Finish Dishwasher Cleaner Review - Positive Results After One Use

by Peg
(Dallas)

Peg has shared her review of Finish dishwasher cleaner.

Peg says:

I love having a dishwasher when it does what it is suppose to and gets the dishes clean the first time around. Of course, when the dishwasher itself is dirty and smelly that is less likely to happen.

I started using Finish Dishwasher Cleaner after my cousin recommended it to me. I was very pleased with the results after just one use.

It is easy to use. Just take off the sticker from the top of the cap (don't take off the cap) and turn it upside down. I put mine in my silverware tray, and then I run my dishwasher through a normal cycle, with no dishes in it.

Once I used it my dishes started coming clean again after the first wash. Before that I was afraid I was going to have to go back to hand washing.

This product removed the bad smells from inside of my dishwasher and left it smelling clean inside again. In addition, it removes the mineral buildup and grease from those hard to reach places in the dishwasher. I now use it once a month in mine, to keep it clean and running its best.

I like that it is not very expensive, and it is well worth the money. I buy it at Walmart. I think it used to be called Jet-Dry.

I told my neighbor to try it one time when her dishwasher was not draining properly. It solved her problem and she said she uses it once a month now also.

If you want better results from your dishwasher I recommend this product.

Taylor says:

Thanks Peg for your Finish dishwasher cleaner review.

Has anyone else used this product, or another brand of dishwasher cleaner and want to share a review? If so, you can share your dishwasher cleaners review here, or read other reviews that have already been submitted.

***Update: I have now tried this product myself, so scroll below to read my review too! ***End Update

Photo courtesy of waitscm

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Finish Dishwasher Cleaner's Wax Seal Didn't Melt For Me

by Taylor

I recently tried this cleaner for my dishwasher, after getting it repaired, so it could be nice and clean when I added dishes again after almost a month out of use.

Just as the reader above mentioned, the instructions say to remove the sticker from the cap to expose the wax seal, and then place it upside down in the bottom dish rack. Then, the idea is that the heat from the water, etc. will cause the wax plug to melt and let out the cleaner during the right part of the cleaning cycle.

Unfortunately, this did not work for me, and I had to run the dishwasher several times to get all the cleaner out of the bottle. That made me aggravated.

If you recall, I had this same problem with another brand earlier, Dishwasher Magic (click the link for my review).

At the time this happened before my dishwasher broke down I assumed it was a problem with the product, but now I'm beginning to wonder if my dishwasher is just getting old and junky.

Therefore, I'm reserving judgment on this product until I can better sort out what is wrong, if anything, with my dishwasher. I sure hope it is working properly, since we just spent $200 getting it fixed! :(

Because I ended up having to pry some of the wax off the top of the cap to get it to dispense properly I am not at all confident it dispensed into the machine at the proper time for cleaning. Therefore, even though I wasn't too impressed with how the product cleaned the machine, I can't say whether that was because the product isn't good, or whether it is user and/or machine error that caused the problem.

I would love to hear from others sharing whether they've had any trouble with the wax melting for this product to get it into the dishwasher for cleaning. You can share your review here, or read other reviews already submitted.

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Don't Have A High Opinion Of This Cleaner

by Ruth
(Hawthorn, PA)

I ran Finish Dishwasher Cleaner through 2 cycles, wasting tons of water, gas and electricity. The wax plug never melted and I know my water is plenty hot--I've been burned by it enough.

So, I decided to try it again, but I used a sharp knife and put holes in the wax plug...that problem was solved.

So, I ran another cycle. When it was done I checked it out. There was gunk all over the filter. I took it to the sink and cleaned it off; much better job.

There were also brown spots on the bottom of the dishwasher where chocolate milk glasses had dribbled. The cleaner didn't take it off, yet I can rub it with my finger and it comes off!

I don't have a very high opinion of this product and will never buy it again.

Photo courtesy of a reader, Jolee. She actually really likes this product, and said, "Wow!! This stuff is like a miracle! Works really well."

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The Wax Plug Didn't Melt For Me Either & My Machine Is Quality

by Linda
(Edinburgh)

Linda says:

This is doing my head in. I have now put my washer on 4 times and the wax has still not melted.

The engineer was here today and as far as he can see the washer is working perfectly.

My dishwasher is only 2 1/2 years old so it is not old and it was not a cheap make.

I am fed up with this wax thing.

Can anyone suggest another make of cleaner?

Taylor says:

Sorry to hear you had the same trouble Linda that I did.

I've made a point since my previous point to try out several different dishwasher cleaners that don't use this wax seal as part of the dispensing process since I've just had no luck with them.

