I found that with bi-carb too, it just doesn't do the job on pans or pots, so on heavy loads we use some actualy powder (actually, its a dishwasher tablet thing, I'm sure they're no good but thats what we use). Vinegar as rinse aid. Actually OT, but since using vinegar as a rinse aid, I'll never go back to any commercial aids, I've never had cloud-free dishes before using vinegar!