The ban will take effect July 1, 2010, and many manufacturers already are offering varieties billed as phosphate-free (though, technically, they'll be allowed to contain a trace amount).
Industry officials say more such products are on the way in the coming months, and before long, it will be tough to find the old kind of detergent anywhere, including states such as New Jersey and Delaware that did not enact bans. Most companies have decided it is not worth the hassle of maintaining separate supply chains.
But will the new kinds work as well?
For the most part, so far, they do not, according to surveys in Consumer Reports. In its August and October issues, the magazine subjected a total of 21 detergents to a tough test: dishes "smeared with a baked-on blend of 17 foods," including chocolate pudding and peanut butter.
Most of the phosphate-free varieties cost about the same, but did not perform as well, though companies say better ones are in the works. Procter & Gamble, which makes numerous varieties of Cascade, has spent a year perfecting its phosphate-free formulations and will continue to supply "immaculate dishes every time," says spokeswoman Susan Baba.
One phosphate-free brand that did well was Smarty Dish by Method.
To be fair, the Consumer Reports tests were brutal. Like lots of people, Gladwyne resident Jennifer Mettler takes the extra step of scraping or rinsing food off dishes before loading them in the machine.
But even then, the phosphate-free products - though they get dishes clean - do not measure up in the aesthetics department, she says.
"Your glasses aren't going to be shiny-sparkly," says Mettler, who uses a store brand of green detergent from Trader Joe's.