You can check out lots of dishwasher cleaner reviews here, many of which don't use this wax and several of which I've really liked.

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Comments for The Wax Plug Didn't Melt For Me Either & My Machine Is Quality

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wax seal didn't melt
by: Anonymous

The first time I used the Finish cleaner I was so impressed. My dishes came out looking brand new. But the last few times I've tried it the wax seal didn't melt. I did exactly as the directions said and put my dishwasher on the hottest cycle but that didn't seem to melt it. My dishwasher isn't that old so I figured I just may have bought a bad bottle. I saved the product and may try using it again.

disappointing results
by: Valerie J.

I have just used above product once with disappointing results. The machine was still dirty. In fact, I could have cleaned it by hand in a couple of minutes with little water.

The wax seal still looks intact yet the contents of the bottle looks two third water with one third of cleaner floating. Have I done anything wrong?

I need to find more!
by: Rachel (Houston)

I ordered this thru our office supply company for use in our breakroom dishwasher. The dishwasher handles dirty dishes for 12-16 people everyday. The dishwasher is now 2 years old, so yes it has some miles on it. As you can imagine, this dishwasher needed some attention to keep it running! I had not heard of such a cleaner, but I was willing to give it a go. I ordered 1 bottle. It came the next day. I ran the dishwasher as directed, on the hot wash/rinse. W-O-W!!! When the dishwasher stopped I opened the door and could practically see myself on the back panel! On my next month's order, I purchased several more bottles. Well I just used my last bottle and I NEED MORE OF THIS STUFF!! I highly recommend the FINISH brand, it performed as it said on the box and I am very happy and impressed with the results.

Works wondefully
by: Anonymous

I've used this product at home and in both of our offices for work. It has worked beautifully in all 3 locations. Several of my co-workers were impressed, so they tried it at home. They have all come back and said they love it.For those who are having trouble with the wax, make sure you are setting your dishwasher on the hottest setting. or me, I have to set it on pots & pans.

Tiny instructions
by: Trish

I am currently running this product through my Fisher & Paykel Dishdrawer at 124 minutes, the recommended Pots/Pans wash cycle. This seems to be a waste of water and time to me. Another gripe is that the instructions on the bottle are so tiny compared to the advertising blurb that I had to use a MAGNIFYING GLASS to read how to use the product properly. OK, I'm in my 70s and wear glasses, but for safety sake, instructions for using products should be LEGIBLE. Over to you, 'Finish'.

great results for me
by: Tania Peto

This product was just recommend to me by a friend saying that it's the best to clean the dishwasher and the dishes come out cleaner, she was very happy with the product. So l have put a wash on and put it on the hottest cycle and machine is sparkling like new and smells so good. Will use once a month from now on.

Just a thought if the rubber stopper is not dissolving maybe try running on the hottest cycle.

Finish Cleaner wax seal didn't melt - so I put bottle ON a Prong
by: Diane

Maybe my bottle of Finish Dishwasher Cleaner was sitting under the sink too long; the wax plug didn't release after 10 minutes on the HOT Start setting!! I decided to place it ONTO an actual prong on the bottom rack and watched the liquid start to dribble out. I closed the door and continued the cycle -- voila -- a much fresher and not too chemical smelling dishwasher.

I still see some gunk near the drainage section but I'm hoping the recommended monthly cleanings will start to remove that...I guess time will tell.

Wax Plug Not Melting
by: Anonymous

Ran the dishwasher twice on high temp, as directed, and the wax plug did not melt out. Poking holes in the wax didn't make much difference. The heating element seems to be working since it's drying properly. Kind of frustrating.

Not Impressed
by: Anonymous2

Wax did not melt and finally had to poke a hole in the wax to get it to work. Dishwasher was on high heat setting.

why doesn't the wax seal melt?
by: Sharon

Why doesn't the wax seal melt when I have it on 65 Degrees, it is not the first time it has happened. I am wasting water putting it through the cycle again for the same thing to happen.

Melting the wax seal
by: Anonymous

For those whose dishwasher water didn’t get hot enough to melt the wax seal: Try running your faucet beforehand until the water is very hot, if it doesn’t get very hot wait until you water heater has caught up with the household demand then run your faucet again until the hot water is at its hottest before starting your dishwasher.

perhaps your water isn't hot enough
by: Wanda

I am sorry you are having that problem with the wax not melting. In my opinion it really sounds like your water is NOT HOT enough to melt the wax plug and if is isn't hot enough than your dishes are not getting sterilized either. There are ways to check that out you can do yourself.

