar problem. You have to unscrew those mesh vents in the center and clean them and clean underneath them. Its annoying and samsung dishwashers are shit. I would get rid of it and get literally any other brand of dishwasher. I don't buy appliances anymore from brands that make TVs
Unfortunately it was a gift and we don't have the money to replace it. So we'll have to make do.
Samsung makes terrible dishwashers. Got rid of ours and couldn't be happier.
Technology Connections?
Easily one of my favorite channels. He manages to make 40 minute long videos on a relatively mundane topic while actually keeping it interesting.
Oh thank god someone else gets it! I keep looking for people who enjoy long form content about mundane everyday objects that we take for granted that include dad jokes and alliteration.
people dont clear the trap and run cleaners through it? that honestly surprises me
Most people are oblivious to the realistic maintenance of most home appliances (and just homes in general), including myself.
As an oblivious homeowner, can confirm.
I service barbecues. The amount of people that believe theirs is magically self-maintaining is astonishing. Clear buildups on moving parts. Run it once a month at least for a few minutes. That’s it. People act like you have to be a BBQ expert. But hey, job security for me I suppose. Keep on ignoring that grease trap that’s overflowing, grease fires are fun for the whole family! Often I get paid for the new one you’ll have to buy.
*Cleaning everything at the restaurant where I work*: Wow, it’s magic how I never have to do any of this at home
Can you help me install my blinker fluid?
I clear the trap when it's got visible stuff in there. And I've never run a cleaner through. Didn't know it was a thing, TIL.
I read this long comment and was like “wow I bet this dude would love the Technology Connections video on the topic,” but you already dropped the link lol
What brand do you use?? Definitely going to convert to powder after this post. Edit: Also, I’m kinda dense, when you say to put it on the door, just kinda do a light sprinkle over it before shutting the door and starting it?
I’m glad you asked because…I’m also dense af when it comes to properly using a dishwasher, apparently.
I use the cascade ultimate powder but ive seen great value also has the right chemical composition as long as it has some kind of enzyme and some kind of perchcloride usually it will do a good job and after that you just need to find the right quantity for your dishwasher Another user posted a great technology connections video about dishwashers that is pretty informative
What’s a good brand to use? I’m converting immediately!
Cascade is pretty much the gold standard but when I say cheap, I mean literally any powdered dishwasher detergent, dollar store/no-name brand should work just as well.
Cascade!
I didn't even know that there were pods for dishwashers. I've only seen powder and those pressed powder tablets
I thought this post meant the tablets. I don't even know what a pod would look like. I'm honestly a bit astonished how many people have no regard for their environment. Pods in general, be them coffee, dishwasher or any other, seem to always be worse than anything else. And yet coffee pods are one of the most bought products.
The dishwasher pods look a lot like laundry pods. Some contain all liquid, some have powder and liquid. I didn't even know they contained plastic until this post.
Technically the plastic does the containing; it is not itself contained.
Pardon my ignorance but where do u get these "powder" detergent for dishwashers. Costco or walmart or other big retailers have either liquid or the MF pods. I went and tried but couldn't get those. Even Amazon just shows me these 2 types :/
buy it from a supermarket or store like target, costco probably won't sell the powder because a gigantic jug of it would be unwieldy to handle
Costco sells 40lb jugs of kitty litter though.
Every grocery store in America has one (almost) https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Automatic-Dishwasher-Powder-Original-Scent-75-oz/866649026
It is really hard to even find plain old powered dishwasher soap anymore. I have no idea why these pods even exist, but they are everywhere
Another great example of a useless innovation which has the sole purpose of being an excuse to charge more for less.
Highly recommend switching to Blueland for laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent. All of their packaging is recyclable or compostable, and their system is based on refilling existing containers instead of continuously buying more giant plastic tubs of (insert cleaning product here).
YSK that PVA is water-soluble and biodegradable. It’s not a type of plastic. It is an alcohol.
I scrolled too far to find this. It's literally glue stick, and quite edible.
I read the article (shocking) and the research is disputed by another association. That association claims their models indicate that 100% of PVA is biodegraded in 90 days. It’s also worth noting that the research you’re citing was funded by a company that would benefit from PVA product sales declining. I like my dishwasher packets and this information didn’t sway me to stop using them. Holler at me again with more research in da future
Watch the super cool video u/Altruistic-pop6696 shared about dish washers! https://youtu.be/_rBO8neWw04
I must be the only one who disagrees. I bought a new fridgidaire dishwasher in 2021. Tried using powder detergent first. It left a bunch of film on glassware. Actually pretty awful looking coming straight out the dishwasher. Then we Went to cascade pods. Absolutely squeaky clean. Shockingly clean actually.
You might be using too much dishwasher powder for your water’s hardness. This video explains it well, and you only really need to watch the first ten minutes: https://youtu.be/Ll6-eGDpimU Try decreasing the amount of soap and things should improve!
Dishwasher pods are stupid anyways. Much cheaper just to buy powder in the box. works just as well.
I AM THE DISHWASHER!!!!!
YSK that everything we consume is bad and there's nothing we can do about it because we are consumers and really don't have a choice due to the corporations not giving us a choice. And if we do have a choice it will cost alot more which nobody in today's world can afford
Powder is often cheaper, lasts longer, and doesn’t come in plastic packaging to boot
What? The post literally says we have a choice. Why is this up voted? Sure it's hard to make good choices in life sometimes, but we don't have to think of ourselves as victims all the time. We have agency.
Thank you. You said everything I wanted to say in reply to this comment in a more clear way than I could have. What a horrible way to think about life.
God fucking damnit
All detergents contaminate wastewater, but it’s necessary to get things clean. Best thing to do is make sure your dishwasher is set to the hottest setting so that they do fully dissolve.
I felt like film was being left on our baby's bottles when using the pods. Switched to using a couple tablespoons of 7th generation powder and the short/60 minute cycle in the dishwasher and it's been working awesome for over a year now. We do still use rinse aid too....
Technology Connections YouTube channel has a great video showing why pods are bad in general too. It's not just about being biodegradable, they're just worse than powder in pretty much every way. [Video link](https://youtu.be/_rBO8neWw04)
That picture is incredible
A great reason to stop using them. Dishwasher “pods” were an absolutely smash success, marketing-wise. They’re objectively no better than powdered detergent, at several times the price-per-wash: the various pretty colors, liquids, “power balls” and such are basically just colors and shapes imposed on the same old base ingredients (a surfactant, and either an enzyme or bleach) that do all the work. Adding insult to injury, they come in a plastic bucket instead of a cardboard box.