Product review
Updated February 2022
Dishwasher detergents
Tablet or powder? See which type tops our test.
Don't waste your money on a dud detergent. We put them to the test on 6 stains, including egg yolk and baked-on cheese.
Overall score is the average of 6 scores for stain removal:
- Egg yolk
- Rice starch
- Baked-on cheese
- Red wine
- Coffee
- Minced meat
About our test
We test in a controlled lab environment using plates that are pre-stained. We get the plates from the same company that supplies consumer organisations and dishwasher manufacturers globally.
We set the dishwasher to a standard cycle and test each detergent 4 times. To see how well the detergents have cleaned the plates, we measure the reflectance with a spectrophotometer before and after cleaning.
Other ratings
We also assess product packaging and claims made on the product. We award a rating of good, acceptable or poor. This doesn’t contribute to the overall score:
Packaging: assesses what the packaging is made of, how recyclable it is in New Zealand and how clearly it’s labelled with recycling information.
Environment: considers whether it claims to be biodegradable, septic tank safe or grey water safe and if a standard is stated. We also consider if there are unfair green claims such as phosphate free.
Safety: we look at whether the packaging has important safety information such as the poisons centre phone number, instructions on what to do if ingested, gets in eyes or on skin and if ingredients are listed.
Why is this free?
We’re dedicated to getting NZ consumers a fairer deal. We provide as much information as we can for free but we rely primarily on membership and donations to fund our work. You can help by becoming a Consumer member or making a donation. We’ll use your contribution to investigate consumer issues and work for positive change.
We've tested 24 dishwasher detergents.
Find the right one for you.
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