The Good: Cleans glass and freshens dishwasher, Lasts a long time
The Bad: No scent, EXPENSIVE!
The Basics: Having come to enjoy Jet Dry products in part for their wonderful scents, the lack of scent from Jet Dry Turbo lowers the overall value of this product for me.
Shortly before I moved out of my house (yea, collapsing economy!), I had the opportunity to try some products that I no longer get to use. So, for example, having had to abandon my pretty incredible dishwasher (reviewed here!), I no longer get to use rinse agents. But before I had to move, I did and the last one I used before leaving home was Jet Dry Turbo Dry rinse agent.
Rinse agents, for those not fluent in the lingo are a fluid or gel used in automatic dishwashers that have a slow release. The stated use of a rinse agent is to dissolve the last bits of matter or detergent left on glassware and make it sparkle. Like using aspirin to prevent heart attacks, rinse agents have a secondary use and that is that they are what cleans the dishwasher. I had a great dishwasher and like many dishwashers, the manual explicitly states not to clean it with bleach (it denatures the plastics in the frame). Jet-Dry was the right product to deodorize the dishwasher and after I used fruity-scented rinse agents to do that, I started using Turbo Dry to simply maintain the scent and more for the primary function of the product.
I chose Jet-Dry Turbo Dry because I did not think scent was all that important. But once you've had a house that smells fruity and delicious from the dishwasher running, it is very hard to go back. Turbo Dry has no real scent, save a generic industrial clean scent and the lack of additional scent benefit ultimately cost this product my consideration. Without the scent benefit, it was too blase, too bland. I could hardly tell that it was doing what it was supposed to.
The 8.45 Fl. Oz. bottle of Turbo Dry was a strangely high $6.99 at my local grocery store and because I seldom need dishes shiny and clean faster than normal (I tended to run my dishwasher in the middle of the night anyway), this seemed like a lot of money for something with limited benefit. Still, it is hard to deny Turbo Dry works; it does, but there are other versions that work with perks for the same price. I like perks, especially in the form of delicious scents.
Using a rinse agent is a simple, thoughtless process. Virtually every dishwasher has a compartment for rinse agents. Usually, there is a reservoir where one must twist something off and then pour the rinse agent in. In my dishwasher, the reservoir is a small compartment with a twist-top that is little wider than the top to the Jet-Dry bottle. Fortunately, the flip-top lid has a small hole that allows one to open it up and squirt the Turbo Dry rinse agent right into the reservoir opening.
My first fill of the reservoir used half a bottle of Turbo Dry Jet-Dry and that was when I began to freak out. This stuff is not cheap and while the dishwasher uses very little of it at a time, I became concerned with how much it was consuming. After a month of use, I refilled the reservoir, though and the refill required less than a tenth of what was left in the bottle! My instant reaction faded to one of feeling impressed.
So, how does it work? I've no idea. None whatsoever. I put the rinse agent in, it is discreetly added to the mix at some point and I have to refill the reservoir from time to time. For all I know this is magic elves that expand with steam and scrub the crap off my glasses and dishwasher to leave it smelling clean.
Turbo Dry has no real scent outside that of a generic cleaner when going into the reservoir. And when one opens up the dishwasher after it is run: no scent.
The plus sides to this are that it works and it does not change the taste of any food or drink that they are used on. First, the dishes do come out truly spotless. I have a great dishwasher that I'm convinced I could put sand in instead of detergent and it would make the dishes clean (I'm truly that happy with my dishwasher!) and I've not actually ever had a real problem with spots on glasses, but I have noticed since using rinse agents (and now not being able to use them!) that none of the glasses have even tiny spots on them. Nothing. It does exactly what it promises as far as eliminating spots on glasses (and silverware, I've found!). For its secondary purpose - cleaning my dishwasher - it seems to be doing that. From the very first wash using the Turbo Dry Jet-Dry there has been no scent. My dishwasher is now odorless and it's hard to complain about that.
There appears to be no residue, no remnant of the rinse agent and food has not in any way been altered in taste after being placed on dishes cleaned with this product.
It is, however, still ridiculously expensive for what it is. It might be more necessary in places where there is hard or sulfurous water (I have neither) but unless your dishes or dishwasher are beginning to smell funky it's hard to say this is a necessity. It does manage to do exactly what it promises, no more, no less. But, if you need a rinse agent, there are scented ones that work the same and give a little more for your money.
For other cleaning products, please check out my reviews of:
Speedy White Hearth & Glass Cleaner
Method Pink Grapefruit Cleaning Wipes
Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets
4.5/10
For other home and garden product reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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