Using dishwasher for first time

[2024horizons]

Never owned one.

Putting in Rinse Aid and I just seem to be able to keep going. It says fill to max but I seem to reach max then it disappears. Not sure if should keep going or stop. Bit worried might froth everywhere. Sorry if an obvious question but any advice?

It's Bosch SMV2ITX18G if helps.

Also it said, " fill special salt area with water then add salt on first use ". The water displaces as it fills with salt. I did that and ran out of salt before the water all dispersed, assuming that's OK?

We only got a dishwasher a few years ago & had to learn how to use it best!

We also live in a really hard water area so this is what I do.

I use crystale dishwasher salt (about £2 a bag from savers/asda). 1 bag lasts for 2 'fills'. My machine tells me when it need to be topped up. As you pour it in the water comes out the top - this is normal.

I use fairy platinum tabs - they're always on offer somewhere (usually asda).

I top up the rinse aid on every load (normally get asdas own yellow one or crystales pink one- both are cheap to buy & good).

I clean the filter once a week (twist it & lift it from the bottom of the machine).

I clean the arms once a month (always find sweetcorn trapped in one of the water jets in the arms!).

I use a dishwasher cleaner once a month, any that I find that includes a limescale remover as its such hard water here.

So far we always have clean sparkly glasses (unlike my parents who rarely use salt or rinse aid!).

Good luck, you've got this!

I didnt bother with rinse aid in my last DW, just salt and an all in one tablet. I’ve just bought a new DW and the instructions say no matter what you use in the way of tablets always use rinse aid. I use white vinegar instead. The difference in how the dishes come out of the machine is really noticeable. So much better.

Once you have found the right combination of salt/rinse aid/ tablet for your circumstances, remember that anytime the results are suddenly disappointing, to clean out the filters.

All the best. I love having the kitchen sink always clear of dishes.

You don't need rinse aid with an all-in-one tablet, but you must add salt especially if you are in a water hard area.

Use rinse aid and salt as directed by previous posters but just use the the cheapest all in one detergent, Tesco own make or Lidl or Aldi.

The salt is very important if you have hard water for the dishwasher, the rinse aid is just really a cosmetic thing that you can choose to not use if you want. I set my rinse aid to the lowest with the all in one tablets and get good results.

I only rate Lidls all in one tablets. I made a huge mistake and bought a big bag of Finish and Fairy tablets, they are rubbish in comparison. So many half washed items.
I don't use extra rinse aid or salt, maybe we should though as we are in a hard water area.

Great tip on the vinegar rather than rinse aid!

Op has said she has hard water ; but my last two dishwashers came with a water testing strip in the info pack, to determine whether salt is needed. I am in Scotland/ Aberdeenshire and the water is very soft. So not needed. Over lathering in the washing machine is a big issue though.

Don’t rinse the plates before they go in the dishwasher. They won’t clean as well. Do scrap off the food.

Okay, I’m confused.

I also got a dishwasher for the first time this week. I’ve just been using an all-in-one tablet. What are you all talking about?! Where does one put half a bag of salt, and wtf is Rinse Aid?

My plates are doomed, aren’t they?

Look at the instruction book for where to put them. Salt usually the bottom. Rinse aid will often go in the door.

The instruction book will tell you, or look on line.
The salt container will be in the bottom & the rinse aid in the door, probably near where you put the washing tablet/pod.
I find some dishwasher tablets don't get tea stains out of mugs, particularly a couple of mugs that must be slightly less shiny inside. Tesco & Costco, I'm looking at you.
Cheap salt & rinse aid seems to do the tricky though, no need for expensive brands.

We never used rinse aid or salt with all in one tablets and our first dishwasher lasted 13 years without issue before stopping absolutely dead.

We hardly ever rinsed the filter either and even went about 6 months on standard tablets with no salt or rinse aid because I didn't realise I'd bought the wrong ones.

You need to know your water hardness though, we have soft water, hard water will be different.

The other thing to know, is that if you have a dishwasher that has a place for the tablet, with another smaller space next to it, that has water waved lines or dotted openings on the door, and that pops open about 15 mins in, is that you have one with a pre-wash. The idea of the pre-wash is that it does alot of the work, so it needs a small amount of detergent in that smaller space that gets released into the dishwasher for the pre-wash stage. It makes a huge difference if you have one of these types.

If you ever run out of dishwasher powder DO NOT put in washing up liquid - you will have a foam party in your kitchen.

In emergency just use washing powder.

I woke up this morning and tentatively opened the dishwasher. It was like Christmas. Someone had been and scrubbed all the dishes and left them sparkly clean and warm in the machine. Was so excited.

The filter is so easy to clean, l do it after every wash. It helps ensure that the OP,s “Christmas” happens every time and stops a build up of food bits that can smell. I’m surprised how infrequently some people suggest cleaning the filter. A clogged filter can cause breakdowns.

Once a month, l run a “Dishwasher Cleaner” available from supermarket, through the machine. Doing these things keeps your machine smelling fresh, running efficiently and less risk of blocked pipes, this can save money in the long run.

Finally, if you have large plates the arms may hit them. Ensure they spin freely. Many people are not aware that in most modern dishwashers, the upper shelf can be raised to allow bigger plates to go underneath.

It’s not as much fun as the washing machine though, you can’t watch it working 😀. I know, I’m easily pleased.

We've just had a new Bosch dishwasher. It kept telling me the salt and rinse aid levels were too low despite both being filled to over flowing. I put it on regardless and it all worked fine and the messages have now stopped. We need both as we're in a hard water area.

I’m surprised how infrequently some people suggest cleaning the filter. A clogged filter can cause breakdowns

I'm surprised how often some people clean the filter. After every use is insane.

Ours gets done a few times a year, same for the dishwasher cleaner.

Our first dishwasher lasted 13 years without breaking down. Our second one only got to about 7 which was disappointing but it was a very cheap one.

But if you look on YouTube there are people who've filmed inside their dishwashers with waterproof cameras. Enjoy!

Insane? Insane means state of mind that prevents normal behaviour. It takes minutes to take out, rinse under the tap and put back the filter. It prevents food build up, smells and ensures efficient running. It takes me longer to have a wee!

There are no dis-benefits in keeping a clean machine.

I think it depends on what you eat. We eat ground linseed every day with our porridge and the filter blocks up really easily.