Do you love using cascade pods in your dishwasher? How much time do you spend hand-washing them instead of putting them in the dishwasher? We all have to hand-wash our dishes and Cascade pods are no different. They are so expensive that it’s not worth it to risk a load of dishes getting ruined by using the dishwasher. It might seem like the best idea is to keep some old plastic containers hidden somewhere, so that you can put the Cascade pods into them when you run the dishwasher, but this actually ends up being a bad idea. The problem with doing this is that if there is any moisture left behind on your dishes after drying, then mold and mildew spores can start growing from them. Even though many people don’t know it, putting Cascade pods in the dishwasher isn’t actually bad for your machine. Pods are made from natural starch and sugars which won’t cause any damage at all to your machine. In fact, if you want to reuse the same pod more than once, it will be much easier if you put it in the dishwasher.
How To Put Cascade Pods In Dishwasher
- Put the Cascade pods into the dishwasher empty.
- Place the Cascade pods in the dishwasher rack, so that they are above the top of your dishwasher.
- Put a mug or bowl on top of the Cascade pods while they are being washed by your dishwasher. This will prevent any water from leaking out of them and onto dishes below them in your dishwasher.
- Rinse off any soap scum that is left on your dishes after washing, by hand-washing them with detergent and a sponge or soft cloth before placing them in the drying rack of your dishwasher.
- When you’re ready to put items into your dryer after washing, just place those dishes on top of your Cascade pods in your drying rack, so that they are below any water from leaking out onto other items in your drying rack.
- Use your dishwasher again as normal.
- When it’s time to re-use the Cascade pods, just rinse them out in a bowl or cup under the tap and put them back in the same place on your dishwasher rack where you took them off.
- That’s all there is to it! Your Cascade pods are now safe to reuse again and again! One Cascade pod will last you around five loads of dishes, so they will last a very long time.
Why You Shouldn’t Rely On The Dishwasher For Pods
Dirty Pods
Since they are made from natural starch and sugars, the Cascade pods will have a very strong smell. When you put them in the dishwasher, they will sit on top of one another and this can cause clumps to form. This can be extremely messy if you put your Cascade pod in with an already dirty load of dishes.
Bacteria
It’s not just about mold and mildew if you use Cascade pods. There are bacteria that can grow inside the pods themselves if you keep them in the wrong conditions for too long. These bacteria can make your dishes smell funny or even make them start to rot, so it’s better to avoid this problem by putting your Cascade pods into the dishwasher instead of leaving them lying around on your kitchen counter where they might be exposed to all kinds of things.
Hard to Use
The way that Cascade pods are designed, they are just not very easy to use. It’s hard to get the right amount of water into them, so you might end up with too many pods in your dishwasher and this can cause some problems for your machine.
Leaking Pods
Another problem that you might encounter if you leave the Cascade pods in the dishwasher is leaking. If you put them in with a load of dirty dishes, then there will be a lot of moisture left behind when they are washed and dried again, which means that they will be more likely to leak when you open the dishwasher door. If this happens, then your dishes will start to smell like soap and other chemicals. They could even start to rust or even mold because of all the moisture left behind on them from being washed and dried too many times.
Unhygienic
If you put your Cascade pods in the dishwasher, then you are placing them in an environment where they are not only exposed to water, but also to all kinds of other chemicals. The Cascade pods have a gel inside them that doesn’t contain any natural oils or fats and this can cause your dishes to become smelly or even start to rot if they are not stored in the right way.
No Recycling
The final problem that you might encounter when using Cascade pods is that they don’t really go back into the recycling process. Most detergents go into the recycling process because they can be turned into usable energy and this is something that we should always encourage. However, since there are no natural oils or fats inside the Cascade pod, it is not possible for it to be recycled and therefore it ends up being a waste of resources.
What To Do When Hand-Washing Your Cascade Pods
- Fill a large bowl with hot water and add the Cascade pods to the water. Leave them in the water for about 30 seconds, or until they have softened.
- Remove the Cascade pods from the water and place them into a mesh strainer. You can use a mesh strainer or something else that you can use to catch your Cascade pods after they are washed.
- Rinse your Cascade pods under running water until they are clean and free of any soap residue on them.
- Put your Cascade pods into the mesh strainer and rinse them again.
- Dry the Cascade pods with a towel, just like you would any other dishwashing detergent.
- If you want to reuse the same Cascade pod more than once, put it in the dishwasher instead of hand-washing it.
- The important thing here is that you don’t use any soap on your Cascade pods so that they don’t end up being damaged by it or getting moldy or mildew on them. You can also use a paper towel to dry them instead of using a towel if you want to avoid using any towels at all.
Conclusion
Cascade pods are convenient and inexpensive. You can use them for almost any cleaning job around your home, including dishwashing. It’s easy to fall into the pattern of putting Cascade pods in the dishwasher, but doing so over time can cause damage to your machine. To prevent damage to your dishwasher, it’s best to hand-wash your Cascade pods. You can do this by filling your sink with hot water and adding a small amount of dishwashing liquid. Use your hands to scrub the pods clean, then rinse them off and lay them out to dry.
