Ever since dishwasher tablets have been introduced, they have made life so much easier. You no longer have to worry about the amount of detergent to use with each load. But even with the introduction of these tablets, some people tend to use them the wrong way. I can understand how there might be some confusion especially amongst the younger generation. Let’s take a look at the basics of how to use the dishwasher tablets.
Although you can put the dishwasher tablet at the bottom of the dishwasher, it is not recommended that you do so. Especially if you wish to see the best results. This is because, the detergent tablet might get washed during the pre-cycle which will render it less effective.
You should ideally put the tablets in the detergent compartment of the appliance.
How Do The Dishwasher Tablets Work
Dishwasher tablets are an ingenious invention and they are composed of a lot of components which help with different types of food items and stains. For example, the surfactants are one such components which when mixed with water, pick up the food particle and wash away the food debris.
Just like this, there are some enzymes present in the tablet which help with breaking down carbohydrates and proteins. This makes the overall cleaning easier for the other components. There are two other major components, safe bleaches help with removing tough stains and builders help to remove stains which occur due to hard water.
The dishwasher will release the tablet at the right time to achieve the best overall result. This step is really important, if the appliance releases the tablet too early then it might get washed away. On the other hand if it releases it too late, then the cleaning might not be as effective.
How To Use The Dishwasher Tablets
Dishwasher tablets are some of the easiest to use components related to your appliance. There are two important steps to this, where to put them and when to put them.
But first things first, make sure you remove any of the plastic outer coverings from the tablet before using them. Another thing to keep in mind is to use dry hands while handling the tablets, these tablets are designed to dissolve and release its components very quickly when coming in contact with water. If you use wet hands to handle them, some part of the tablet might start getting dissolved earlier on.
Where To Put Dishwasher Tablets In The Washing Machine
You should always put the dishwasher tablet in the detergent cup or the detergent compartment. Again, make sure that the compartment is dry as well, the same reasoning can be applied here, if the compartment is wet, the tablet will start dissolving before the washing even begins.
You will usually only need one tablet for a normal load.
After this you should usually run the dishwasher at around 125-140F.
Coming to the second question, you should ideally put the tablet before you run the cycle. It doesn’t really matter if you put the tablet before putting in the clothes as the compartment for both are usually different.
Can You Use Dishwasher Pods In An Older Dishwasher?
Although it is recommended that you use a standard dishwashing detergent if your appliance does not support pods or tablets, if you have some pods left or if you accidentally bought some pods then you can go ahead and use them.
Although there shouldn’t be any problems with using pods if you place them in the detergent compartment, I recommend that you do a trial run with a lighter load just to be sure.
This is because even though the washing mechanics are the same, some older appliances might not support the pods entirely. Even if the appliance is able to clean the dishes using the pods, I would recommend that you shift to the standard detergent as soon as possible.
Do Dishwasher Tablets Expire?
The usual operable time period for different brand’s dishwasher tablets is around 2 years.
Although there is no expiry date, it is not recommended that you stockpile a lot of the tablets as the outside packaging can start to degrade over time and that will ruin the entire tablet.
When a tablet gets older than the recommended age, they don’t really harm your appliance or your dishes, but they might get less effective.
The overall quality of your dishwasher might start going down if you are using an older tablet. There might also be some problem of foul smell if the pods or the tablets are really old.
In Conclusion
Knowing how to use a dishwasher is one of the most basic skills which one should master. A lot of people make some very basic mistakes while using dishwashing tablets.
There are some things to keep in mind, make sure you are putting them in the right compartment and that you handle them with care.
Although it is not recommended that you put dishwashing tablets in the bottom of the dishwasher, you can still do it. The only thing is that they won’t be as effective.
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