Are your dishes not that clean when they come out of the dishwasher? You might have to add rinse aid. In order to keep your dishwasher running smoothly, you need this before you start the machine. This is a solution that helps clean dishes, dries them, and removes any built-up dirt and debris.
It also helps reduce the number of times the dishwasher needs to be cleaned, which can save you time and money.
Additionally, Rinse Aid can help improve your dishwasher’s performance by reducing the amount of water used and the amount of time it takes to clean dishes. It essentially changes the structure of the water so that it glides off your dishes. This makes sure that there are no spots of white layer on your dishes.
[ez-toc]
How to use dishwasher rinse aid?
Modern dishwashers have a rinse aid dispenser. This is located on the lid when you open the dishwasher. You simply open up the flap or lid and fill the disposal in your dishwasher. There might be a slider or button to open up the flap.
If there are two dispensers, it is often the smallest one that you have to use. Check the manual of the dishwasher to be sure. This is simply closed after this by folding the lid of the disposal. You can wipe away any excess but this is not really needed as it will get washed away. Just don’t exaggerate.
You should use rinse aid every time that you wash them for optimal results. It is possible to use a dishwasher without rinse aid but it can result in dishes that are not looking that great.
There are several brands of rinse aid. Some dishwasher brands have created their own brands. The composition of most rinse aids is quite similar. It can be a great idea to use the same brand as you use for your detergent as these have been tested together and this can lead to the best result.
It can be a liquid or a tablet. Tablets are handy as they don’t leak or stain your floor. You can fill until the chamber is full.
You might have to use salt and detergent (or soap) in your machine as well for optimal results. The salt is often added by removing the lowest rack and you will see a round knob. You can turn this knob and add salt in the tray until it is full. Once this is done, you can close the lid again.
Detergent is added by using the same method as you did for rinse aid but you use the biggest tray instead of the smallest one.
Rinse aid and detergent (or soap) are often combined so that you just need one product. It is still a good idea to add rinse aid separately as it can create better results if you do.
Advantages of using Rinse Aid and is it worth it?
Rinse aid costs money so you might wonder if it is worth it. Next to cleaner dishes, your washing machine and plates will last longer. Dirt and chalk are removed from your machine into the drains instead of creating a layer on your dishes or the machine.
Especially if you have hard water (that has chalk), you can get a white layer on your dishes. Rinse aid makes sure that this doesn’t stay. This can give your glasses a weird and old look. Glass is more likely to have this film than plastics so if you wash glassware, it is more needed to use rise aid than when you wash glass.
Rinse aid can really improve the cleanliness of the dishes of older dishwashers. It can take some time before you see this result though so you have to be patient.
How to get the best results from your dishwasher
Now that you know how to use rinse aid, detergent, and salt, we can discuss other ways to improve the results that you get from your dishwasher.
Loading the dishwasher correctly is essential. Make sure that you don’t block the swinging arm that can hang under the top rack. This arm spreads water and if you stack the dishes too high, it won’t move. Don’t overcrowd your dishwasher as the water can’t spread and it won’t be clean enough. It is better to do 2 wash cycles than 1 that has too many items in it.
The glasses generally go on top and the plates in the bottom rack. Pans can take a lot of places and you can consider washing these by hand instead.
Dishwashers have different settings. Sometimes your dishwasher is not full yet but smells quite bad. You can start by rinsing the dishes if they are really dirty or smelly. Once the dishwasher is full, you can start a full program.
Removing big food scraps can be a great idea as these can clog up the dishwasher. Pieces of meat or vegetables are quite hard and they can get stuck in the drain as the washing machine doesn’t have enough power to remove them. Removing these can be challenging as they are hard to reach. A plumber might come in and use water pressure to push them away.
To conclude, we can state that using rinse aid in your dishwasher is not essential. It still has a lot of advantages, such as dishes being cleaner, it will make your dishwasher and dishes last longer as well. It is used next to salt and detergent.
The combination of these 3 provides optimal results. You have combinations of detergents and rinse aids that make things easier as you just have to add one tablet to your machine. Using the best practices in loading your dishwasher can make a big difference and result in cleaner dishes. Don’t overload the dishwasher as this is a mistake that a lot of people make.
