dishwasher tips and tricks

[FallingApartAtTheSeamsAgain]

I'll be getting a dishwasher installed this week and I'm super excited!

Is there any wisdom you can share?

Do I really need to rinse every plate and spoon before putting it in?! ( This is what the plumber has said!)

What else can i wash in there apart from dishes of course!

Which tablets are good/ value for money?

How often do I need to clean it out?

I can't wait to start using it!

The dishwasher does 85% of the work without the help of tablets etc, so agree just get whatever is on special offer. I have a Fisher & Paykel double drawer one and I love it. I put everything in that I can, DH likes to do a bit of washing up sometimes (weird) but whatever floats his boat...

The loveliest thing is glasses. Sooo shiny and sparkly, just like in the ads.

I was driving behind a Fisher and Paykel lorry during the week.

The tagline..."turning routines into experiences...' - did raise a smile.

What are you doing today? Oh, come on over, it's going to be a right experience when I put some whites on.....!

Has anyone mentioned the wonder that is Kirkland Dishwasher Tablets at the secret society that can only be referred to as "Costco" - because they are pretty amazing.

(I would like to tell you about Kirkland "Institutional" Laundry powder, but I think I'm sworn to secrecy....)

Aldi tablets are great as are Tesci value £1.60 for 30. According to money supermarket website they are off the same line as Finish.

Use salt and rinse aid even with 3in1 products as it keeps all the pipes clean and clear.

Use a cleaning product every 6 weeks on an empty hot wash. Aldi do a good one.

Use the hottest cycle at least 4x a week .

A dishwasher will revolutionise your life. It is the best purchase in the house second only to the washing machine. We are only DH and myself and a full size dishwasher is used and loaded daily for just us!

Tesco value dishwasher tablets, salt and rinse aid clean just as well as Finish etc as long as your dishwasher is clean: I clean the filter weekly as oily film collects on the drain it. That's the only washing up I do! My dishwasher is a cheap brand too but my dishes come out perfectly clean, it's just noisy

As for prewashing- why waste your time! 90% of the time it'll come out clean anyway! I pre-soak roasting pans or baked on lasagne type pans etc until I am about to put the machine on.

Learn to pack it well and make sure both top and bottom fan blade things aren't blocked by an errant plate or something.

Perhaps rinse curry or something stain causing.

Lastly, I wipe around some kitchen roll first on my frying pans to soak up any leftover oil so it isn't too greasy in the machine! (But no prewashing or rinsing!)

Non kitchen stuff::::
Yes the washing machine drawer, candle holders, I put in the rings that spread the flames from the cooker and the metal bits from the cooker that suspend your pan too!

My husband mentioned he wanted to put the rubbish bin and a plastic lampshade in once but that's a bit lazy hahaha!

I am excited for you!

Does anyone else get a rotten egg smell coming from theout.et part of the dishwasher? . I clean it of all debris regularly and use finish dishwasher cleaner.

Not at all pinkfizz what outer part!?

Have you tried cleaning all the drain bits? What about the seals on the doors maybe some gunk hanging about there?

I know it's a super old thread! I searched dishwasher as I didn't want to create a thread that already exists!
Am finally getting a dishwasher!!! 🥳🥳🎉🎉
After years of openly saying I don't want or need a dishwasher, (dh really wanted one) I actually enjoy hand washing and never did mind it, until my third child came along! And that was the first time in my life thAt I wished I had one as I could really do with it, it was hard having a newborn and then having a million dishes getting piled up! My hands started to dry out from the constant washing up. So now that we are getting a new kitchen in, we are also getting a dishwasher. I have no idea when and how often I should use it so have been doing a lot of reading! I live in the south, so thanks to this thread I have learnt I need to use salt and rinse aid, but am confused is it a special dishwasher salt or cooking salt 🙈

@sierra2020 you will never ever look back!
I live alone and have a mini dishwasher, it's on every other day, I bloody love it!
Re salt, you'll need special dishwasher salt, you'll find this by the DW tablets etc. I shop Aldi or Lidl, they now do salt.
I put everything in, although porridge breakfast bowls (or anything that dries on hard, mashed potato) get soaked first.
Good Luck with the new kitchen... I won't lie 🙊🙊 sorry - it'll be horrific having it done.... but once finished- you won't know yourself! (Mine was done 3years ago along with DW instal and I still love all of it) 😊😊

@FallingApartAtTheSeamsAgain

Oh thank you! Some great tips!

I'm in the UK! When I booked the plumber he was like why in earth are you wasting money on a dishwasher for?!

Could it handle say a porridge pan or is that something I'll have to do myself?

He really said that? He obviously doesn't realise how much time a dishwasher saves (I used to do about an hours washing up a day, now I run my dishwasher a few times instead).

@OldSpeclkledHen the kitchen works have started, it is quite a nightmare but hopefully will be worth it in the end! Getting plastered on Monday, and sometime next week the kitchen should also arrive 😁

@OldSpeclkledHen the kitchen works have started, it is quite a nightmare but hopefully will be worth it in the end! Getting plastered on Monday, and sometime next week the kitchen should also arrive 😁

Late to the party but
Do you know you can make flavoured vodka in the dishwasher

Mine has a much coveted cutlery tray
The old one I had two cutlery baskets - one in the DW and one to fill as we used cutlery , saves it all ending up in the sink.

Salt - once a month the DW flushes out the entire salt container (I was told by a DW repairer) . So keep a check on the levels . Should be a warning light on the control panel .

I have glass containers in the bathroom ( Ikea glass sytraight side vases) for toothbrushes, face washes , shaving gear etc. They go in when I do the bathroom.
I do the lid for the kitchen bin and the washing up brushes

But not bog brushes , Crocs or wellies < not envy

I use EcoZone DW/WM tablets once a month on both

Me thinks that plumbers got a wife who washes up for him. I had one growing up and Dh had one when we met. When we moved somewhere it was awkward to fit one dh was all well washing up isn’t a problem so I went on strike.

He lasted two nights and one day till I ordered one.

@Fluffycloudland77 brilliant, I love that!
Really don’t understand people saying a dw is a waste of money, it’s literally the best money I ever spent lol
I agree that the people who say a dw is not necessary are not the ones doing the washing up!

A dishwasher is one of the best things you will ever buy, just scrap plates I live i a soft water area so just use a table!! I find Aldi ones are fantastic.
I put in the kitchen sink brush in every day and the metal pot scourer in as well as the dishes.

I don't clean every dish that I used before taking it to the dishwasher. If I can see that something big left than I brush it. I clean it once a month or even rarely I think and it's okay for over 3 years.

We have a Bosch slimline, gets run every 2-3 days, no salt or rinse aid, sainsburys powder @ £3 a kilo, lasts about 2 months, (just the two of us, so we have a few of everything), a quick rinse and in, shut the door. The only things that don't go in are things that don't physically fit, and special kitchen knives. Our first one lasted 15 years and we're 3 years into its replacement. No mess or smells........and only ever use the ultra eco setting. Perfect results every time and we laugh every time the (metered) water bill comes in......'cos it's tiny....like our 'leccy bills. We had been married 4 months when I got home from work late one evening and there was a brand new desktop dishwasher on the bed, we've never been without one since (25 years ago).