Dishwasher Cleaner Liquids...

[jmurray01]

Recently I've seen in the supermarkets various brands of Dishwasher Cleaning Liquid that you (to the best of my knowledge) put in the dishwasher then set it for a wash and it cleans out the arteries, pump etc...

But, do they actually work and secondly, even if they do, are they strictly necessary ?

 

[joeekaitis]

They're all citric acid with colorant, perfume and maybe a non-sudsing detergent in a bottle with a wax plug that's supposed to melt if you use the Pots & Pans cycle and Sani rinse.

They're useful for removing hard water scale which shows up as an ashy accumulation around the detergent dispenser and on the heating coil. You can save $4.00 to $5.00 by using a quart of white distilled vinegar (about a buck).

Unload the dishwasher, put the silverware basket in its usual place, close the empty detergent dispenser, set the controls for the longest hottest cycle, purge the hot water at the kitchen sink and start 'er up.

The moment you hear the detergent dispenser opening for the main wash, crack the door, wait for the spraying to stop and dump in the vinegar. Close the door and let the cycle run to completion.

I've been doing it every 4 weeks since the dishwasher was installed over a year ago and it's still cleaning like a champ.

 

[washer111]

Some of these products may work better than others, however I haven't used any yet, so I can't say.

However, they are supposed to target grease, limescale and maybe undissolved detergent while they run through the machine.
Fisher and Paykel recommend immediately running a normal load of dishes after running a dishwasher cleaner, to prevent the chemicals damaging plastics.

These products may have more effect than vinegar, and might be a very mild drain cleaner solution (at worst).

As well as vinegar, you may also be able to use epson salts, and just "soak" the machine for a while after it finishes heating water.

If you look under the filter plate of our dish-drawer when I cleaned it, you would have seen scum similar to what you see in the fabric softener dispenser in a top load washing machine, presumably from old tabs, rinse aid and food bits and bobs. Left long enough, this may become like the sludge in old washing machines (outer tub). That is really what these products target, so vinegar may not be very effective in that case

 

[launderess]

If You Live In An Area With Remotely Hard Water

Then yes, descaling products are required for anything that boils water such as kettles, dishwashers, washing machines, etc. Otherwise the limescale that forms can damage heating elements and shorten their lifespan if not the appliance as well.

Being as that may much of the problem at least where dishwashers and washing machines are concerned by using proper dosage of the proper detergent. All such products sold today contain chemicals to deal with water conditions in the area where sold. Indeed for this reason many UK/EU appliance repairmen/sites do not advise purchasing extras such as "Calgon" to prevent limescale.

As for cleaning the internal parts of one's dishwasher with such products, again if the proper detergent is being used and dosed correctly there shouldn't be a build up of "gunk" inside the unit. It also does help to run the machine often at the hottest temperature which along with alkaline detergent will remove "gunk".

OTHO if you are using too much detergent and or it is old/not disloving you can have crud build-up. In those cases then yes, go ahead and run some sort of DW cleaner to flush things out.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Dishwasher cleaners

Yes they do work.

The liquid bottles usually contain a mixture of acids: citric and sulphamic.

"Oust" dishwasher descaler powder contains lactic acid.

 

[joefuss1984]

Finish DW cleaner

I have never noticed a need in Little Rock to use them as we have fairly soft water.  But my parents live in deep South East Arkansas and have fairly hard water.  They have a Kenmore Ultrawash with the "Smart Wash" sensor.  That is the only cycle they use.  We do notice buildup occasionally and the Finish cleaner always removes it.  The dishwasher is over 6 years old and still runs like a new one.  It even cleans better than the Ultrawash it replaced tho it does take longer, I attribute both to the sensor.  But, I digress, to me the cleaner works better than just plain vinegar and seeing how they only use it about 2-3 times a year it seems very cost effective.  

 

[seamusuk]

According to my Miele instructions.....

As long as a good quality detergent and regular hot washes are used they are not necessary. Also their washer instructions state descaling shouldnt be necessary if the correct dose of detergent is used!

Seamus

 

[dj-gabriele]

they are not necessary

AMEN!

My dishwasher is pristine, just remember to clean the filter and the dishwasher will keep clean by itself!

On the other hand a glass of vinegar in the last rinse is fantastic if salmon laden dishes were washed, to get rid of any kind of odour

 

[joefuss1984]

I would like to say that it depends on where you live and the conditions of the water, etc.  For my parents it is necessary, no amount of detergent or hot water can prevent the lime buildup that they have down there.  For their needs a cleaner is necessary and vinegar wont cut it.  For my water conditions it is not necessary.

