First time dishwasher owner!

[geekymummy]

Hi all,

I now have a brand spanking new dishwasher

I am bewildered at all the stuff I've been recommended to get - rinse aid, dishwasher salt, 3 in 1 tablets, powders etc!

What's the basics and how often should they be used?

Any tips would be great.

You need to clean your dishwasher once a month and wipe over the jets/empty the filter/draintrap to make sure it doesn't become clogged. A hot cycle with no detergent in will normally do it. I put biological washing powder in mine if it gets gunked up.

You don't always need salt, see if your tablets/powder have it in already. Calgon is a good idea if you live in a hard water area.

Don't fall and impale yourself on knives pointing upwards in the cutlery tray, it's really embarrassing presenting at casualty with these injuries.

Oh and if something is really caked on, it IS worth soaking it first.

Finally only leave your mooncup in the dishwasher when your MiL is coming round and make sure you add a few sex toys as well for good measure

Rinse aid and dishwasher salt should be put in when the little lights come on (ours has a sunburst type sign for rinse aid, and a big S for salt). Be prepared to pour in a lot of salt the first time you fill it. Other than that we use an ecover tablet (not 3 in 1) wash on the economy setting and everything comes out clean.
Oh, and persuade dh/dp that filling/emptying dishwasher is a very masculine job then put your feet up

It depends a bit where you live - hard water or soft water area. I use salt, rinse aid and a 3 in 1 tablet as our local water is extremely hard. If you lived in a soft water area you might get away without the salt and you might not even need rinse aid if it is in the tablet.

Thanks everyone

geekymummy - I'm sharing your excitement and bewilderment here too!

Ours was delivered an hour ago, but we can't get it plumbed in for 3/4 weeks so I've got to sit and look at it taunting me while I stand at the sink . grrrrrrr.

We're in a soft water area - so it looks like I'll be saving money and using less complicated tablety things

awww bobsmum! You too shall soon be freed from the tyranny of the sink

According to our water supplier's website, the water here is very hard, so it looks like I'll be needing jumbo packs of dishwasher salt and what have you!

BTW, dishwasher veterans, are tablets better than powder? Or is there little difference in how well they clean stuff?

I've asked DP for a dishwasher for Xmas. I'm so sick of constantly washing up, especially after i've been practising my culinary skills from Nigella's book! Sad, i know, but i WANT A DISHWASHER!!

RG - my parents have bought ours for our Christmas - my mum's fed up seeing the pile of dishes every time she visits.

Now I'm expecting no3 she took me aside and said very firmly 'You are not bringing another baby into this world with no dishwasher!' Who am I to argue with that?

She always said people with dw were lazy, but she got one with her new kitchen earlier this year and is converted. i've never heard her admit she was wrong on anything apart from this!

bobsmum - LOL @ your mum taking you aside!!! I'm also pg (38+3) and get so tired constantly doing the bloody dishes! It'll mean we have to move the washing machine into the conservatory and get it plumbed in out there, but tbh, i really dont care about that - that's not my problem (DP's problem!!). Cannot wait - i'd better get it!!!

am a convert - have lived in 3 houses with dishwashers but only just started using it! it's FAB! love it! love it!

dinny and all those other dishwasher owners.

fingers crossed, RGPargy!

RG - we're having to juggle a bit too - the drier will have to sit somewhere random in the kitchen and everything else will have to shunt around too, but I just don't care anymore. I couldn't reach the sink after 25 weeks last time and had SPD. This pg is now going to be heaven in comparison!

Am almost drooling at the thought of all our plastic kiddy plates and weaning pots being blasted in the dishwasher rather than the endless conveyor belt of Ikea plastic every day!

And to top it all we get central heating to replace our coal fire at the same time! No more shovelling coal and no more washing dishes. My life will be perfect

DH resisted until one school summer holidays when I had 10 children in (Am a CM) and Dh was actually home, he washed up 13 times in 9 hours then went out and bought me one

too

The only way we could manage a DW is if we have the fridge in our bedroom or the bathroom

Bobsmum - shovelling coal??? Are you in the 21st Century or stuck in some time warp somewhere?!!

PMSL Sho!

I thought I would have to put it on loads ina day but only have 1 sometimes 2 washes a day/night. it's FAB

Oh it sounds like heaven, Dinny. I do remember having one when we were teenagers. My mum and dad got one and we thought we were sooooo posh!!!

We finally got one a few monsth ago when ds1 was still quite small. I was so bloody gratful to not have to wash up I think I was actually delirious with happiness

I LOVE mine more than dh most of the time

RG - yes it's true - I'm a 50s housewife stuck with building a fire each morning, emptying the ash tray into the potholes outside and shovelling coal from the bunker into the scuttle, then fiddling with the flaps and the levers to get everything warmed up.

That last bit sounds far more exciting than it is

We have a back boiler and the only way to heat the radiators and get hot water for any length of time is to have a roaring fire going.

But we're moving into the 21st century in 3 weeks with a wood pellet stove and solar panels - huzzah!! and the plumber who's installing it will plumb in the dishwasher while he's here. I may have to snog him...

Oh i would deffo snog the plumber too!! Especially if he does the dishwasher first!!

This may be of help to you

www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=116

excellent link trace, thanks!

Looks like powder's the way to go for me...