Dragging myself into the 21st Century

Hunnymonster

jobbingmusician wrote:

Have checked this with DH, and he agrees. But you have to live in a VERY VERY soft water area not to need it (West Country).

Or indeed most of Northumbrian Water's area, same here just over the border in Scotland - call your water company and ask them about your water hardness - they'll give you a figure in Clarke Degrees (which DW instructions usually work in for assessing the amount of salt/rinse aid etc).

tawnyowls

Addiscomber wrote:

You may prefer to handwash glasses, as they can go cloudy with time.

Mine used to, when I used Finish, but not since I stopped using it (although the ones that had gone cloudy have never recovered). As Finish started including a 'glass protector' with later versions of their products, this was obviously a problem with their products, but I've never had it happen with any other sort of powder/tablets.

Mr_Proctalgia

Well it has arrived now and after a clean up is installed and working fine. :j I have to say that I'm amazed how clean and sparkly everything comes out. Much better than I could ever have achieved by hand. Just about everything I own kitchen wise has been through it today, now I wish I had bought one years ago - I also have a question. If I use one of those little net laundry bags (Like Lakeland sell in sets) could I put my skanky dish clothes and micro fibre clothes through it too (sort of hang it from the "Glass Prongs" IYKWIM?)

Also I bought WM Tablets from Lidl as they have salt and rinse aid included and are only 40p more than the powder alone, so...... have I got that right too or should I still have bought seperate ingredients?

TIA

tawnyowls

Mr_Proctalgia wrote:

I also have a question. If I use one of those little net laundry bags (Like Lakeland sell in sets) could I put my skanky dish clothes and micro fibre clothes through it too (sort of hang it from the "Glass Prongs" IYKWIM?)

Also I bought WM Tablets from Lidl as they have salt and rinse aid included and are only 40p more than the powder alone, so...... have I got that right too or should I still have bought seperate ingredients?
TIA

Sure you can. Very tidy way of doing it; I generally just bung mine into the top tray.:rolleyes:

At only 40p extra, I'd be inclined to stick with the tablets - doubt that the powder + rinse aid (even vinegar) + salt would work out much cheaper.

Sarahjovi

I love my dishwasher! Great invention.

Just make sure that your bag isn't dangling in the way of the dishwasher rotating arms.

You may find you need to put salt and rinse aid in as well as tablets, my machine doesn't like no salt or rinse aid, but as others have said, it will depend on your water hardness etc., I live in a hard water area.

Sarah

O.W.E.I

I used to put my Le Creuset pots in, but they started to get discoloured, so I just wash them by hand.
I never put non-stick pans in, although I'm not sure why?

Everytime I put the DW on (usually every 2-3 days), I put the kitchen cloths on the top of the stuff in the top basket.

I also run it empty with half a mug of white vinegar (£2.50 for 5 Litres from the local Asian Supermarket) to clean it once a month.

pigpen

You aren't supposed to put wooden stuff in the DW and melamine stuff gets brittle and cracks over time. Things like mugs with gold edging (like old lady mugs .. ) the gold washes off eventually and the mugs with printed on designs lose their pictures... ones like the photo mugs.

I still put the wooden and melamine stuff in and replace with steel once it is dead... still waiting.

Glasses are fine.. but I agree with the avoid finish.. it doesn't dossolve properly and clogs up the pump and drainage pipes.. my engineer said so.

The only extra product I would recommend is a DW cleaner.. you should use one once every month or 2 if you use the Dw on a dialy basis. otherwise you get a build up of grease and gack in the pipes.. vinegar doesn't clear it... it needs to be a proper cleaning product.. you can get about 15 cleaning sachets from a reputable company for about £10.. they would last a year at least.. and definitely worth it to keep the DW in good working order.

I've had one for the last 12 years.

buxtonrabbitgreen

You mentioned that your La creuset is cast iron. You cannot dishwash cast iron. It goes rusty, then you have to brillo it. So might as well wash it by hand in the first place. Speaking from experience here, and I tried it several times as I hate washing up.
Thanks for the info about glassess and finish. I have always used finish and have had to replace quite a few glassess. they were only cheap ones but still I would prefer not having to replace them.
Having said that, I happened to go into Aldi this week and bought the dishwsh tabe they do.

Gatos

buxtonrabbitgreen wrote: »

You mentioned that your La creuset is cast iron. You cannot dishwash cast iron. It goes rusty, then you have to brillo it. So might as well wash it by hand in the first place. Speaking from experience here, and I tried it several times as I hate washing up.
Thanks for the info about glassess and finish. I have always used finish and have had to replace quite a few glassess. they were only cheap ones but still I would prefer not having to replace them.
Having said that, I happened to go into Aldi this week and bought the dishwsh tabe they do.

Actually, Le Creuset is made of cast iron and is coated with vitreous enamel all around expt the rims. As long as you dry them immediately after the wash, they will never go rusty. I have a 30 year old Le Creuset amongst lots of new ones and it has had its fair amount of "abuse" over the years. Todate I there isn't a single speck of rust on it. :T

Magentasue

I've just moved to a hard water area and have had to start buying salt. This is even using the all singing and dancing Finish tabs that I stocked up on when they were half price. I don't put my Le Creuset in 'cos I find it easy to hand wash and I like it to feel cared for!