How to Choose Dishwasher Detergent for Your Water and Machine

The best dishwasher detergent is the one that works with your machine, water and load. Use a product labeled for automatic dishwashers and follow both the machine and detergent directions; hand dish soap can create excessive suds and leaks.

Compare formats

• Powder: a measurable dose can be adjusted as the machine manual directs for soil and water hardness. Keep it dry.
• Gel: another adjustable dose; use fresh product and follow its label.
• Tablets or packs: convenient premeasured doses but less flexible for small loads. Put them in the dispenser as directed, with dry hands, and keep them secured from children.

Whirlpool suggests powder as an option for hard-water spots, while its own support material also recommends quality packs for film. Performance varies by formulation, machine, load and water, so try an appropriate product rather than assuming any format always wins.

If dishes are cloudy or detergent remains

Check local water hardness, loading, spray-arm clearance, dispenser operation, filter cleanliness and rinse-aid instructions before adding more detergent. A removable white film can have a different cause from permanent etching. If a pack remains undissolved, confirm the dispenser opens freely and use the cycle and water-temperature advice in your manual.

Compare cost per load, fragrance preferences and packaging. EPA’s Safer Choice directory can help identify products meeting its ingredient and performance criteria; it does not establish that every product marketed as “natural” has the same environmental impact.

Sources

Whirlpool: Choosing the Best Dishwasher Detergent, formats and hardness; Whirlpool: Leaking from Door, oversudsing; EPA: Search Products That Meet the Safer Choice Standard, product certification. Accessed October 27, 2026.