Dishwasher help

[AngelDog]

We've had a dishwasher for a couple of years but I'm getting cross at how many things don't get clean enough in it. I always seem to be washing up too.

Is this normal, is my dishwasher rubbish or is there something I should be doing to my dishes to get them all clean? It's a Bosch slimline one which we had second hand (so I don't know how old it is). I use Sainsbury's Basics tablets - I used to use half a tablet but had to up it to a whole one to get everything clean. I also use rinse aid & salt. We have very hard water. I end up washing everything on 65 degrees saucepan setting or there are things that don't get properly clean.

We have problems with:

• any form of egg eg scrambled, fried - especially if it's had a runny yolk
• casserole dishes used to cook veg in the microwave if there's even the tiniest bit of veg dried on afterwards
• saucepans unless soaked from the moment they're emptied
• cutlery or plates with dried-on food
• nut butter

I can prevent some of the problems by soaking things, but IMO half the point of the thing is that I don't have pots sitting in the sink all day. We only run it about once a day.

Any tips?

I think it's quite normal [smile
]

Or even...stupid iPad

Have you tried cleaning the jets and the filter

If I don't pack mine properly things come out dirty. If I put a scrambled egg pan without cleaning it first (yeah i know what you're thinking) that will come out dirty. For a couple of years when it was still a novelty I point blank refused to wash anything by hand, but now I wash pans by hand and rinse pots first depending on what's been on them and how long they will sit in the dishwasher before it gets turned on. I use mine only once a day too.

I still love my dishwasher even though I bloody hate emptying it

clean the filter and the rotor arms and try a better tablet (I get fairy or finish when on special offer)

p.s. scrambled egg is always a problem

I keep a plastic spatula in our dw to scrape plates with.

Like everyone else has said check all the filters are clean and the rota arms.

Do you clean it inside? You could run a hot wash with a bottle of smartprice vinegar in it. It would get rid of any limescale.

We have a Bosch slimline and don't get any problems with it.

Thanks all. I've done one wash with soda crystals today and one with vinegar so I'll see if that helps. The filters are all clean.

I came on here to start up the SAME thread - it is the blue tinged glasses that gets me!!
I changed to expensive tablets - use rinse aid stuff and clean the dishwasher with those special tablets - all have no effect!
Have started washing by hand again which defeats the purpose!!

I am going to try the vinegar - Is it because we have v v v hard water?

Can you adjust the amount of rinse aid used according to the water hardness? mine lets you adjust it, I think it works for the salt too but I could be wrong.

Fwiw my sil has a zanussi dw that leaves everything dirty and I have a bosch logixx that cleans really well on one dessert spoon of tesco daisy powder. I think the more expensive machines do wash better.

I want a miele dw. Some relatives have one that I covet.

Use Finish dishwasher tablets. Seriously, a Bosch machine will work much better if you do. I have had 2 Bosch machines, and first time round I ignored the little label affixed inside the door recommending Finish products. I used Ecover tablets for ages and when loads of condensation started building up inside the machine and stuff not cleaning/drying properly I assumed it was a filter problem but cleaning didn't fix it. I stumbled upon the solution by accident when I ran out of tablets and used a free sample of Finish which I'd received with my shopping. The problem has never recurred and both my machines have worked brilliantly ever since (first machine wore out after 8 yrs, have had 2nd model for 2 yrs with no issues).

For the record, I don't work for Reckitt or Unilever or whoever it is that makes Finish and I have no commercial interest in the sale of dishwasher tablets

Well, it seemed to be better today, though I didn't have any particularly dried-on stuff.

I'd never heard of that, Communist, although when I looked, my machine does say that. If it continues not working properly I'll give Finish a try. At the moment it's annoying (and frustrating for my 2 y.o. because I spend quite a bit of time washing up) but DC2 is due in a couple of months, and doing lots of washing up will be impossible.