Cascade (brand)

Cascade
Product typeDishwasher detergent
OwnerProcter & Gamble
CountryUnited States
Introduced1955 (1955)[1]
Websitecascadeclean.com

Cascade is a brand of automatic dishwasher detergent manufactured by Procter & Gamble. Introduced in 1955, it is the most popular dishwasher detergent brand in the US.[1][2][3]

History

Cascade was developed by Procter & Gamble in 1955 as a specialized product for automatic dishwashers. Its creation stemmed from a business decision to differentiate the company's cleaning products. Before Cascade, the company had marketed Tide as a multi‑purpose detergent, including for dishwashing, but found Tide powder did not leave dishes sufficiently shiny. The company identified a market for a product specifically formulated for increasingly popular automatic dishwashers.[1]

A patent for an "automatic dishwasher detergent composition" that became part of the Cascade brand was granted to Procter & Gamble chemists Dennis Weatherby and Brian J. Roselle. The patent, issued on December 22, 1987, described a formula that included a class of dyes to give the detergent a lemon-yellow color without staining dishware and the dishwasher interior.[4][5]

The brand's formulation has evolved over time. In 2010, Cascade reformulated to remove phosphates (such as sodium triphosphate) in response to environmental regulation and concerns about eutrophication of waterways.[6][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Conte, Annemarie (February 26, 2025). "How I Came to Love the Dusty Powdered Dishwasher Detergent of My Childhood". Wirecutter. The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  2. ^ "Cascade Safety and FAQ". Cascade Detergent. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  3. ^ Blau, Max; Younes, Lylla (December 20, 2021). "The Dirty Secret of America's Clean Dishes". ProPublica. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  4. ^ Cabrera, Claudio E.; Jacobs, Julia (February 24, 2019). "Seven Black Inventors Whose Patents Helped Shape American Life". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  5. ^ "Dennis Weatherby". Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  6. ^ McCoy, Michael (January 24, 2011). "Goodbye, Phosphates". Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  7. ^ "What Are Phosphates in Detergent?". Cascade Detergent. Retrieved September 23, 2025.