A test by the consumer group Choice has found the saying “you get what you paid for” is not always true – at least in the world of dishwashing detergents.
Choice reviewed 40 dishwasher detergents to find out which left crockery sparkling clean, and which should be avoided.
Aldi’s Logix Platinum 18 in 1 Dishwashing Tablets rated the highest, and was one of the cheapest options at just 19 cents a wash.
To test the products, the consumer group imported evenly pre-soiled plates from the Netherlands – one of the only places with a business that sells pre-soiled plates.
The plates, which came with tricky to clean food stains such as egg yolk, bolognese sauce and melted cheese, were then washed in “not the best dishwashers in the world but also not the worst”, the Choice director of reviews and testing, Matthew Steen, said. And each detergent was given a score based on how effective the detergent was.
The Aldi brand scored 79%, beating two well-known and upper-market Finish brand detergents which scored 77%, including one which is nearly 10 times the price of the Aldi product.
This included the Finish Powerball Ultimate Plus All in 1, which costs $1.87 a wash, and the Finish Powerball Ultimate Pro All in 1, which costs $1.63 a wash.
Meanwhile, Lucent Globe Ultra Concentrated Dishwashing Detergent Sheets, which costs 37 cents a wash, ranked the worst at 12% – the same as using plain water.
“We found plain water was actually more effective than the Lucent Globe sheets in removing red wine and egg yolk through a dishwasher cycle,” Steen said.
“Detergent sheets are a relatively new product touted as being biodegradable, plastic-free and gentle on sensitive skin. Unfortunately, Lucent Globe’s product did not stack up comparatively in its performance.”
Steen said sometimes the more environmentally-friendly products did not perform as well due to not having the same or as much of the harsh chemicals used by other brands to strip soil from plates.
Also performing poorly was the Somat Excellence Duo Power Gel Active Degreasers at 45%, Somat Excellence Duo Power Gel Lemon and Lime at 49%, and Ecostore Dishwasher Powder Lemon at 49%.
Two Woolworths and Coles products were also at the bottom, proving Aldi’s performance is not reflective of all supermarket brands.
Both Woolworths Shine Dishwasher Powder Concentrate and Coles Ultra Concentrate Dishwasher Powder Lemon Fresh were given a score of 50%.
Choice runs the test annually as it is not uncommon for manufacturers to change their formulas. This can be due to a variety of reasons such as supply chain issues or a push to improve their product.
This year was the second in a row that an Aldi brand had taken out a top spot in Choice’s test.
“If you’re looking for value for money, this is an excellent option,” said Steen about the product that won this year.
Steen’s other recommendation for consumers is to “not go too hard on buying bulk”.
“These things do have a short shelf life … you’re going to notice that they reduce in performance over time,” he said. “If you’re going to buy in bulk, try to minimise it to something that’s going to last you a year.”
