Dishwasher powder not removing tea stains from mugs

[richardc1983]

Using Wilkinsons shop bought own brand dishwasher powder. Whilst the load comes out clean there are tea stains on the mugs and tea spoons. It doesnt seem to be removing the stains.

Would using a gel detergent get rid of these, I am led to believe that they contain bleaching agents?

 

[tomturbomatic]

You will need to check the label to find a detergent that has bleach as one of the ingredients and use that occasionally to remove the stains.

 

[perc-o-prince]

I find that household bleach work just fine. Just put some bleach in the mug. Swirl it about and you will see the stain go away.

Good luck
Rich

 

[maytagbear]

Or, safer than mucking with bleach,

make a paste of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and water, and gently rub the interior of the mug with your fingers.  Rinse, and let dry.

 

 

Is there salt in the salt compartment of your dishwasher?

 

 

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[richardc1983]

Yes there is salt in the compartments.

As its on all the mugs wanting a detergent really that will remove the build up. Dont want to go putting bleach in mugs as there will be bleach everywhere knowing me lol.

What ingredients should I be looking for to ensure they contain bleaching agent of some sort?

 

[lavamat_jon]

Wilkinsons shop bought own brand dishwasher powder

The clue is in what you're using...

 

I've found that although on appearance cheaper stuff cleans at first, they do leave staining over time... e.g. I was pleased with Aldi's tablets when I first used them but over time mugs etc would be stained brown.

 

I went back to using Finish, and whilst it is a more expensive brand it is almost always on offer somewhere where you can get a good deal working out at 7-8p a tablet... my latest stash I got at Co-Op where they were selling 56 wash boxes for £5 - my parents have just got a 80 tab box for about £7 etc so worth looking/stocking up.

 

Jon

 

[lavamat_jon]

On the other hand...

...I used to swear by Sainsburys dishwasher tablets for years until they went and changed the formula!

 

Jon

 

[richardc1983]

I have a compact dishwasher so have to use powder or gel.

 

[lavamat_jon]

Finish powder? About £3-4 a bottle at our local Tesco Metro last time I looked.

 

Jon

 

[richardc1983]

OK will get some next time I am near the big tesco. Our tesco metro doesnt sell powder just tablets.

Have had to buy some cheap tablets this time round as no where seems to sell powder any more. They are ok as they fit in the dispenser and are smaller than finish.

 

[zanussi_lover]

Dishwasher Tablets

I used to swear by Glist dishwasher tablets but they stopped selling them a few years ago.

Aldis Dishwasher tablets are really good, you should try them as they were a which best buy.

 

[arbilab]

A Brit detergent that won't remove tea? What were they thinking? That's like an MG the defroster doesn't work in. Oh wait, they didn't!

Use bottled water for tea? I'm thinking the dissolved solids in tap (or simple-filtered) water are grabbing tea oils and depositing stained minerals. Instead of bleach, try hot vinegar. If that fixes it, the mineral hypothesis is demonstrated. And harmless if spilled.

 

[donprohel]

Not to be rude...

...but I wonder how often you wash your mugs

 

[yogitunes]

I just pour the bleach right into the dishwasher

 

[henry200]

I have had the same problem with stains remaining in my mugs after going through the dishwasher.  Everything else comes out spotless, so I couldn't attribute the trouble to the dishwasher's performance.  I try to live as earth-friendly as possible and use things like borax or vinegar for most household cleaning tasks, avoiding petrochemicals as much as I can, and hardly ever use chlorine bleach in the laundry.  I've gone back to using Finish in the dishwasher though instead of the eco-brands I was using because of the stained mugs issue.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Chlorine is your friend, is my motto: but if you are afeared of bleach, try Oxi-clean in the DW, it may give you that extra bleaching action you need to remove the stains, and actually won't be as rough on your stainless flatware.

 

[rolls_rapide]

UK liquid detergents contain chlorine bleach, Sodium dichloroisocyanurate.

Powders and tablets contain oxygen bleach, Sodium percarbonate.

The expensive ones (Finish, Fairy, Sun) have better bleaching systems and bleach activators. Some even use manganese-based bleaching accelerators: Sun does or did.

As others have said, the cheaper shop stuff does appear to clean, but their bleaching effect is rather poor, allowing tea tannins to build up over time. Even the metal interior of the dishwasher can appear to turn duller.

And "green" eco-friendly detergents are as weak as water too.

Finish Liquid Gel has chlorine, so will clean satifactorily in a few washes.

Another thing: the programme. If you use 50°/55°C cycles, the bleaching effect and duration is less than say, 65° or 70°C ones.