First time dishwasher owner

[YaWeeShit]

As sad as it sounds, I’m getting a dishwasher on Monday and as I’ve never owned one before, I’m hoping for tips on how to get the best use out of it.

We’re a family of three so not loads of dishes - would it be best to put on once a day?

Are plates supposed to be scraped before going in?

Am I officially middle aged being so excited about a dishwasher

I run mine when full and clean the filter on each unload it takes minutes.

Agree about the dishwasher cleaner (or citric acid is the same thing but cheaper), also clean the arms, they can get clogged and just pull off.

I find in hard water areas the dearer brands are worth the extra money when it comes to glasses.

And with all the time saved you can have extra sex .

They’re really good for cleaning glassware.

Ours is still a bourgeois luxury to me but reading all these posts about water usage being much better than hand washing I’m looking at it in a new liberating light!

I love my dishwasher so much that I have told my husband that if I wasn't married to him I'd marry the dishwasher. It's on right now. Full load, and second load of the day. Lockdown family kitchen best friend. I might send my dishwasher flowers.

Wish I had thought of sending my dish washer flowers. 😀

Talking of what might go wrong. We had two night running a really disappointing result. Thinking that we had forgotten to run the machine overnight.

Some things were clean but lots of plates just not. Turned out to be a tiny particle caught in one if the holes in the water sprayer arm. Flicked it out with a toothpick and all is well again in our life.

I'm re doing the kitchen. Unfortunately it's not very big (3mx3m) but worse than that has 3 doors and is a walkway as well. So only really a U (1500/3000/1500) shape for cupboards/appliances etc and due to water/waste/gas etc not many possible places for oven/WM/fridge/sink etc.

I'll have to sacrifice a cupboard for a DW and can only fit a slimline. (NEFF with top cutlery tray).

I'm undecided whether it's worth it or not because the things I HATE washing up are the pots & pans and I don't want stuff ruined and I hate the chemical taste on cutlery & mugs etc 😣but I'm beyond fed up of having 'bits' on the side. (Combi Boiler, so it's too wasteful to keep running the tap to get hot water for A mug or whatever.)

And if it doesn't dry them well it'll end up going back!!

Mashed potato and spinach both need to be rinsed off otherwise they spread...

@Floralnomad

I’ve never had an issue with lemon tablets we’ve used all sorts with no bother .

I like lemon tablets too and have never tasted anything, bu may just have an insensitive palate Not rinsing is the right advice, except for plastic food storers - otherwise you will get the orange effect mentioned above. I saw a thread earlier tonight about the 'right' order to unpack the dishwasher. Do not go there or you will be the only one loading and unloading.

When I first got a dishwasher I was overcome with happiness. A friend gave me a card of a woman looking at a washing machine (no cards with dishwashers) telling it, 'You're so reliable. You make my life so much better. I think I'm in love'. I loved that card - it was so true!

latte go for it.
position is not an issue, you can get hoses in different length.

If Bosch, and it has vario perfect, use, cuts time down by 40 mins, just as good as longer cycle.
Use for dish clothes too, as with washing up brush and scourer, you can add plastic toys top rack, I used to add baby bottles to mine too.
Only cut down detergent, if soft water, I did hard water, never worked.
I found the 29 min cycle ok, for lightly soiled dishes

Latte part of the reason why I git one is that I have a tiny kitchen with a single cupboard with of worktop space. So by taking the huge sink out and swapping the (now small) draining board to the other side I have 3 times as much worktop. Dishwasher is actually in the utility room (just the other side of kitchen wall) I was so adamant in getting one I didn’t kind where it went. There is a space next to the sink but I’d rather have the fridge in the kitchen, so once I’ve ilsaved up again that’s next to purchase.

Many thanks for all the tips, I’ll keep this thread handy alongside the manual so any problems I think I’m covered

Ooh apologies for all the spelling mistakes!

Good luck

@LatteLoverLovesLattes

I'm re doing the kitchen. Unfortunately it's not very big (3mx3m) but worse than that has 3 doors and is a walkway as well. So only really a U (1500/3000/1500) shape for cupboards/appliances etc and due to water/waste/gas etc not many possible places for oven/WM/fridge/sink etc.

I'll have to sacrifice a cupboard for a DW and can only fit a slimline. (NEFF with top cutlery tray).

I'm undecided whether it's worth it or not because the things I HATE washing up are the pots & pans and I don't want stuff ruined and I hate the chemical taste on cutlery & mugs etc 😣but I'm beyond fed up of having 'bits' on the side. (Combi Boiler, so it's too wasteful to keep running the tap to get hot water for A mug or whatever.)

And if it doesn't dry them well it'll end up going back!!

I've only got a slimline Latte and I sacrificed a cupboard too. Yes, you can't fit everything into one load if you have used lots of cooking equipment but you can use the quick wash programme. Things generally dry better than washing by hand as the water temperature is higher.

@bluefoxmug

latte go for it. position is not an issue, you can get hoses in different length.

Err yes, I know you can get hoses in different lengths... but doors need to be opened and I don't want it sticking out or sitting in the middle of the kitchen!

@nettie434

I tend to use quite a lot of stuff, yes, but it's more that I tend to use quite large pans and dishes etc.

A big part of wanting one is to keep the sides clear, so not being able to shove everything in will annoy me.

[But because of where the doors, gas meter (I can't move it as it will cost around £4000 to do so) And water outlets etc are I'm very restricted with what can go where in a small U shaped kitchen. There's literally nowhere another 60cm appliance can fit - the fridge/freezer, oven and washing machine can each only go in one place and there's only this small space for a slimline

So it's slimline or continue to do without! I'm
glad you think it's still worth it!

@YaWeeShit sensible choice! You're lucky to have the utility room! I miss mine-a lot!! Hi

Our first dw was a top of the range Bosch with a cutlery tray and I could fit loads in.

Our Miele was an XL model and I can fit marginally more in but I can’t admit that to dh.

The Bosch was a slimline, was the point I spectacularly failed to make.

@Fluffycloudland77

The Bosch was a slimline, was the point I spectacularly failed to make.

Miele should last you a VERY long time though!

I've only ever had/used full size.

Oh & my Mums stupid bloody F&P drawers. Fine if you only have small things. Fecking useless for decent size dishes & pans!

Still, I have no choice it's slimline or nowt!

I never saw the point of dishwasher drawers. Bosch or Miele have lots of bits that fold away so you can fit all your pans in & dinner plates.