Clean Dishes the First Time (and Every Time!) with Cascade Platinum {Review}

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

I’m not exactly the queen of pre-rinsing dishes.  Who has the time?  Not this mom.  And if I had to be absolutely honest, my dishes are more often than not, shuffled into the dishwasher after 24 hours of waiting for me on the countertop or in the sink.  Again, who has the time?  At the end of the day I’m much more concerned about getting the kids bathed and off to bed at a reasonable hour (and getting a little sleep myself!), than I am about my dishes.

So my dishes go into the dishwasher looking a little something like this:

That was after pizza night – cheese, oil, grease, the works.  All dried on that plate.  And let’s face it, by 24 hours later, even a pre-rinse under super hot water isn’t going to help.  That stuff is hanging on for dear life.  The pizza cutter is in much the same condition, as are some of the utensils.*

Normally, dishes like these lead to having to run the dishwasher multiple times or questioning whether I should switch detergent (or perhaps even considering finding the time to pre-rinse?), but luckily, I recently started using Cascade Platinum Pacs.  These ingenious dishwasher pacs are made for people just like me.  They power through tough, 24 hour stuck on food (sound familiar?), prevent additional hard-water film build-up, and deliver an amazing shine.  And even better?  They contain the grease fighting power of Dawn right in the pac.  All that pre-rinsing I should have been doing, but didn’t do?  Well this pac has it covered.  And although they come in two scents (Fresh & Lemon Burst), I highly recommend the Lemon Burst…the scent is divine.  

Remember those dirty pizza dishes?  Well, look at them now!

Shiny and clean, ready to be put out on the table for another use.  And with a blog like this, where I occasionally post recipes and pictures of the food I’ve cooked, there’s a good chance that you’ll see a close up of one of these plates so you know that I’ll settle for no less than sparkling clean.  But no one knows more about presentation than Gail Simmons, Top Chef judge and editor of Food+Wine magazine, which is why Cascade has partnered with her to provide all sorts of tips and advice on how to prepare your tabletop and impress with your plating of delicious meals.  After all, presentation is just as important as preparation!  To learn more about Gail Simmons,  her partnership Cascade, and learn tips and tricks to make your table more impressive, make sure to check out the Cascade Facebook page and Cascade YouTube page.

And make sure to check out the Cascade “My Platinum” contest on Instagram!  Simply register and then upload a photo in accordance with the theme for the week using the hashtag #MyPlatinum and tagging @MyCascade.  Each week, 2 winners will receive a brand new Whirlpool Dishwasher and at the end of the contest, 1 lucky winner will receive a Platinum Kitchen makeover!  But make sure that you register here first!  Participants who have not registered will be disqualified.  This week’s theme is “My Platinum Table” (showing of a picture of your sparkling tablescape) and entries are open until Sunday, June 30, so get those camera phones a snappin’!

* And yes, just in case you’re wondering I cringe a little on the inside when showing you pictures of my dirty dishes.  I’m sure it’s totally corroding the “this mom can do it all” image that I’ve no doubt instilled in your heads over the past 22 months that I’ve been blogging.  [Insert giggle fits here]