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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Dishwasher Tablets

34 replies

Plumm · 11/01/2011 12:06

I'm using own brand dishwasher tablets at the moment but my glasses have a white residue on after washing - which are the best dishwasher tablets to use?

OP posts:
PDR · 11/01/2011 12:07

Fairy Active Bursts (Lemon) IMO

Seona1973 · 11/01/2011 13:14

I use branded ones that are on offer. Finish Powerball are half price in Tesco at the moment. I also like Fairy Active burst but also buy them when they are on offer. Do you use rinse aid and salt too?

Original poster
Plumm · 11/01/2011 13:56

No, I never know where to put rinse aid and salt! Do the more expensive tablets come with them built in?

OP posts:
TitsalinaBumSquash · 11/01/2011 13:57

I use Tesco Value and mine have all been as clean as when i used Fairy (Lemon)
The riseaid in my machine goes in a hole (with a screw cap) next the the tablet holder.. the salt goes in a hole (with screw cap) on the floor of the dishwasher next the the drain.

Blatherskite · 11/01/2011 14:03

I checked Which? when we got our dishwashwe just over 2 years ago. At the time Finish Max-in-1's were the best closely followed by Tesco Value as long as you were usingseparate Rinse Aid and Salt.

The Max-in-1's have salt and rinse aid in them already

Original poster
Plumm · 11/01/2011 14:35

Thanks everyone. As I'm quite lazy I'll go for the all in one tablets.

OP posts:
haggis01 · 11/01/2011 14:52

manufacturers advise that you you top up your rinse aid and salt even if you use all in ones. I find if I don't then I get that white residue whatever I am using - I think it is especially important if you live in a limescale/hardwater area.
Finish all in one and their max and quantum ones work well but waitrose own brand are good too - I find powder (which is cheaper) often doesn't all dissolve

Seona1973 · 11/01/2011 16:42

it is advised to at least use extra salt even if you use all in one tabs especially in a hard water area

BlingLoving · 11/01/2011 16:44

I use all in one tablets but definitely find it's cleaner if I use the salt and the rinse aid as well.

Fairy Active are good. But expensive - wait until on offer. I just got a buy one get one free offer on waitrose for the big packets which worked out really cheaply. 84 tabs for £9.98. [although I still think dishwasher tabs are ridiculously expensive overall]

Seona1973 · 11/01/2011 16:47

our salt reservoir is on the floor of the machine and you have to unscrew it to fill it.

ElbowFan · 11/01/2011 16:54

I also find that using a 'diamond' makes a real difference to the sparkle of glassware.

Blatherskite · 11/01/2011 16:55

I definitely get a better clean if I use salt and rinse aid as well as the all in one tablets.

There's a screw cap for the salt reservoir on the floor of the machine and Rinse aid goes in next to the tablet on the door on mine.

Waswondering · 11/01/2011 16:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sungirltan · 11/01/2011 17:07

aldi ones are good i think but i just bought co op lemon all in ones. have never topped up salt or rinse aid but we have soft water down here

Original poster
Plumm · 11/01/2011 17:10

I live in a hard water area (recently moved here) so that's probably the problem. Thanks for all your useful advice (and for not laughing at my lack of domesticity Smile)

OP posts:
noddyholder · 11/01/2011 17:13

You need to use salt and rinse aid regardless of whether they are all in one or not.I think that is just a gimmick!

bessie26 · 11/01/2011 18:28

I tried some all-in-one tablets once, but found the Ecover ones worked just as well. Like the others have said, I think you need to add salt/rinse aid even with the all-in-ones (so what is the point of them?)

Original poster
Plumm · 20/01/2011 11:25

I added salt and rinse aid and now my glasses look even worsee - what did I do wrong?

OP posts:
trinitybleu · 20/01/2011 13:06

Aldi and Lidl tablets are top rated by Which? and I love them too, but use rinse aid and salt too.

Original poster
Plumm · 20/01/2011 13:26

I added rinse aid and salt but the glasses are more smeared than they were before - did I add too much?

OP posts:
Seona1973 · 20/01/2011 13:58

if you havent been using salt then it will take a few washes before the water softner bit reactivates. Can you remove the cloudiness from the glasses? If not, then they could have been permanantly damaged.

Original poster
Plumm · 20/01/2011 14:06

Yes, they wash okay in the sink. I'll hand wash them for a couple more cycles then try again.

OP posts:
carolscotland · 21/01/2011 21:46

Never used salt - we have lovely soft water! Much prefer Fairy tabs & buy them when on special. They aren't as harsh on the dishes as some of the others. We use finish rinse aid but I have recently bought a bottle of fairy rinse aid to try

poolet · 21/01/2011 22:10

Aldi all in one tablets are great. As per instructions with dishwasher (Bosch), I've never used salt or rinseaid.

We're in a medium to hard water area.

I think it depends on the dishwasher tbh.

ChasingSquirrels · 21/01/2011 22:14

v hard water here - keep the salt topped up and use Tesco value tabs. never put rinse aid in.