Many of you live in states that have banned the use of phosphates in dishwashing detergents. I do! I had no idea the impact phosphates had on dishes & the environment until Chris pointed me to an interesting article published by my local news. See, I had been getting more than a little frustrated with our dishwasher at the time. So frustrated in fact, that I had stopped using the dishwasher all together & was washing dishes by hand. I just could NOT bear to touch another "clean" dish that felt like a chalkboard. Chalky dishes make me cry. I have texture issues. After reading the article about how the lack of phosphates result in chalky dishes, I immediately went over to my dishwasher & gave it a hug & apologized for swearing at it. Then I got mad that all of those scientists haven't figured out a way to replace phosphates. A couple of weeks later, I was surfing on the web & found a great article on Fresh Nest about the dilemma I've been facing & ways to avoid chalky, gross dishes! There were tons of great suggestions in the post & in the comments; I thought I'd give one commenter's suggestion a try – use powdered detergent + citric acid – since I just so happen to have citric acid on hand. Oh wow. I practically cry with delight every time I unload the dishwasher now. Our cups are clear, not frosty! Yahoo. Citric acid is the best. You can find it at culinary supply stores or pharmacies or natural food stores. I owe so much of my sanity to Deb & @thinkCara. Have you had the same issues as me? Do you cry yourself to sleep at night, too? If you're wanting to make your own dishwasher detergent, check out this fabulous recipe over at Sutton Grace!! She uses citric acid in her recipe!