I remember once seeing on the grocery store shelf an additive designed
for washing non-disposable plastic storage containers in a dishwasher,
but can no longer find it either in the stores or online. This
additive supposedly did a better job of cleaning the residue out of
such containers than, say, Cascade alone. Although I did get some hits
on "plastics and dishwashers," none included mention of this additive.
What I did find, though, were two cautions: 1) always put plastics on
the top shelf and 2) do not dry with heat. The latter is a catch-22,
since I'm certainly not going to run a separate load of only plastics.
Can anyone point me to the name and source of the additive?

Hi Nautico,

   The product to which you refer is Cascade Plastic Booster.
"Cascade Plastic Booster is a Plastic Cleaning Additive for your
dishwasher that removes red stains and odor from plastics while
cleaning and freshening the inside of your dishwasher.

Tomato sauce stained your plastic? The odor of onions lingering longer
than you'd like? With Cascade Plastic Booster, you can remove stains
such as tomato sauce or odors such as onion that were once virtually
impossible to remove from plastics.

Cascade Plastic Booster is specially formulated to work with your
dishwasher detergent to clean plastics, lifting out stains and
removing built-up residue and odors. It's also designed to be safe for
nonplastic items, so it does not require additional dishwasher loads.

Use Cascade Plastic Booster in your prewash cup, along with Cascade
detergent in your main wash cup."
http://www.homemadesimple.com/cascade/products/booster.shtml

If you can't find it in your local stores, Drugstore.com sells it online:
http://www.drugstore.com/qxp74777_333181_sespider/cascade/plastic_booster_plastic_cleaning_additive_for_use_in_the_dishwasher.htm

Here are a few dishwashing tips:
http://isnare.com/?ca=Home+Management&id=3630


Happy Dishwashing!
Regards, Crabcakes

---

Clarification of Answer by crabcakes-ga on 27 Jun 2005 09:27 PDT

Ooops, I forgot to post my search terms:

dishwasher additive + stains

Crabcakes

Many thanks!

Thank you Nautico, for the stars and the nice tip!
Regards, Crabcakes

Nautico,
Re your question about the wine:  I had an answer all ready but then
could not post it.  Since I agree more with Pinkfreud, I have had to
track you down on this question to post it.

Nautico,
You're the host, tell them all about the wine.  Knowledgeable wine
drinkers (Pinky knows the word for them  (-: ) always talk about
wines.  Any halfway savvy guest will at least note the age and say
something appreciative, thereby giving you a chance to expand on the
subject.  None of YOUR friends will remark about what it could have
cost.  If I were having one of my wittier days, I would make a toast
about the wine's being appropriate to the guests and/or the occasion 
- both, I hope.

"Zum Wohle!"  :-)

SInce one commenter did talk so much about price, if it were my party,
I would be prepared for or preempt such questions with my description
of the wine (I would have to read up on the subject) and why I wanted
to share it with these guests especially, being then ready to field a
question about where I got it.

Depending on where you live and your background, one of these "white
lies" could be appropriate:

From Dad's/Uncle Sam's/my father-in-law's cellar, he bought it back
when, and there were just enough bottles for THIS party;

I know (A friend told me about) a restaurant owner that had some wine
that he was never going to be able to sell to his dinner customers ...
 (This really can happen, at least in Europe);

Someone gave me the bottles after I did him a favor ...;

I found them at an estate auction;

... that should give you some ideas, in case you needed any.  :)

To repeat:  Yes, I would talk about the wine, and if only to avoid
someone's making an unknowingly inappropriate remark about what he
thought of it.

If it really is a "de Snooty 1961" and a red wine, it should be
decantered carefully an hour before serving, but you knew that
already, sorry.

Myoarin