Phosphates are found in many detergents, cleaning products, fertilizers and in water. Phosphate is a mixture of salt and phosphoric acid and is considered to be an inorganic material. Water-softening phosphates are great for breaking down grease and they remove stains very well but are often difficult to remove in waste water. They very often end up in rivers and lakes which increases algae growth (algae blooms), choking lakes and streams, suffocating fish and aquatic life.
There are two sides to the issue of if detergents should contain phosphate. On one side are environmentalists who are fighting for cleaning products, like dishwasher detergents, to not have it in them. On the other side are people who want good cleaning products that do the job they're supposed to. There have been many complaints about these more expensive cleaning products and detergents that don't contain phosphate because they don't clean very well. States like Washington have begun setting low limits on it in dishwasher detergent, forcing people to smuggle in brands like Cascade and Electrasol over the state borders from stores like Costco. Other states are considering similar legislation and environmentalists say it's just a matter of time before laws banning phosphates in detergents go nation-wide.
Phosphates are an important plant nutrient, but higher than normal levels can destroy the health of lakes. They allow increased algae growth, making clear lakes and rivers look green and cloudy. This additional growth of algae is not appealing to look at and also makes the water smell bad. It's not something people really want to swim in. Another downside to increased levels is that it can make drinking water more expensive to filter as it makes its way back to our faucets.
This demand in good cleaning products that are earth-friendly/eco-friendly has brought many new dishwasher detergents to the market. Some of these brands are Seventh Generation, Caldrea and Biokleen - among others. These new brands seem to have mixed reviews about how clean they will get dishes. People are trying them and are finding that some work decently while others don't do the job.
Cleaning dishes is important since you do not want grease or old food to remain on dishes, possibly growing harmful bacteria, causing sickness. Some people have ditched using their dishwashers and have gone to hand washing their dishes to make sure they get clean as they wait for the industry to come out with a good dishwasher detergent that is green, inexpensive and does a good job cleaning. Until such a new detergent proves itself worthy, people will need to scrub a little harder or continue to smuggle in other brands to do their cleaning.
| Price : $79.97 | Post Date : Oct 19, 2011 02:24:15
