| General |
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| Why did Cascade take phosphate out of the formula? |
Cascade products complied with all Local, State, and Federal regulations that required the removal of phosphate from automatic dishwashing detergents by July 1, 2010.
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| What did phosphates do? |
Prior to July 1, phosphates were an important part of most automatic dishwashing detergent. They helped with dishwashing performance by facilitating food removal, removing the calcium that binds these types of foods together, and aided in grease removal. They also helped control water hardness and bound/suspended soils within the wash water so they did not redistribute onto plates.
Over the past two years, Cascade has invested heavily in R&D and manufacturing to be able to deliver phosphate-free formulations across all of our products, without compromising product performance.
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| Can I still use my old Cascade product? |
Because phosphate laws vary by state, please contact your state environmental agency for information on what to do with any phosphate-containing Cascade product you may have. (List of agency contact info available at www.epa.gov/epahome/state.htm).
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| Sustainability |
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| What impact does phosphate have on the environment? |
Phosphate supports the growth of plants, including algae. When too much phosphate is present, excessive amounts of algae can develop. This may lead to undesirable water quality impacts including reductions in aquatic life, poor taste and odors in drinking water.
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| So, is my phosphate-free Cascade better for the environment? |
Scientific studies demonstrate that a noticeable improvement in water quality would be affected only through decreases across all phosphorus-contributing sources, including fertilizer (residential and agricultural), construction run-off, and poorly-treated municipal sewage. Although phosphate from automatic dishwashing represents less than 3% of the amount in the environment, Cascade is doing its part.
The Cascade brand has designed the lineup to be phosphate free, while providing consumers the level of superb cleaning performance and value they have come to expect. Cascade products deliver excellent cleaning performance, and can reduce or often eliminate the need to pre-wash dishes, which may result in water savings.
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| Filming |
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| If you are experiencing filming or spotting from using phosphate free powder formulas in hard water, please watch this video for more information. |
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| Has my Cascade changed? It used to work fine, but now I’m getting spots and filming. |
Due to the industry-wide reformulation of automatic dishwashing detergents, there is a potential for some filming or spotting in harder water with phosphate free powder formulas. P&G designed their powder formulas versus relevant competition and know that we are giving equal to better performance with Cascade Powder.
While some consumers may experience issues with these powders, the majority of Cascade consumers are not experiencing issues with Cascade. In fact, Cascade Action Pacs deliver excellent product performance, in a convenient unit dose and have been consistently rated among the top dishwashing products in independent product reviews.
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| What is the cloudy stuff on our glasses and dishes? Is it safe to eat/drink out of the glasses and dishes? |
The film that most often forms when detergent combines with water hardness is mainly made up of magnesium, calcium, and aluminum - elements commonly found in some of the foods that we eat. Nevertheless, we always recommend that consumers wash any residue left on dishes before using them again.
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| How can I prevent filming? |
We recommend taking the following steps to prevent filming -
- Ensure that you are filling both detergent cups full for each load.
- Use a rinse aid, such as Cascade Rinse Aid, which helps to rinse away food particles and residues that can cause spots on dishes.
- Dishwasher water temperature should be at least 120 degrees F. Run hot water at the kitchen sink before starting the load to help reach this temperature.
- To help prevent low water pressure, make sure that no other water is being used in the house (showers, grass watering, washing machine).
- Make sure the dishwasher is loaded properly so that no items block the sprayer arms and prevent adequate water from reaching all of the dishes.
For consumers who nevertheless continue to experience filming issues, we recommend they try Cascade Action Pacs or Complete Action Pacs, since they contain a water-softening agent that helps to prevent mineral re-deposit on dishes. Cascade Rinse Aid also helps to minimize spotting and filming on dishes.
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| How can I remove film that is already present? |
For non-metal items, we recommend a vinegar wash. Put two cups of white vinegar in a bowl and place on bottom rack of the dishwasher. Run the glasses/dishes through a cycle with no detergent. Re-wash with Cascade to remove residual vinegar.
For metal items, we suggest cleaning by hand using a stainless steel cleaner or silver cream.
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| Do you plan to take the product off of the market? |
No. The majority of consumers are not experiencing issues with Cascade. Feel free to contact our Consumer Relations team if you are unhappy with your Cascade. They can help you find the best Cascade product to meet your needs.
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| Crystallization |
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| Why is my gel product frozen? |
Your Cascade with the Grease Fighting Power of Dawn may have crystallized, due to lower than usual temperatures during shipping. While we have reformulated this product to help prevent crystallization, some stores with slower turnover rates might still have older product on their shelves.
If your bottle of Cascade has a production code with any number up to 0243 and you are experiencing product crystallization, please follow the instructions below to return the product to its original state. You can find the production code located on the back of the bottle, above the Cascade logo.
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| Is my crystallized Cascade gel still usable? |
Yes. After extensive research with returned product, we have determined that this frozen product is still usable and should perform as usual, when de-crystallized.
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| Can I return my product to the store for a refund? |
Unfortunately, retailers will not accept returned Cascade Gel product. Please contact our consumer relations team for additional help by calling the 1-800 number located on the back of your package (1-800-765-5516).
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| How can I de-crystallize my Cascade gel product? |
| To make the product useable again, follow these tips: For 75 oz, and small bottles say: - Fill ½ the kitchen sink with hot water (not boiling), but just the hottest water to come out of your tap.
- Make sure the cap is on and keep the bottle in there for one hour.
- Then empty your sink. Repeat the step 1 and 2 for at least another one hour (total is 2 hours).
At no time, should the product be heated by any other means.For bigger bottles (155 oz.) say: - Fill ½ the kitchen sink with hot water (not boiling), but just the hottest water to come out of your tap.
- Make sure the cap is on and keep the bottle in there for one hour.
- Then empty your sink. Repeat step 1 and 2 for at least 3 more times (total is 4 hours).
At no time, should the product be heated by any other means.
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| What has Cascade done to resolve this problem? |
We have recently reformulated Cascade with the Grease Fighting Power of Dawn Gel to help prevent crystallization, but some older product may still remain on shelves. Any product with a production code that starts with 0244 and above has been reformulated and should not be affected. You can find the production code located on the back of the bottle, above the Cascade logo.
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