Dishwasher products - recommendations please

[itsahardknocklife]

Just bought a dishwasher and having it plumbed in later today. It's been years since I last had one - I know I need salt, rinse aid and tablets/powder. Can anyone recommend good one, or warn me of ones to steer clear of?
I have memories of unrinsed dishes and undissolved tablets...

I use Sun products which are excellent.

Tablets are best. Salt, rinse aid and also you need to buy a cleaning product to use every couple of months to clean the actual machine.

Oh, and make sure you use the hottest programme at least once a week as it prolongs the life of your machine.

Brilliant, thanks for that

Enjoy your liberation from the kitchen sink

oh I will! I have a silly question - my mum rinses all her dishes before she puts them in the dishwasher. Is this really necessary?

I don't rinse plates - but I have the kind of family that would lick the plates if I allowed it so there isn't much food left on them.

I do tend to wipe off / rinse all the saucepans and cooking dishes though. Actually, I mean my partner does, as he won't let me stack the dishwasher (funny man thing, quite common on MN).

Oh I do hope my DH gets that man thing!!

A hint... don't say anything, stack the dishwasher any old how all higgledy-piggedly and don't get upset when he criticises you for doing so... just let him move in there and prove how much better he does it.

good plan!

This may be of use to you

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

I do rinse when we've had something oily like a pasta sauce or curry, as I find the smell can transfer across to the plastics if I don't.

I use shops own brand 5 in 1 tablets. No rinse aid or salt, but we live in a v.soft water area. I also keep a box of Finish quantam tablets in the cupboard for really dirty loads, and use the Finish dishwasher cleaner once a month or so.

I worship my dishwasher, and hate it if anybody loads it 'wrong'

I use own brand tablets, and put salt in when I remember!

I have used finish etc, but don't find they make any difference and they are twice the price.

Fairy tablets (well they are actually little pouches of powder/gel I think) - excellent, best I have ever used everything looks sparkly when it comes out.