Dishwashers and detergents

wmrcomputers

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
So today I have bought Mrs WMR a pre-owned full size dishwasher that is like new for the measly sum of £30. Bargain!

Anyway, I know all of the ins & outs about them, where the salt and rinse aid goes etc. as I have used one before somewhere else I lived. However, I just chucked in what tablets etc were at that particular house. Now that I've started to look into the options, I'm reading a lot of information telling me that 3 in 1 tablets are a waste of money. People say that you still must fill up the salt chamber, and many are saying that they still prefer the results with seperate rinse aid. I then went on to look into reviews on the Asda website, and about 90% of reviewers seem over the moon with even the smart price tablets when using salt and rinse aid aswell.

So... those of you that own dishwashers, I wondered what you use in yours? And which cheaper alternatives have you tried and what kind of results did you get?
 
Floss

Floss

Well-Known Forumite
I use either fairy tabs or the other popular brand that at this time of the morning can't think what they are called, however I have tried alternative cheaper tabs and found some leave a chalky residue behind. At the moment I prefer the fairy ones.
 
darben

darben

Well-Known Forumite
Lidl's 3in1 are very good, you'll need to add salt whatever tablet you use because of Stafford having such hard water.
 
hop

hop

Well-Known Forumite
Don't bother with something like calgon or specific treatments for limescale. Go online and buy a few kg of Citric acid. You can get small amounts from pharmacists but this will be expensive and due to heroin addicts using it to help purify their brown when 'cooking up' they might refuse to sell it to you. Every now and then do an empty cycle with a heap of citric acid.
It is basically the active ingredient in limescale removing products but costs a fraction of the amount.
I use it in the dishwasher, washing machine, kettle and to clean shower screens, tiles, toilets which haven't been used months etc..
 
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Carole

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
We use one of the upmarket brands and do buy 3 in 1 but still always make sure it is topped up with salt and rinse aid.
 
Gadget

Gadget

Well-Known Forumite
I usually have salt and rinse aid in mine unless I've run out lol I like the Fairy Platinum at the moment, I've tried loads of others, own brand, Finish, the other Fairy tabs but I prefer the platinum. There isn't anything wrong with the others and they all seem to get the job done, it's just my personal taste. I will say though that the cheaper ones don't get quite the same finish on them if you get what I mean?
 
Chillybean

Chillybean

Well-Known Forumite
Asda 3 in 1 seem to work, but every couple of weeks we do a high temp wash to clean the Dishwasher (Siemens) itself as starts to smell a little musty.
 
wmrcomputers

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
Thank you all. I'm initially going to try the cheap ones and use separate salt and rinse aid regardless. If I'm not happy with the results I'll move up from there.
@Floss from what I've read, a chalky residue might suggest needing more rinse aid so adjusting that may have helped when using cheaper tablets. Unless it was sticky residue, then it's the opposite.
 
age'd parent

age'd parent

50,000th poster!
hop said:
Don't bother with something like calgon or specific treatments for limescale. Go online and buy a few kg of Citric acid. You can get small amounts from pharmacists but this will be expensive and due to heroin addicts using it to help purify their brown when 'cooking up' they might refuse to sell it to you. Every now and then do an empty cycle with a heap of citric acid.
It is basically the active ingredient in limescale removing products but costs a fraction of the amount.
I use it in the dishwasher, washing machine, kettle and to clean shower screens, tiles, toilets which haven't been used months etc..
Click to expand...

You can get Citric acid from the home brew wine shop in Pitcher Bank,
in tubs or larger bags, it's used in wine making, and much cheaper.
 
wmrcomputers

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
Well, the dishwasher started tripping the mains and I'd already built up the excitement of owning one. Ended up going out and buying a new basic one from Currys at £160. For convenience (I was there anyway) I bought and tried some of their own brand 3 in 1 dishwasher tablets at £2 for 30, rinse aid at £1, salt at £1 and the results were amazing!
 
Alee

Alee

Well-Known Forumite
I usually buy the finish dishwasher tabs . Never even considered buying cheaper ones.i might ordered some cheap ones on my Tesco order to try them
 
Noah

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
I use Fairy Platinum and don't bother with salt or rinse-aid. Always very good results.
 
tek-monkey

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Noah said:
I use Fairy Platinum and don't bother with salt or rinse-aid. Always very good results.
Click to expand...

The non-platinum can normally be had in Home Bargains for about 10p a tablet, last time I saw the platinum ones in there they worked out about 13p IIRC.
 
Noah

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
tek-monkey said:
The non-platinum can normally be had in Home Bargains for about 10p a tablet, last time I saw the platinum ones in there they worked out about 13p IIRC.
Click to expand...

I buy them when they are on offer somewhere, can usually get them at half price.
 
Gramaisc

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
United57 said:
clean out any gunk once a week.
Click to expand...
Gunk in a dishwasher is to be avoided - I know somebody that cleaned his cylinder head, hoping that 'she' wouldn't notice - 'she' did....

124296_p.jpg
 
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