I’m not sure why exactly, but for all of my 43 years I have resisted the urge to try Jet-Dry in the dishwasher.
I think because I believed it was just a lot of hype, and it seemed wasteful to spend money on something that got your dishes looking “extra clean”. (Isn’t clean enough?)
Well, I’m here to tell you, I tried Jet-Dry for the very first time this week.
And now I’m hooked.
Even hubby says, ‘We can’t go back to dishes looking the way they used to look when they came out of the dishwasher!’
Why Jet-Dry?
My motivation for trying Jet-Dry for the first time was this…
We have a GE Profile dishwasher that constantly gets “gunked up” underneath the drain screen.
One year, the dishwasher even stopped draining altogether, so I did a little DIY dishwasher repair to get it back in working order again.
Ever since then, in an effort to keep the dishwasher running at tip-top condition, once a year I remove the screen and clean out all the black gunky stuff. All the while, I’m believing that I have a “like new dishwasher” again.
Close, but not exactly.
For some reason, while meticulously cleaning our dishwasher last week (due to some unexplained itch to do some Spring Cleaning that involved using Magic Erasers on every crack & crevice of my kitchen and the appliances in it), I discovered that underneath the screw-top lid for the rinsing agent compartment was that same black gunky stuff that clogs the dishwasher’s drain screen over time.
Yes, we rinse our dishes before putting them in the dishwasher for cleaning (even though they say you don’t have to anymore). And in case you’re wondering, we use Cascade dishwashing detergent — not that it matters.
It isn’t necessary to rinse your dishes, just remove excess foods such as bones and pits. Source
And for the record, I have tried using using vinegar in the rinsing agent compartment of the dishwasher. It made a slight difference (over using nothing at all), but not enough for me to want to take the time and add vinegar regularly.
After The First Rinse With Jet-Dry
So when I noticed the black gunky stuff in the rinsing agent contraption, I cleaned it all out (with a Magic Eraser), and vowed to buy some Jet-Dry the next time I went out.
Tried it on a full load of dishes that night.
Checked the dishes the next morning, and I couldn’t believe my eyes! EVERYTHING — even the plates — had a nice clean sparkle to them.
Of course, the glasses sparkled like new, and the silverware too. And you didn’t have to inspect the items closely to see it… it was obvious at first glance the moment I opened the dishwasher door.
Now, I’ll definitely be using Jet-Dry regularly, that’s for sure. What a difference!
Why Jet-Dry Works
I have to be honest, I didn’t have a clue as to why a product like Jet-Dry would work so well. And, for some reason, the bottle itself doesn’t list the ingredients. (Don’t they have to do that?!)
So I thought:
- Maybe it’s got alcohol in it, which gets things squeaky clean.
- Maybe it’s similar to Windex. “Oh wow, they’re probably just re-bottling Windex for dishwashers!” I thought. (Okay, probably not.)
- I assumed it was the combination of heat-drying (which I rarely do), combined with the Jet-Dry that really makes rinsing agents work… but I wasn’t 100% sure.
My bottle of 16 oz Jet-Dry Rinse Agent simply said this:
- New & Improved
- Original (…scent? formula? color?)
- Fights Spots & Residues for a Diamond Shine!
- #1 Recommended Brand by Dishwashers
- Use Jet-Dry Rinse Agent for sparkling clean dishes and glasses!
- Helps eliminate spots & film
- Refill once a month
- Lasts 150 washloads
- Caution – Read Precautions on Back (May cause eye and skin irritation. Avoid contact with eyes and skin. Contains non-ionic surfactant. Wash hands immediately after use.
So I Did A Little Research
I still don’t really know what nonionic sulfactant is, even after reading this: The Difference Between Anionic And Nonionic Sulfactant, And Its Application To Detergent.
This, from the Jet-Dry website helped a bit:
Rinse agents help your dishwasher rinse away residue that causes spots and film on dishes and glasses. Rinse agents for automatic dishwashers, such as Jet-Dry Rinse Agent, are designed to lower the surface tension of the water, causing it to sheet off the dishes during the final rinse. This prevents the formation of droplets of water that can remain on the surface of the dishes and are ‘set’ by the heat of the drying cycle, forming spots and film.
And the best part…
Rinse agents are also helpful in obtaining dry dishware when dishwasher energy savings switches are activated, or when dishes are left to air dry.”
In the end, I’m convinced that Jet-Dry does really work, and I’ll be using it regularly from now on. I couldn’t have said it better!
Even more reviews of Jet-Dry.
