I Stopped Buying Cascade Platinum Plus—and My Dishes Are Still Clean
I think Cascade has been stealing my money for years.
Okay, not literally.
But I’ve been buying Cascade Platinum Plus dishwasher tabs forever because I just assumed the expensive dishwasher tabs worked better. Then I tried Great Value dishwasher tabs instead.
Dishwashers are one of those things I don’t want to think about. I want to load it, throw in a tab, press start and wake up to clean dishes. So once I found something that worked, I kept buying it.
Then I was standing in the dishwasher detergent aisle at Walmart and actually stopped to compare prices.
And now I’m wondering why I didn’t do this sooner.
I Tried the Great Value Premium Plus Dishwasher Tabs
The Great Value Premium Plus tabs were significantly cheaper than the Cascade Platinum Plus I normally bought.
Normally, cheaper is enough to make me suspicious.
Sure, I can save money on dishwasher detergent—but if I have to rewash half the dishes afterward, did I really save anything?
But I decided to try them.
And honestly?
They do the job just fine.
My dishes are clean. My dishwasher is still doing its thing. And so far, I haven’t found a reason that I need to keep paying the premium for Cascade.
That’s a win for me.
Now I Can Use Rinse Aid and Still Spend Less
Here’s the part that makes the switch even better.
Because I’m spending less on dishwasher tabs, I can use rinse aid too and still come out ahead compared with what I was spending before.
I love finding ways to save money, but I especially love when saving money doesn’t require me to sacrifice convenience or make another household chore harder.
Which brings me to my slightly ridiculous dishwasher-tab system…
But I’m Keeping the Cascade Container
I may have broken up with Cascade tabs, but apparently we’re not making a clean break.
I’m keeping the container.
And no, I’m not pouring Great Value tabs into a Cascade container because I’m trying to fool myself into thinking I’m still buying the expensive ones.
Who exactly would I be fooling?
I am the one who bought the Great Value tabs after all.
It’s the lid.
Cascade has a convenient hinged flip-top lid. I can open it, grab a tab and close it again.
The Great Value container requires me to take the whole lid off.
Is removing a lid difficult?
Obviously not.
Do I want to do it every single night when I already own a perfectly good flip-top container?
Also no.
So when I get home, the Great Value tabs go straight into my old Cascade container.
I’m trying to save money, not inconvenience myself.
Honestly, that might sum up my entire approach to homemaking.
Give me the cheaper option. Give me the shortcut. Give me the slightly unconventional system that makes absolutely no sense to anyone else—as long as it makes everyday life easier.
Another Tiny Change That Makes Life Easier
This also fits right into the reason I run my dishwasher every single night — even when it isn’t completely full.
I’ve stopped worrying so much about whether I’m doing household chores the “right” way and started asking a different question:
Does this make my life easier?
For me, cheaper dishwasher tabs + rinse aid + the fancy container I already own = yes.
Sorry, Cascade.
We’re officially breaking up. But I’m keeping your container.
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