If you have that much mineral buildup in your DW, then you need whole house water treatment. That's on the inside of your pipes and faucets and hot water heater too. If it's "severe" it can lead to blockages and plumbing failures. And it's a primary suspect in poor DW cleaning performance as well.

Hollysprings -- perhaps. Though one thing the repairer did find was that the water pressure was turned to half on the DW. That said, we live below a hill and the pressure is high here, it could have been that someone thought that was the right thing to do once; I don't remember. Still, it's also possible, perhaps, that the severe buildup is a function of insufficient water pressure in the machine of late?

p.s. I so don't want to hear need for another "product"?! :)

I can't really comment on the chemistry. One thing in your post - you talk about rinsing off the chunks of food but leaving some slime - you're not supposed to rinse at all - SCRAPE the chunks of food off and leave the rest. Also, every dish and glass doesn't need food on it for things to work correctly - just a preponderance of dirty dishes :-)

Hi Weissman! But that's what I don't understand -- how does the enzyme "know" which dishes have or don't the goo on them? Why is it ok for some to be "clean" and others not? That is then, the overall water that the dishes swirl around in has to have a sufficiency of melted goo in the water? It's not a per-dish thing that has to have food residue on it? Then why not just add goo to the detergent? What if you washed a whole load of water glasses only? Etching?

This whole enzyme-thing just doesn't make sense....

Yes, my understanding is that "goo" in the water activates the enzymes, not on a per dish basis. How would you add goo to the detergent?!? The whole idea is to clean dirty dishes - many of us are pleased not to have to pre-rinse the dishes - although there are still people who can't give up the habit. My understanding is that if you washed a whole load of clean water glasses you might get etching on them.

It's all a chemical process. Enzymes are chemicals that dissolve food (organic) residue, along with water conditioners to sequester mineral content (hard water). It's not the enzymes so much that attack the glassware, it's the higher concentration of ALL the various chemicals in the detergent composition that does the damage when there's not enough "food soil" in the aggregate wash solution.

Whether you like it or not, accept it or not ... the facts remain that modern dishwashers are engineered to work properly with specific additive products, including rinse aid. Your usage technique thus far apparently isn't working so well, has caused considerable residue in your machine.

Lemishine (citric acid) is an alternative to the dishwasher cleaner you've been directed to use. Plain white vinegar can be helpful on mild to moderate calcification. I suppose in an extreme case one could try Limeaway or CLR. More than one treatment may be needed.

I thought enzymes were a chemical that speeded up a reaction, usually by physically attaching to another chemical and in some way changing the shape of the molecule so the reaction went faster? In this case, then, the enzyme would somehow speed up a food-dissolution-reaction.

That makes sense, I guess, what you say about it being an issue of dissolution "concentration"

Maybe I'll just try the white vinegar as I have a bunch of it. Do you just pour it in the bottom of the machine?

Vinegar should be added (try 2 measured cups, 16 oz.) to the main wash period of the cycle. Adding it immediately at the start would drain it away within a few mins if the cycle starts with a prewash and/or prerinse. You kinda have to be familiar with the operational sequence of the machine to know when to open the door and pour in the vinegar dose into the main wash period. Maybe close the (empty) detergent cup and listen for a "snap" when it opens?

Your thinking 'catalyst'. Enzymes are part of the normal digestion process and break down proteins. Yes, your body produces enzymes.

They're also used in laundry detergents for the same thing: breaking down proteins.

The last time I looked, glassware was not made of proteins.

There was a nice informative article referenced here a few years back describing the action of etching. It has more to do with the chemicals (bleach) and heat acting on the crystal lattice of glass.

The only thing that works for me is Lemishine. Vinegar didn't do it; wish it had. For me, no soap works without citric acid, (Lemishine.)

I think most of your problem is the new phosphate free
detergents,that white haze is the giveaway, I hate them, but they have improved recently.
This has caused the severe build up in your machine, you will
need lemishine or dishwasher magic to remove it, possibly
several passes.

I use institutional Cascade (available online and at some office
supply stores) or Bubble Bandit, also available online.
Dishes are always spotless, no buildup in machine, smoothie goo gone, lipstick gone These
have phosphates like all detergents used to.

I personally have never felt enzymes were all that, I never
rinsed before enzymes and had perfectly clean dishes. I barely even scrape.

EnergyStar-engineered dishwashers nowadays operate at lower water temps (less heating). Enzyme detergents are in turn engineered to perform at moderate temperatures for longer wash periods, on the "normal cycle" low at 105°F in some cases to maybe 125°.

Institutional Cascade contains bleach, not enzymes. I use it on plasticware (drink pitchers, storage bowls) to deal with tea and tomato sauce stains. Very effective.