 

[passatdoc]

For years I used to buy "Perfect Brew" coffee maker descaling product at the hardware store. $5 for three or four packets. One day I looked at the ingredients and discovered it was citric acid powder, one tablespoon/15 ml being sold for $1.33 each! The product DOES work, I descale the coffee maker once or twice per quarter and my coffee makers tend to last ten years or so.

An appliance repair person once advised me to descale my dishwasher with half a bottle of Lime Away twice a year. Knowing that Lime Away is corrosive, whereas citric acid is relatively safe, I now descale the DW and FL washer once per quarter with 1/4-1/3 cup of citric acid power. I buy citric acid via Amazon in five pound bags and keep it in an airtight container. The stainless steel interiors of both the DW and FL always look shiny, but I'm more concerned about scale build up that you can't see, on the outer drum or pump.

 

[dj-gabriele]

where you live and the conditions of the water

It's a shame as America dishwasher don't have water softeners, otherwise water quality wouldn't be a problem at all!

 

[bwoods]

limescale

I think U.S. manufacturers don't put water softeners in their dishwashers, as they assume consumers have enough common sense to buy a whole house water softener if their water is hard enough to deposit scale (solid calcium carbonate known as calcite).

Unfortunately, that is a bad assumption, as many don't. But in all fairness, some can't afford a water softener. I would hazard a guess that if they can't afford a asoftener, they (or at least many) would not be able to pay the additional money for a machine with water softening capability.

But I know some people who could easily afford a whole house softener, but don't. The just don't care. If they want soap sum in the tub, calcite stains in their toilet and dishes that have a film, that's their problem.

Once I picked up a GE GSD2800, from the curb, when I lived in Ohio. The city water hardness was about 23 grains per gallon, which is moderately hard.

I have seem many dishwashers which calcite film deposits, but this is the only one I had ever seem with actual visible thickness to the crust on the inside of the machine, expecially the bottom of the tub.

The impeller of the pump was locked because of the deposits, and I assume, was the reason they put the machine out for the trash.

After freeing the pump by hand the motor could run, and I put a whole bottle of lemon juice through it it. It did virtually nothing to removed the deposits. So I went to LimeAway, used a whole bottle. Only mild results, and it caused some of the calcite to break loose, and one piece somehow managed to wedge it between the soft food waste disposer "blade" (Piece of wire actually) and the grater and rejammed the motor. So I had to reach into the sump and manually remove the calcium chunks.

I tried to chop the lower tub deposits off with a putty knife, but could barely chip any off and was afraid I would damage the plastic tub. I went to Lowe's and got some muratic acid and diluted it, it cleaned the machine right up beautifally, and it ran like a champ. When the machine drained, the water looked like milk as it came out the hose.

(Yes, I rinsed it through several cycle so there would be no residual acid to corrode the metal parts.)

I must say, even though this machine was 20+ years old, it looked like new inside. One of the cleanest, nicest used machine that I owned. Apparently the calcite deposites, that coated the racks, protected the racks from ever rusting or pitting over the 20 or so years. And they looked like they had just come out of the factory.

How could anyone, in their right mind, use a dishwasher for twenty years and let rock deposits (literally) build up in their machine, and extremely visibly yet. When the motor/pump seized up, it shouldn't have taken a rocket science I.Q. to figure out what did it.

Some people just shouldn't have modern technology, hehe.

 

[amandaanderson]

Saving money at the grocery store is a concept that can extend to every item you regularly buy. This includes dishwasher and laundry detergent, notes Bankrate. Some consumers extol the virtues of single-use dishwasher and laundry detergent – aka pods or squares – but the truth is that standard dishwasher detergent or even homemade detergent is cheaper. So, why not go all the way and save by creating your own? Be practical this days. Everything is expensive but by creating your own you can save a lot money and you can even use it for business purposes. Learn more at: How to save money on laundry and dishwashing detergent.

 

[dj-gabriele]

creating your own you can save a lot money and you can even

Not only self made dishwasher detergent is not effective against dirt pots and dishes or anything that requires bleaching action and enzymes (pre-rinsing should be illegal!)
but also here it is strictly illegal using a detergent that isn't approved by the ministry of health for cleaning in a business serving food!

That is the kind of behavior that is penny-wise pound-foolish as our British friends say!
Is it better to put dirt dishes and spend 10-20 cent per tablet (or half that with powder) and have them really cleaned or use home-made detergent that will stink up the machine and don't clean a thing, having to pre-rinse everything?