How to clean a dishwasher?

[carrotsandcelery]

My dishwasher is leaving a bit of debris on our plates.

I have taken out the filters and cleaned them out (I think unless there is a hidden filter) and run one of those little bottles of cleaner through it but I am not convinced it is entirely sorted.

Has anyone got any top tips for cleaning out the dishwasher?

have you removed the rotor arms and cleaned them too? Do you use salt and rinse aid? - always helps even if you use all in one tablets

Salt, rinse aid even if you use the 3 in 1 tablets and do a hot wash with soda crystals. Do you use a hot wash?

I did a 70C wash to clean it. I have never used salt or rinse aid though. How do you do that? And how much soda crystals do I use and where do I put them [ignorant]

That's why you need salt to keep the pipes clear. YOu need tons of it it the salt reservoir bit - and rinsed usually goes in the door by where the tablet goes. I haven't used the crystals in the dishwasher only the machine but someone said a couple of table spoons on here the other day.

I would fill up with salt and rinse aid and do a couple of boiling hot washes and use 70 degrees all the time for washing.

Thank you both. I presume that is just ordinary salt then? Do I do that every wash?

I will have a go with the soda crystals when it is empty again tonight.

Noooooooo big bag of dishwasher salt - you will need at least half of it, keep filling it until it reaches the top.

The pound shop have finish salt or Aldi does their own for 89p so it isn't expensive.

When I met dh his dw wasn't washing properly because he wasn't putting salt in.

If you haven't got your manual you can download them off the Internet now for free most the time. It really pays to read them.

Poundshop rinseaid has the same active ingredients as Finish.

most of the supermarkets do their own brand dishwasher salt (you cant use ordinary salt) and rinse aid. The salt reservoir on my dishwasher is on the floor of the machine - you twist the top off and pour salt in until it reaches the top (it will take loads). My rinse aid bit is on the door of the machine - fill to max level. The salt will last for ages before you need to top it up - my machine lets me know when it is getting low though (same with rinse aid)

You only really need salt if you live in a hard water area, I live in a soft water area and have never used salt.

you're lucky, Mum!

there are not many parts of the UK where it isn't needed. Many areas add hardness because it prevents the water dissolving the inner surface from old metal pipes (lead or iron).

According to the John Lewis website, all dishwashers require salt.

No, salt is added to make the water soft because it will clean better and hard water will damage the machine eventually.
My glasses are sparkling when they come out of the dishwasher.

The water here is very soft so it's a bit pointless to add water softener which is designed to soften hard water!!
My kettle is totally clean even after a few years, looks like new no limescale build up at all.

if you look at the heating element which is usually at the bottom of the dishwasher, it is sparking clean shiny stainless, it's OK. If it has limescale on it you need (more) salt.

You can adjust the hardness settings. On Bosch dishwashers there is ?usually? ?always? a little blue dial top left inside the door frame.