Dishwasher Tablets - Is It Just Me?

[MeRichard]

Why doesn't the packaging of dishwasher tablets come with clear messaging saying...

"Replaces detergent, rinse aid, and salt"

or whatever it is that they do do? Am I particularly dumb?

I don't think any of them do replace rinse aid and salt? If they said they did perhaps you could complain/demand money back when it buggers up your dishwasher?

They still work best if you use salt and rinse aid so I always use all in ones plus salt and rinse aid.

Do they not have rinse aid in them? Salt is to soften water isn't it I fear I have been using my dishwasher all wrong

I think that this probably all confirms that I am particularly dumb. Nah; I knew that anyway.

It's just I thought that is why they called themselves 3-in-1 or 5-in-1 or whatever.

I think they want you to think that but it's bollocks. Use cheaper ones as well as rinse aid & salt.

I use rinse aid but not salt as in a very soft water area - is that wrong? Agree that cheap tablets are just as good though everything except Sainsbury ones that is

What?? I was quite late to the whole dishwasher party, but I'm sure when I bought my first bag of dishwasher tablets in about 2008 it DID say it replaced salt and 'rinse aid' (also, what is that?). So I have been blithely buying just 'all-in-one' tablets ever since. But this is wrong? Where do you actually put the salt? And the weirdly named rinse aid?

I buy the cheapest of the cheap tablets from tescos (the basics or whatever they are called) along with salt and cheap rinse aid and the dish washer cleans so much better than when I used finish all in one tablets. I followed pigletJohn's advice: read the manual (online if you've lost it), look up your water soft/hardness on your water company's website, and adjust the settings accordingly (our dishwasher had two places where this had to be set). No more white glasses, unclean stuff and a lot cheaper (I only ever use the 30 minute eco run).

I live in a hard water area and use 3-in-1 tablets. No salt, no rinse aid. Perfect results. (There's a way of adjusting the settings so that the low salt/rinse aid alarms don't come on - the instruction manual specifically refers to all in one tablets).

Ok, I think my problem is that I never actually investigate these things... I just hope for the best. I have a deep and irrational fear of instruction manuals.

I always use dishwasher salt even thought I use all-in-one tablets. But I will never again use rinse aid as it ruined our (wedding present) glasses. They've got a weird kaleidoscope finish to them now rather than a 'scratched look' which seems to be a common dishwasher problem.
I've looked it up on line, but can't find anyone with the same problem. Has anyone else noticed the same?