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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

I hate my dishwasher. Do you love yours?

39 replies

ShoutyMcShoutFace · 17/05/2018 10:05

Despite many attempts at de-gunking, cleaning out the spinny arms, maintaining the rinse aid/salt, adjusting the water hardness controls, my dishwasher is still stubbornly shit at cleaning dishes. The main problem is if there is any tiny spec of non rinsed food stuff on anything, it spits it all up into the cups and glasses above and then bakes it on so that most things come out dirtier than they went in. I appreciate rinsing is required to a certain extent but honestly the amount of time I spend rinsing or re washing things negates the point of the dishwasher in the first place.

So can anyone recommend a dishwasher that actually washes things and is a pleasure to open?!
bonus points if it actually dries plastic things!

OP posts:
Original poster
ShoutyMcShoutFace · 17/05/2018 10:06

Oh and it needs to be integrated.

OP posts:
BigSandyBalls2015 · 17/05/2018 10:06

Sounds like yours is broken! Mine leaves everything gleaming and I don't rinse anything beforehand, just a rough scrape.

BigSandyBalls2015 · 17/05/2018 10:08

Mines an integrated Beko, wasn't expensive

Original poster
ShoutyMcShoutFace · 17/05/2018 10:08

That sounds lovely! What model is it?

OP posts:
Original poster
ShoutyMcShoutFace · 17/05/2018 10:09

Xpost thank you!

OP posts:
BigSandyBalls2015 · 17/05/2018 10:09

Doing a pre-rinse cycle before main wash makes a big diff ..... something DH keeps forgetting

Beamur · 17/05/2018 10:12

I don't generally rinse first. If something is really grimy I probably would though.
The best dishwasher I had was a Bosch about 15 years ago, it finally gave up the ghost. Got a new Bosch and it was crap! That died after about 6 years (used daily, stuff came out clean enough but the quality of the machine was poor - bits broke off it). Current machine is dirt cheap Indesit, cleans perfectly well as long as you don't overload it and make sure it has salt and rinse aid.
If you're doing all the right things with yours it seems odd that it's still rubbish. Are you sure the arms have enough space to spin freely when it's working? It sounds like the top shelf isn't rinsing properly.

MrsMotherHen · 17/05/2018 10:22

mine used to do that I was putting stuff into the cutlery tray like big wooden spoons and ladels ect and it was blocking the arm from moving freely all the way around. So now they go on top shelf. When it's all stacked i spin the arm to check it can spin freely.

Also what tablets do you use, I use finish power quatium max anything else just isnt as good.

mines also a Bosch.

Bowlofbabelfish · 17/05/2018 10:25

Meile. Expensive but good.

That grit baked on means there’s a blockage or dirt somewhere - clean out all the traps, the drains, and run it through a couple of hot washes with one of those dishwasher cleaning products

Original poster
ShoutyMcShoutFace · 17/05/2018 10:31

Yes I do the arm spin check too so I'm fairly sure thats ok. Although when it has finished the cycle there are always bits of debris inside the arm that poke through the little holes. I have taken to cleaning these out every time I empty it but its minuscule things like grains of rice Confused

I changed to the branded tablet and rinse aid to see if that helped- I think it was finish 4 in 1 or something. Doesn't seem to have changed the issue. I'm at the point now where I just want to replace but I need to make sure I go for a model with positive feedback Grin

OP posts:
happymummy12345 · 17/05/2018 10:37

Non helpful comment but I hate my dishwasher. It's a great model called my hands. I wish we had room for one.

Gouldengirl9 · 17/05/2018 10:38

He might not do the best job put I don't hate my DH (dishwasher). Ha ha

BigSandyBalls2015 · 17/05/2018 11:35

Also if you're at home when it finishes opening the door ajar makes a big diff to the drying process

AnneOfCleavage · 17/05/2018 11:38

Is yours a mini one as we had a mini one and it was useless. Made our cutlery go rusty, glasses smeary so after getting a new one and it still happening we took it out and put in a cupboard which we LOVE and wash up by hand and we've never looked back.

cloudtree · 17/05/2018 11:40

Mine is a two drawer one. Fisher and paykel. We had one previously which lasted for 13 years and have just replaced with the same type. I would struggle without having two drawers now that I'm so used to it. Its great to have one cleaning and one to load up.

CurbsideProphet · 17/05/2018 11:43

We have a Curry's own aporox £150. Couldn't live without it!

AiredaleFan · 17/05/2018 11:45

It might be worth checking Which recommendations. We had to get a new washing machine recently and I went with a which recommended one and it is just brilliant, best washing machine I've ever owned by a long way.

AdoraBell · 17/05/2018 11:55

I love mine 💕 it’s the best thing in the house. It’s not integrated and it a Bosch, can’t remember the model right now. I dislike washing up so much that I’d probably switch to paper plates if I Iost it.

Do you rinse the stuff before it goes in? I find that tomato based sauces spread all around the dishwasher if the pots are not rinsed. Have you cleaned the filter out?

One of the expensive brands, might be Fairy, do pods that clean grease off the filter. I use them about once a week, not every wash You can also get dishwasher cleaner.

ChinUpChestOut · 17/05/2018 12:04

I have a Miele - about 10 years old now, integrated and I thought I had bought the best there was. To be honest, it's OK, but absolutely not worth the money. It beeps annoyingly loudly at the end of the cycle (and can't turn the beep off) and it's noisy compared to newer models. Best dishwasher I ever had was the free one that I got with a B&Q kitchen. Lasted nearly 20 years. I know the Miele is going to break down soon, I just know it so there's little point in spending a lot on these things as they've all been built not to last - on purpose.

Millipedewithherfeetup · 17/05/2018 19:50

Perhaps it just needs a good clean.... run it empty with a dishwasher cleaner thing ( sorry can't remember the mske). That might sort it. I have an integrated Indesit and love it, everything comes out sparkling, I always use finish or fairy I've tried cheaper supermarket brands loads of time but never been happy with them.

SadieHH · 17/05/2018 19:52

Nope. Mine's a bastard.

CPtart · 17/05/2018 20:09

I only use ours once a week, just because I feel we should. I could easily live without it. By the time I've faffed about loading/unloading it I could have washed up....and usually do.

Original poster
ShoutyMcShoutFace · 17/05/2018 20:17

Thank you for all these recommendations, I'm going to have a look at which as suggested. It sounds like lots of people like the Bosch ones too so that's on my radar now.

OP posts:
Yokohamajojo · 18/05/2018 14:12

I hate ours too, exactly the same problem that you have, ours is a Smeg not integrated. It always seem to be the top drawer that doesn't clean properly and the arms are regularly checked. The bastardiously hard water area doesn't help though

ASqueakingInTheShrubbery · 18/05/2018 14:23

I had a revelation the other day. It's a damn sight quicker to do a bowl of washing up than to wait for the bastard thing to be full (about 2 days) then wait 3 hours for it to work. 20 minutes max, cleaner dishes and all my favourite cups are ready for use again. I've had it 3 years, I've given it a fair chance, and I would really rather have another cupboard.