Dishwasher detergent is a detergent made for

washing dishes Dishwashing, washing the dishes, doing the dishes, or washing up in Great Britain, is the process of cleaning cooking utensils, dishes, cutlery and other items to prevent foodborne illness. This is either achieved by hand in a sink using dish ...

in a

dishwasher A dishwasher is a machine that is used to clean dishware, cookware, and cutlery automatically. Unlike manual dishwashing, which relies heavily on physical scrubbing to remove soiling, the mechanical dishwasher cleans by spraying hot water, ty ...

. Dishwasher detergent is different from

dishwashing liquid Dishwashing liquid (or washing-up liquid in British English), also known as dishwashing soap, dish detergent, and dish soap is a detergent used to assist in dishwashing. It is usually a highly-foaming mixture of surfactants with low skin irr ...

made to wash dishes by hand.

Uses

When using a dishwasher, the user must select a special detergent for its use. All detergents are designed for use after the user scrapes

leftover Leftovers are surplus foods remaining unconsumed at the end of a meal, which may be put in containers with the intention of eating later. Inedible remains like bones are considered ''waste'', not leftovers. Depending on the situation, the amoun ...

food from the dishes before washing. To function, the user places dishes in the dishwasher in such fashion that the surface of all dishes is open to the flow of water. Most dishwasher detergents are incompatible for use with

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron– carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impur ...

, bronze,

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

pewter Pewter () is a malleable metal alloy consisting of tin (85–99%), antimony (approximately 5–10%), copper (2%), bismuth, and sometimes silver. Copper and antimony (and in antiquity lead) act as hardeners, but lead may be used in lower grades ...

, and goldleaf. They can also harm

disposable A disposable (also called disposable product) is a product designed for a single use after which it is recycled or is disposed as solid waste. The term is also sometimes used for products that may last several months (e.g. disposable air filte ...

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

, anything

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...

, knives with hollow handles, and fine

glassware upTypical drinkware The list of glassware includes drinking vessels (drinkware) and tableware used to set a table for eating a meal, general glass items such as vases, and glasses used in the catering industry. It does not include laboratory glas ...

Types

There are specific examples of chemical reactions we use in our everyday lives. For example, a dishwasher detergent uses sodium hypochlorite and sodium carbonate (simple bleach) in a chemical reaction to clean the dishes. Dishes washed in cold water are less clean than dishes washed in hot water.

Composition

Different kinds of dishwashing detergent contain different combinations of ingredients. Common ingredients include: *

Phosphates In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthophosphoric acid . The phosphate or orthophosphate ion is derived from phosph ...

: Bind calcium and magnesium ions to prevent 'hard-water' type limescale deposits. They can cause ecological damage, and have been partially banned or phased out. * Oxygen-based

bleaching agent Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...

s (older-style powders and liquids contain chlorine-based bleaching agents): Break up and bleach organic deposits. * Non-ionic surfactants: Lower the surface tension of the water, emulsifies oil, lipid and fat food deposits, prevents droplet spotting on drying. * Alkaline salts: These are a primary component in older and original-style dishwasher detergent powders. Highly alkaline salts attack and dissolve grease, but are extremely corrosive (fatal) if swallowed. Salts used may include metasilicates, alkali metal hydroxides, sodium carbonate etc. *

Enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products ...

s: Break up protein-based food deposits, and possibly oil, lipid and fat deposits. The enzymes used are similar to the ones used in laundry. * Anti-corrosion agent(s): Often sodium silicate, this prevents corrosion of dishwasher components. Dishwashing detergent may also contain: * Anti-foaming agents: Foam interferes with the washing action. Foam may affect operation of the machine's water-level sensors and will leak past the door seals. * Additives to slow down the removal of glaze & patterns from glazed ceramics *

Perfume Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...

s * Anti-caking agents (in granular detergent) * Starches (in tablet based detergents) * Gelling agents (in liquid/gel based detergents) Dishwasher detergents are generally strongly alkaline ( basic). Inexpensive powders may contain sand. Such detergents may harm the dishes and the dishwasher. Powdered detergents are more likely to cause fading on china patterns. Besides older style detergents for dishwashers, biodegradable detergents also exist for dishwashers. These detergents may be more environmentally friendly than conventional detergents. Hand-washing dish detergent (washing up liquid) creates a large foam of bubbles which will leak from the dishwasher.

Rinse aid

Rinse aid (sometimes called rinse agent) contains surfactants and uses Marangoni stress to prevent droplet formation, so that water drains from the surfaces in thin sheets, rather than forming droplets. Rinse aid prevents "spotting" on glassware (caused by droplets of water drying and leaving behind dissolved

limescale Limescale is a hard, chalky deposit, consisting mainly of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It often builds up inside kettles, boilers, and pipework, especially that for hot water. It is also often found as a similar deposit on the inner surfaces of ol ...

minerals), and can also improve drying performance as there is less water remaining to be dried. A thinner sheet of water also has a much larger surface area than a droplet of the same volume, which increases the likelihood of water molecules

evaporating Evaporation is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of a liquid as it changes into the gas phase. High concentration of the evaporating substance in the surrounding gas significantly slows down evaporation, such as when humidi ...

References

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Types of Dishwasher Detergent
Detergents Dishwashing Cleaning products

Uses

Types

Composition

Rinse aid

See also

References