It's a sad moment when you unload your dishwasher only to find the remains of dinner stuck to your plates or less-than-sparkling glasses.
If you're confident that you're not making any common dishwashing mistakes and your dishwasher is doing its job, perhaps your detergent is to blame.
The amount of money you spend on dishwasher detergent over the life of your dishwasher is equal to the cost of the actual dishwasher, so it's worthwhile finding a detergent that's up to the task.
But with an overwhelming number of products available, all promising to deliver plates so clean you can, well, eat off them, how do you know which one offers the best value for money?
And just as importantly, which type of dishwasher detergent should you buy?
"There's a big difference between the effectiveness of different dishwashing detergent types," says Matthew Steen, head of reviews and testing at CHOICE.
"And whichever you choose to use – tablet, gel, pod, sheet or powder – it'll really show up in the wash."
Dishwasher pods contain liquid ingredients in a dissolvable pouch.
Tablets vs powders: Which is better?
Tablets and powders make up the bulk of dishwasher detergents sold in Australia.
"While dishwasher tablets and pods tend to be more expensive, they invariably outperform powder in our dishwasher detergent tests," says Matthew.
"The top 10 products in our dishwasher detergent review are all either tablets or pods. And the lowest-ranked products are all powders, sheets and gels."
The top 10 products in our dishwasher detergent review are all either tablets or pods
Matthew Steen, CHOICE's head of reviews and testing
There's a simple reason why there's such a big difference in performance.
Dishwasher pods and most tablets are an 'all-in-one' product that usually contain dishwasher salt, rinsing agent and detergent in one easy dose. They're more concentrated than powder, sheet or gel detergents, and are designed to deliver the perfect amount for each full dishwasher load.
Dishwashing powder, on the other hand, is generally less effective as it's just, well, detergent with no salt or rinsing agent.
What about dishwasher gels?
Dishwasher liquids or gels are useful for some drawer-type dishwashers that can't use tablets, and are convenient as you can dose as little or as much as you like in your detergent dispenser.
And although they can be cheaper than some tablets, they're generally not as effective as tablets or pods.
Although they can be cheaper than some tablets, gels are generally not as effective as tablets or pods
They can also contain a higher quantity of surfactants than tablets or powder. (Surfactants are compounds commonly found in detergents that can be detrimental to the environment.)
We tested three gel products in our latest review, one from Finish and two from Somat, and the results were underwhelming. Scores ranged from 41% for the Somat Excellence Duo Power Gel to 59% for the Finish All in 1 Max Fast Dissolving Gel.
Lucent Globe dishwasher detergent sheets were the lowest-scoring detergent in our review.
Are dishwasher sheets any good?
If you haven't heard of them, dishwasher detergent sheets are pieces of dissolvable paper that are embedded with detergent.
They're generally marketed as 'eco' products, producing a smaller carbon footprint in terms of packaging and transport, and often with claims like 'chemical-free' and 'no nasties'.
While they might be good for the environment, they're less than effective on your dishes: the two lowest-scoring detergents in our test were both dishwasher sheets.
While they might be good for the environment, detergent sheets are less than effective on your dishes
Lucent Globe dishwashing sheets scored just 30%, coming in last place, and Earth Rescue sheets were second-last with a score of 33%. Even powders and gels – which have historically been the worst-performing dishwasher detergent types in our tests – ranked higher than these two sheets.
However, Lucent Globe's sheets have improved since last year's tests, in which they scored just 13% – the same as plain water.
So with further development, detergent sheets could be contenders, but for now they're best left on the shelf.
However, a good dishwasher is the key factor in how clean your dishes will be.
If you have a high-performing dishwasher, it'll still deliver good results regardless of the detergent you use – so if your dishwasher performs well and eco-friendliness is a priority for you, then dishwasher sheets could be worth considering.
These Aldi capsules punch well above their weight, beating far more expensive products.
Price doesn't always equal performance
If you've been looking for ways to save on your grocery bills, you may have zeroed in on your expensive dishwasher tabs.
Considering that some top-performing dishwasher detergents can cost as much as a whopping $47 per packet (or $1.52 per wash), it seems like a good place to cut some costs.
But while switching to powder will save you at the till, it can be a false economy: you'll have to re-wash any dishes that don't come out clean, or even re-run the entire load.
The good news is our testing often finds that price doesn't always equal performance, and you don't have to switch to a poor-performing but cheaper powder to save money. There are plenty of cheaper dishwasher tablets that get great results in our testing.
One of the cheapest tablets in our test outperformed products costing up to six times as much
Our experts tested 42 products and rated their cleaning performance on food stains such as egg yolk, baked-on cheese, rice starch, red wine and bolognaise sauce.
One of the cheapest tablets in our test took out the top spot, tying with a premium product that costs nearly five times as much, plus an 'eco' product:
- Aldi Logix Platinum Dishwasher Capsules: $0.26 per wash
- Ecostore Ultra Power Dishwasher Tablets: $0.64 per wash
- Finish Powerball Ultimate All in 1 Tabs Baking Soda: $1.26 per wash
The Aldi capsules even outperformed the most expensive tablets in our test, Fairy Platinum Plus 30 Minute Miracle capsules, which cost a huge $1.52 per wash – that's six times as much!
This is Aldi's second year in the top spot: in 2023, its Logix Platinum 18 in 1 Dishwashing Tablets Lemon Fragrance were the highest scoring product overall, coming in ahead of products costing nearly 10 times more.
"If you're not an Aldi shopper, the Ecostore product is your next best bet, or to save a little extra you could try the Finish Powerball Quantum All In 1 Tabs, which scored just one point less and only cost 44 cents per wash," says Matthew.
How to save money on dishwasher tablets
(...and get the best results from your dishwasher)
1. Buy in bulk and look for specials
Buy dishwasher tablets in larger bulk-sized packets, stock up when on special and scrutinise unit prices to ensure you are getting the cheapest price possible – always look at the price per item to compare. Keep in mind, however, that the shelf life of dishwasher tablets is around one to two years, so don't stockpile tablets as their effectiveness may deteriorate over time.
2. Regularly check our test results
Check CHOICE dishwasher detergent reviews to find out which cheaper products perform well in our extensive laboratory testing. But remember, product formulations can change over time, so make sure you're armed with our latest results.
3. Be economical
Only run your dishwasher when it's completely full, and make sure it's stacked well so everything in it gets cleaned the first time around. Do it once, do it right!
4. Bypass the dispenser
Detergent dispensers are designed for powders. If you're using tablets, just toss it straight into the bottom of your dishwasher tub – this maximises the time the tablet has to dissolve and do its thing.
This tip is particularly worth trying if you find your tablets aren't dissolving properly or if you're using a faster cycle.
5. Pack like a pro
To get the best results from your dishwasher tablets and save you having to run another load when your plates aren't cleaned properly, make sure you stack your dishwasher correctly – and don't pre-rinse your dishes.
Follow our expert tips on how to load your dishwasher properly.
6. Use rinse aid
If your all-in-one product doesn't already contain rinse aid, add it separately. Rinse aid lowers the surface tension of the water, which means water won't bead on your glassware and it'll come out squeaky clean and dry. When buying rinse aid, the same money-saving rules apply – look at unit pricing, buy larger bottles, switch to home-brand alternatives or stock up when products are on special.
7. Keep a clean machine
Regularly clean your dishwasher filter to ensure it performs at its best, and check out all our tips on how to clean your dishwasher.
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
