A Mommy Story

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating. All opinions stated here are my own and, as always, your mileage may vary.

We moved into our house in 2004, and we were thrilled that our new house came with a shiny new dishwasher. Of course, the dishwasher was little more than the most basic of models (the builders weren’t going to put a fancy dishwasher in a kitchen without a significant price increase), but it has saved us from needing to hand wash everything for over eight years.

When we load the dishwasher, we have to make sure everything is rinsed well first or we’ll be given back hot dishes and silverware with sterilized food particles stuck to them. Like I said, it’s a very basic model dishwasher. Lately, though, we’ve noticed that it hasn’t even been cleaning the dishes as well as before. Even small food particles were left on silverware, and the glasses were coming out looking cloudy. Let’s face it – eating with dishes and silverware that aren’t looking their best is unappetizing, right?

I immediately thought that perhaps we were overloading it, or the rinse agent was running low. Adjustments were made, but it still wasn’t showing a lot of improvement – still plenty of pre-rinsing needed, still a cloudy film on everything. And whenever I opened the dishwasher, it smelled, well, a little off. Just last month, the idea that we might need a new dishwasher had crossed my mind, and I cringed at the thought of how much that unplanned expense might set us back.

About that same time, Mom Central contacted me and asked if I’d like to try the new Cascade Platinum Pacs for my dishwasher. I figured there was nothing to lose by giving these a try, since our current situation with a different brand of dishwasher pacs wasn’t getting us anywhere. Maybe a new dishwasher pac would make a difference?

The Cascade Platinum Pacs tout several benefits compared to standard dishwasher pacs. They promise to do a better job at getting rid of stuck-on food, reducing the need for pre-washing. They also work to remove any film and leave dishes sparkling clean. In addition, they work to help keep your dishwasher clean, too, preventing any future hard-water build-up in the dishwasher. That part surprised me – I’ve never had a dish detergent claim it’ll keep the dishwasher clean as well.

So much power, one little gel pac.

So…do they work?

We’ve been using the Cascade Platinum Pacs for a few weeks now, and the results have been amazing. Our dishes really are cleaner. Not once in the last week have I had to put a piece of silverware back in the dishwasher for a second run-thru because it had food still stuck to it. (Hooray for increased enzyme power!) Everything is beautifully grime-free, and the silverware has a lovely shine to it.

The glasses, some of which are plastic IKEA glasses that I had nearly thrown out due to the clouding of the plastic, are now clear again with no streaks, spots or film. I was honestly stunned by how good everything looks. There’s no funky odor coming from the dishwasher anymore, too.

Consider me impressed!

I’m not so sure we need a new dishwasher now. The dishwasher is performing better than it has in months, and I feel so much more confident serving food on our cleaner dishes. We’re still pre-rinsing our dishes fairly well out of habit (OK, let’s be honest here – Aaron does the dishes, so he’s doing most of the rinsing), but I think we could get by with less effort thanks to these awesome little grime fighters.

Am I converted? Yes! I love it when a product does exactly what it claims it’ll do, and Cascade Platinum Pacs didn’t disappoint. Aaron agrees that the Cascade Platinum Pacs have made a dramatic difference in our dishes, and has agreed that they should be added to the shopping list, replacing our previous brand of dishwasher pacs.

You can find out more about the Cascade Platinum Pacs on their website or Facebook page. Cascade also has series of YouTube videos, partnering with Top Chef judge and editor of Food+Wine magazine, Gail Simmons, to discuss why presentation is just as important as preparation when it comes to mealtime.

And don’t miss the fun Cascade “My Platinum” Instagram contest running through the end of June! They’re asking everyone to show off their sparkling dishes with weekly photo challenges. Each week, two entries will be selected, and those contestants will win a new KitchenAid dishwasher and a six month supply of Cascade. Additionally, one grand prize winner will be selected to receive an entire KitchenAid kitchen makeover and a one year supply of Cascade.

To win, users have to both register at the contest website and upload a photo with the #MyPlatinum hashtag and tag @MyCascade. Good luck! I’m already working on my entry for next week!