Dishing on Detergent: New Cascade Platinum Pacs (Sponsored Post)

“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.”

Bubbles, Dishes, and Gail Simmons’ Panna Cotta

It is summer time and for us that means that we are planning at least one afternoon of making giant bubbles. If you want to make bubbles then the soap that I find works best is Joy. When making bubbles the more basic the soap the better. You don’t want added hand softeners or anything ultra concentrated. You can even go to the dollar store or just the regular supermarket and buy a few small sizes of different soaps to run an experiment with the kids and find a favorite.

If you’re doing dishes on the other hand, experimenting to find out which dish detergent does the best job, is not only expensive, but it’s definitely not quite as exciting and fun. Over the years I have gone back and forth from powder to gel/detergent packs. I always seem to go back to powder for a little bit, but I  hesitate to do so. I have this vivid childhood memory of my dad after having helped him load up the dishwasher, I passed him the box of detergent (I’m pretty sure it was always Cascade) and as he flicked open the little dispenser spout, a tiny fleck of the powder flew into his eye. He yelped and I had no idea what had happened. Luckily, he was able to flush it out, and felt fine moments later. So now, every time I take down a box of powder that little story runs through my head.

I was thrilled when the first pods came out, but then some of them seemed to not clean quite as well.

So what do I have on my cleaning shelf right now? I have a box of Cascade powder that we’re finishing up and a bag of the new Cascade Platinum pacs. I am a firm believer in the “don’t rinse the dishes” philosophy because it is a waste of water and of time, but more often than not, I’ll find a few dishes that need an extra scrape after they come out of the dishwasher. Cascade Platinum is designed specifically for people who share this same “don’t rinse the dishes” philosophy. What makes the Cascade Platinum pacs work is something about enzymes and there’s lots of science behind it, but all I need to know is that it is making a difference. So far, I’ve found that I can continue throwing things into the dishwasher dirty, and they come out sparkling and clean. I also like that they have a nice light, very faint, lemon scent when the come out.

The other thing I notice about the pacs is that I don’t find little pieces of the Cascade Platinim pac stuck on dishes or on the dishwasher. They completely dissolve. I try my best to live a very eco-friendly life and use plenty of vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda to clean with, but when it came to trying different eco-friendly detergents, what I was left with, more often than not, was a big dent in my wallet and a dishwasher with clumps of detergent all along the racks, stuck in the tracks and wheels where the shelves pull out. Cascade Platinum pacs have helped break some of that down, and my dishwasher is sparkling as well as the dishes.

Why do I care about the inside of my dishwasher you ask? Well, not only do I have fabulous friends who often help load it up after we’ve had dinner together or at the end of a party, but also, when you’re doing dishes, do you really want to open up a steamy dishwasher with crud stuck on the door, and rings or residue staring back at you? There’s something very satisfying about opening the dishwasher to a sparkling set of dishes and a shiny clean dishwasher to boot.  In addition, the build up is just not good for my dishwasher’s efficiency.

Speaking of parties, you know I love to throw parties and this is definitely going to be the summer of the frequent Porch Cocktail Parties. Gail Simmons is actually parterning with Cascade on a few fun things. Since I love Top Chef and Gail Simmons is always fun to follow and watch. She’s quirky in a good way! I thought I’d share a video of her Spring Panna Cotta recipe. You can update it for summer with the whichever berries you have especially if they’re no longer perfect to eat as is.