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Housekeeping

Do I need rinse aid/dishwasher salt?

13 replies

ifonly4 · 06/01/2016 14:51

Our house has a dishwasher installed by previous occupants. I don't have any instructions and have been using dishwasher tablets. I've become aware you can buy rinse aid/dishwasher salt. Do I need this and if so where should I place it - there just seems to be a dispenser for salt.

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ifonly4 · 06/01/2016 14:52

sorry, dispenser for tablets, not salt!

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Gunting · 06/01/2016 14:53

I think it's going to depend on the kind of dishwasher but on mine you pour salt into a hole on the bottom floor.

You can find manuals for appliances if you google the brand and name

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Phalarope · 06/01/2016 14:59

You only need salt in a hard water area. Somewhere online there is a table of dishwasher salt requirements by postcode area. We don't use any in ours cos the water is so soft, but it goes in a hole in the floor of the dishwasher. Rinse aid goes in the bit next to where the tablets or powder would go.

I have a feeling tablets mean you don't need separate rinse aid.

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ifonly4 · 06/01/2016 15:08

Thanks for your replies. Will look online for manual. One thing I know for sure is that we're in a hard water area.

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Spikeinhiscoat · 06/01/2016 15:11

We live in a hard water area and gave recently got a dishwasher for the first time. The manual said you only need separate salt if the water hardness was above a certain rating. I looked in the website of our water provider, put in my postcode and it gave the rating. I was surprised to find that according to that we don't need separate salt.

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rabbit123 · 06/01/2016 16:26

Salt depends on water hardness but you definitely need rinse aid. Everything comes out dripping wet otherwise

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Moln · 06/01/2016 16:31

The salt dispenser is usually under the bottom rack, and the rinse aid is in the tablet dispenser


Rinse aid is for that final finish, you can probably live without it but the glass stuff usually comes out better with it (Lidl does rinse aid - good as any imo)

What make is your dishwasher?

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wowfudge · 06/01/2016 19:27

We just use Aldi tablets (soft water area) and it's fine.

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dementedpixie · 06/01/2016 19:40

You get a better wash with salt and rinse aid so I use it alongside tablets. There is normally a bit to unscrew on the floor of the dishwasher to put the dishwasher salt. Rinse aid normally goes in a section close to where the tablet goes - some list twist off and some are like a flap (mine has a flap to open)

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dementedpixie · 06/01/2016 19:40

I use own make dishwasher salt and rinse aid

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lljkk · 06/01/2016 20:01

You need salt for the hardness of your water, or you can knacker your Dwasher inner systems (break machine completely). Follow the instructions to set how much salt is dispensed each time.

Rinse Aid is just for looks, not required. We've never used it.

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Horopu · 07/01/2016 08:42

I sometimes use white vinegar instead of rinse aid.

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specialsubject · 08/01/2016 21:22

yes, you do. 3 in 1 tablets are chocolate fireguards, so buy the cheapest ones plus salt and rinse aid. Full set for 30 washes plus is a fiver in Wilkinson (cheapest I've found)

MN thinks you can halve the dishwasher tablet too, worth a go.

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