dishwasher tablets!

[divegirl]

Good morning my little fruit bats!

I have just had a new kitchen put in and have treated myself to a shiny new dishwasher [I have never had one before] and would be grateful for some advice at getting the best performance from it.
Soooooooo.....what tablets are best? Do I need to use a de-scaler? [hard southern water here]...... and tips and cheats for my new toy?

So easily pleased me lol

Lisa cx

[albaqwerty]

Some supermarkets own brands are good I believe. (Don't know specifics as I'm using my dishwasher to type this :-)
I would imagine you'd need a de-scaler at some point but don't some tablets already have something like that in them?
I'm just envious of your new toy!!!!! Have loads of fun playing with it. xx

[divegirl]

Thank Alba, it's only a slim line one [only 3 of us in the house but I can't wait, the kitchen fitter is plumbing it in tomorrow.....woo hoo

[woofgang]

You need dishwasher salt and there should be a reservoir for it, the instructions will tell you about it. I use whatever tablets are cheapest when I buy mine, the powders and liquids are messy. I do find that rinse aid (the ones that say they dry plastic) make a difference with (ha) drying plastic and preventing watermarking. You will find it is a necessity now you have one!!
If you live in the south, think about getting a water softener installed. They aren't cheap but last ages and are seriously life changing.

[albaqwerty]

Years ago, one of my SIL's got one when she got a new kitchen. She put it on once every 2 days and had to buy another dinner set to dish the food up on. But that was in the days before energy efficient gadgets!!

[Brinjal]

For the best steam dry finish once the cycle has completed open the door and let the steam out. Prevents any condensation. Don't put crystal or your good chopping or carving knives.

[divegirl]

thanks everyone xxx

[chokkie]

get yourself a few more mugs/cups. Rinse dirty dishes to get rid of blobs of food, otherwise they will block up the spray arms. I love my dishwasher, don't know what I'd do without one now. Certainly no dinner parties .....chox.

[woofgang]

I scrape bits of food off the plates but never ever rinse and have never had a blocked spray arm. Read the instruction book and you will be fine.

[woofgang]

I don't open mine to dry either as it fogs up the kitchen...I make sure I have the rinse aid with the drying component though. basically I fill it, turn it on and go to bed.

[chrissa1]

I've never used salt or rinse aid in my dishwasher and have had one for over 20 years now. My dishes and glasses come out crystal clear.

Don't use it until it's full, definitely not after every meal. Maybe a few more mugs etc need to be bought.

[woofgang]

chrissa what's your water like? I live in a rock hard water area and before we had a softener, I could tell when the salt reservoir in the dishwasher had emptied by the state of the dishes. I use the rinse aid because I use quite a lot of plastic storage boxes and hate drying them.

[ummmm]

I always use salt and rinse aid. Both cheap to buy and last ages.

[chrissa1]

I think we're medium to hard here in Northumberland. As I said, crystal clear dishes.

[Prudie]

I always use salt and a good quality tablet. I use bargain basement tablets for the machine at work (only used for tea and coffee stuff) and they are rubbish eg leave brown stains in tea cups.

[boxtops]

I don't use salt or rinse aid, only a dishwasher tablet from Aldi.

Divegirl - if your machine is new, surely it has a manual with it? That'll tell you whether you need salt.

If you live on the Downs like we do, you'll definitely need to descale - I pop in a descaler tablet every time I use it - chalk deposits (limescale) will otherwise build up quickly (I take it you use one is your clothes washing machine?!).

[boxtops]

PS I don't open the door wide to let the steam out, just put it on the catch when each wash is finished.

[divegirl]

Hey Boxy... its that new its still in the box so I haven't had a chance to read the manual, just finished work so I will have a look.
I think I'll just get it all to begin with and see how it goes.

And more cups you all say!!! Just chucked loads out! The problem I have its I used to have a walk in larder but that has been taken out and not been replaced with much....sodding health and safety! [Its a council property so they had the final say on the plans]. There was a window on the larder and now the larder is gone they said I can't have my light restricted by putting a cupboard near it!!!! I part wish I had left the larder there but it does look good....just not a lot of cupboard space :0/

Lisa x

[jomifl]

Some modern dishwashers have a condenser which gets rid of the steam from drying without having to open the door.

[flitty]

If you use it on an economy wash then an engineer told me once a month put the powder in and then run it on the full and hottest cycle you can with no dishes in to help degrease the pipes etc. I aslo found a teaspoon off soda crystals help as well.

[divegirl]

I've always heard of and done that with my washing machine. Do you put the soda crystals into every cycle Flitty?

Lisa x