What do you use in your dishwasher?

[JILS]

DH just getting round to installing dw (bought it a year ago!!) What do you recommend - tablets or liquid?

[Hattie05]

I use tablets - whichever ones on special offer . I generally avoid the shop brand ones but i don't notice any difference between the ones i do use - can't even remember the names!

[Kelly1978]

fairy tablets are the best ones I've found.

[twinsetandpearls]

I use tablets and have found that the tescos ones are doing as well as the finish ones and are much cheaper. I also use any left over lemons that don't manage to find their way into a G&T to freshen it up.

[BettySpaghetti]

Tablets from Lidl (a fraction of the cost and seem just as good). No mess -just chuck it in!

[Auntymandy]

Asda do really cheap ones their white label stuff.Smart price. They are the best I have tried so far and had a dishy for years and tried loads!

[Securlurking]

I use a commercial powder and finish 4in1 tablets.

The tablets are stupidly expensive (IMO) but very very good so I use them alternativly - and always use the tabs with anything glass or silverish

HTH - and doesn't show mu up as too much of a cheap skate LOL

[quanglewangle]

I buy the cheapest powder I can lay my hands on, and use half the recommended amount, but that's the cheap-skate sort of person I am.

It washes fine btw.

[JILS]

Thanks for your tips, everyone. Will give a few different ones a try. No more washing up - WHOOPEE!! (What a saddo I am!)

[scienceteacher]

Can't remember what they are called but they are new little plastic pouches from Flash. They are made up of a tablet and the rinse aid liquid and are enclosed in plastic that melts/dissoved. You don't have to handle the harsh chemicals, because all you do is tough the plastic.

[scienceteacher]

Not Flash - Fairy

[Piccalilli]

I've found Sains own-brand tabs to be as good as Finish and about two thirds the price.

[Amiable]

I use Tesco's own. Can't say if they are as good as the premium brands cos I've never used the premium brands! The dishes always come out clean though, so I'm happy.

[Amiable]

Sorry, should have said tablets - much less mess than liquid, and not so easy to spill!

[NotQuiteCockney]

We use Fairy brand powder, which is a hassle to get, but doesn't smell of anything, thankfully. And separate rinse-aid, and separate salts.

[CADS]

I'm also fan of Sainsburys own-brand tabs

[NomDePlume]

Finish Powder, rinse aid and salt. I don't use the 3in1 tablets, the manufacturers booklet that came with the dishwasher advised against using them. I want to use the more environmentally friendly type, Ecover et al, but can't find a stockist locally

[NomDePlume]

The ones that are phosphate and chlorine free

[babyonboard]

I use a couple of pints of beer and a stern word or two...

[MrsBadgerAvecUneVoiture]

Tesco own-brand 3 in 1, though we got a free sample of the Finish Mega Power Action Ball (or whatever) ones through the post and I didn't like them at all - left the glasses all squeaky and unpleasant.

[Laura032004]

I use Tesco's own brand 4-in-1 (we switched from Finish 4-in-1, so seemed the obvious ones to try!). They seem fine - no change from Finish ones really.

I did buy a bottle of dishwasher cleaner (you're meant to run it through with an empty dishwasher), but haven't used it yet. No cleaning done so far in three years !

BettySpaghetti - how much are the Lidl ones? If they're a lot cheaper, I might buy a box to try.

I wait until the Tesco ones are on offer, and buy about 100 at a go (we use one a day) - they seem to be on quite a good offer every month or two.

[JanH]

Ecover tablets. V expensive (£3.99 for 25 - 16p per wash) but they wash as well as anything else I've used and make me feel kind

[docket]

I use tesco 4-in-1 as well and find them good.

Twinsetandpearls mentioned putting a lemon in the dishwasher for freshness. Does this work and if so how/where do you put it in? My dishwasher smells horribly eggy at the moment and I'm not sure why...

[janemw]

I use powder, tesco's own normally, but just had a sample of soap nuts off ebay and claim you can put them in dishwasher as well as washing machine! Haven't tried them in dishwasher yet, but they work just as well as powder in washing machine!

[sugarfree]

While we're on the dishwasher subject,can I chuck in the dishcloth of an evening.I never remember to put it in bleach.

[Hollyboo]

I chuck my cloth in.