I'm Jane's Brother And I'm Here To Help: Easily Hack Your Dishwasher And Washer To Use Less Water — And Clean Better!

Plus a free money offer no one ever tells you about — but I will!

I'm the guy who Jane and a lot of other people call when they can't figure out how to do something. Why isn’t my dishwasher cleaning? How can I get the best price on a new car? Which coffee maker is the best? As a product design professor for 28 years, I am uniquely qualified to help. Basically, I can fix anything. (Except software issues. Nothing irritates me more than software issues.) I can also share plenty of tips and advice that I hope will simplify your life. Feel free to ask me anything (my family and friends sure do), and I promise to share all of my DIY secrets with you (well, most of them anyway).

My product pick for this week is also a life hack:

Trisodium phosphate is a potent cleaner. I add a 1/4 teaspoon to my dishwasher detergent and a tablespoon to my laundry. You'll immediately notice the difference. I can set the dishwasher to wash for one hour instead of the usual 2.5 hours. TSP is cheap, too! It's also amazing for really tough cleaning jobs but, please, wear gloves! 

Yes, I know the box says to use it on painted surfaces, but TSP is a great multitasker. By the way, I was trying face yoga in that main picture. I'll tell you in another column how that worked.

For those of you who are concerned about its effect on health and the environment, I have done tons of research. To summarize, this type of phosphate is used as a food additive and in water treatment, so it’s that safe. The only issue with it: Some states banned the sale but not the use of phosphates because phosphate fertilizer or phosphate cleaning products dumped on the ground or street can get into waterways and cause algae to grow way too well. So please ensure the product goes down the drain, not into the street.

And what's a better life hack than free money?