Very disappointed
by: Anonymous

I wish I had looked for reviews before purchasing. The wax plug on my bottle didn’t release, either. My water is hot, and I had the dishwasher at the highest setting. After the first go round, I read these reviews, and even scratched away some of the seal, not entirely removing it, but thinking I could help the process along. Nothing. Bottle is still full. Highly dissatisfied and disappointed.

Wouldn’t empty
by: Lena

Tried over and over, checking the cycle on pots and pans and sanitize rinse. At end of cycle bottle still sealed .. grrrr

Plug did NOT melt for me either
by: Anonymous

I wasn't sure what had happened, because of course not only had I removed the sticker from the cap, but I had removed the stickers on the front and back of the bottle. I'll try poking holes in the cap and try again, but I don't think I'll purchase this product again.

Did not work!
by: Alex

I tried this Finish dishwasher cleaner for first time as my plumber recommended. Ran the 80 minute sanitize cycle as suggested! & water water & has! The bottle never emptied & yes i took the sticker off but not the cap.🤨 It was plenty hot. Any suggestions please??

wax seal did not melt
by: Anonymous

I had the same problem the last two times I used this product, needless to say, I will not purchase it again.

wax didn't melt, so punctured for third wash
by: Anonymous

Wax plug didn’t melt after 2 washes so I punctured it for the third wash. Hopefully it will do something. I know it’s not gonna do the best job because it’s not gonna release the cleaner during the right cycle.

Did not empty
by: Mel

Ran the Finish bottle in my empty dishwasher on pot and pan cycle and the Finish bottle is still full??? Did not empty. Help.

Horrible
by: Anonymous

Can’t tell you how many times I ran my dishwasher to get the wax to melt! Have canceled my resubscription for this to be automatically delivered to my house will never buy this again.

Wax plug won't melt
by: Karen

I too had the same problem as others. Our water gets plenty hot and the wax plug won't melt. I won't buy the product again.

Fundamental problem
by: Rick

Seeing as most of the people here, myself included have purchased this product for their residential Dishwasher there is a fundamental flaw here. As a licensed plumber in California universal plumbing codes do not allow a plumber to set the temperature on a water heater above 120 degrees. This is done to prevent scalding. And since most midline to low end residential dishwashers do not have a reheater in them to get the required 160-180 degrees to melt the wax properly this seems to render the dispensing mechanism (wax plug) defective. Since the majority of us do not own a commercial or semi-commercial dishwasher with a reheating element and due to heat loss the initial 120 degree water entering the appliance will not stay hot long enough to melt the wax on the first run. And since most of us don't have the time to turn on the kitchen faucet to ensure 120 degree water every time the washer recycles water it means that we are wasting water, electricity and most of all money. The only way I can see to get this to work properly is to heat water to just below boiling and pour it in the unit and then run the hottest setting. Maybe it's time to rethink your dispenser.

Waste of Money
by: Anonymous

I am having the same issue as everyone else, the bottle never emptied, ran it again and nothing, so I ended up positioning the bottle over the pegs on the rack, it helped, but, still had product in the bottle. So, today I was going to attempt this stuff again, only because I purchased 2 bottles of it, so I Googled how to use this product, because I thought it was user error, not the bottle itself, but, I’m relieved to find out that I’m not an idiot after all lol.

Wax plug didn't melt
by: Anonymous

I experienced the same issue with the wax not melting twice. After the first time I assumed my heating element was bad so I replaced it and tried again. Still the wax plug did not melt. Now I have switched to the Cascade Platinum dishwasher cleaner. No wax plug to melt so hopefully this does the job.

Wax Plug still intact...
by: Anonymous

I tried again rather than throw it away. This time, a utility knife was part of the solution. It worked. It should not be so difficult. Just to add that I ALWAYS run hot water till it's HOT before starting the dishwasher.

Wax Seal of Finish Cleaner not melting
by: Anonymous

Firstly, I've NEVER had any of the Finish dishwasher cleaner wax seals work as advertised. The wax is supposed to melt, releasing the cleaning fluid, but it never has in any of the dishwashers I've owned.

A workaround is to use a sharp pointed knife to remove most of the wax. Then, ensure you place the capsule in the BOTTOM RACK – never the top rack – so it is immersed in hot water. This usually works.

An alternative is to empty the cleaning liquid into a mug that you place in the TOP RACK of your dishwasher. With this method, the spray arm adding water into your mug will cause the cleaner to overflow and does its cleaning job.

If it's grease you're worried about, you can also follow the mug in top rack method, but replace the cleaning solution with WHITE VINEGAR. This is even better if you've accidentally got grease inside your dishwasher.

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