Dishwasher virgin needs help!! :-)

[RBH]

I finally have a dishwasher! However I have just read the instructions and completely confused myself - not helped by lack of sleep due to teething toddler (says me making excuses!).

Right, if I have 5 in 1 tablet thingies do I still need to use salt and rinse aid? Do I put these in every time or just when they look low? What else do I need to know?!

TIA

Just use the tablet. That's what I do - and the machine is still fine!

I use the 5 in 1 tablets. Nothing else at all, apart from ocasionally I buy the special tablets to run an empty load and give it a good clean. But with a sparkly new dishwasher you won't need to worry about that for ages

If your dishwasher has lights on they indicate when the Salt or rinse aid is empty.

So if you use a 5 in 1 tablet the lights will stay on.

If you used separate Salt you fill this up and top it up when the light comes on. The same with the rinse aid.

HTH

Thank you all for your help. I love the good housekeeping threads cos you all know loads! Not quite sure how I got to 37 without some of this knowledge!

The instructions seem to want me to bung a load of water and salt in before I first use it so will do that and then go to just the tablets. Now I just have to call the water company to find out how hard my water is. I do think that I may be overcomplicating this whole thing!

You have to run one wash cycle without dishes in, just to get all sort of manufacturing dust and dirt out of the system. good luck.

What make is it?

Tis a Bosch something or other! Cheapest Bosch basically . Have just bunged some things in but haven't run it yet. Will take them out and do an economy wash empty. Cross your fingers that nothing leaks!

You only need salt if you are in a hard water area. If you have soft water you can set your Bosch dishwasher accordingly and the light will not illuminate.

I use 5-in-1 but still have to use salt (very hard water).

Our new dishwasher had a little dip stick thing in with some free 5-in-1 tablets when it arrived. You can test the water yourself and get a pretty good idea what settings to use.

Most important thing with dishwashers, IME, is to make sure that the filters are clean/not blocked, so make sure that you know where they are and how to clean them.

I use the all-in-one tabs, but have recently not been having great results so have just put a load of salt and rinse aid in and it is much better.

Ah, better find out where the filters are then!

Have to say I am a dishwasher convert. Who knew that glasses could be so shiny! Thank you all for your help. Will probably be back at some point with another domestic crisis!