What Ingredients are in Commerical Dishwasher tablets?

Well this is how Under Your Sinks all began… I was determined to find the ingredients and compositions of theses teeny weeny expensive little buggers called ‘Dishwashing Tablets’. I wanted to duplicate them at home myself as I was expecting just a bunch of simple ingredients.

Low and behold!! Just looking at  FINISH® Powerball® Quantum Max™ Capsules - Fresh Scent There were 33 ingredients in this teeny weeny tablet, and most of the names were 33 letters long!! Wow, I had no idea there was so much that goes into cleaning a dish, so that I don’t have to do it by my own two hands.

Each of these ingredients served a ‘function’ and from my humble opinion, some of these functions are a marketing farce!

So here is the list, try saying it all 3 times really fast :-)

• Sodium Carbonate
• Sodium Citrate
• Sodium Carbonate Peroxide
• Polyvinyl alcohol, partially hydrolysed
• C 12-14 Alcohols Ethoxylated Propoxylated
• 2-Propenoic acid, telomer with sodium hydrogen sulphite, sodium salt
• Ethylene/propylene oxide copolymer
• Propylene Glycol
• Tetraacetylethylenediamine
• Sodium Polyacrylate
• Polyvinyl Alcohol
• Trimethylolpropane
• Protease Enzyme
• Water
• (1-Hydroxyethylidene) bisphosphonic acid, sodium salt
• Sodium Silicate
• C12-15 Alcohols Ethoxylated propoxylated
• Polydimethylsiloxane
• Polyethylene glycol
• Tolyltriazole
• Amylase Enzyme
• Fragrance/Parfum
• Acrylic acid maleic acid copolymer
• Octadecanamide
• Calcium Stearate
• Aliphatic and Naphthalene hydrocarbons
• Calcium Carbonate
• Zinc Stearate
• CI Pigment iolet 75
• Manganese Catalyst
• .apha.-Octadecyl-.omega.-hydroxy-polyglycolether
• I Acid Red 18
• Acid Blue 182

(RB, n.d.) (Org, n.d.)

But I want to make it loud and clear I am not a Chemist nor have I studied any form of Science major. However, I  can read and form educated opinions - and I am just sharing my study notes basically!! So I really welcome and encourage comments, feedback and even debate as this is all about learning and sharing.

With thanks to the following sources:

Org, E. (n.d.). Retrieved from EWG Org: http://www.ewg.org/guides/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=powerball&x=0&y=0&page=1&per_page=15#.WZUKaekRWM9(n.d.). RB. 

Retrieved from RB - Health Hygiene Home: http://www.rbnainfo.com/productpro/ProductSearch.do?searchType=ST&template=1&searchTerm=0-51700-93333-4