Effectiveness of DW pre-rinses/pre-washes

[jerrod6]

The Miele I have, the G6987, will do two prewashes on the pots and pans cycle. It takes 1 gal each followed by 1 gallon to wash and .8 gal for the rinses of which it does 2. The first prewash lasts 18 minutes, the second 10 minutes. I don't think the heater is on for the prewashes. If I use the short option the prewash lasts 10 minutes with high pressure for the wash.

For the automatic cycle, it will vary the prewash time from 7 to 12 minutes, but it does not change the water for the wash, it continues to use the same water and just releases the detergent. The Prewash/wash takes from .8 to 1.3 gallons of water depending on load size, and the rinses are from .8 to 1 gallon each. Sometimes it will add an extra rinse, rinsing 3 times, and sometimes it will do the first rinse for 13 minutes, and then add more water to it and continue for another 10 minutes before moving to the last rinse. If I use the short option the prewash lasts 10 minutes but high pressure is used to do the wash, without changing the wat

For the normal cycle, the prewash lasts 10 minutes and does not change the water for the wash. The two rinses use .8 to 1 gal of water each.

 

[sudsmaster]

I always run the hottest longest cycle on my Bosch. Why not? The machine is doing all the work, why not let it do the best it can.

 

[logixx]

I haven't run a prewash in years.

My 1993 Bosch countertop dishwasher used enough water, heat and pressure to probably qualify as a Hurricane in a Box. A 20-minute wash got everything clean. Plus, it ran three rinses.

My current, modern dishwasher... I think it prewashed once. Besides, I tend to use a cycle without prewash anyway and add an extra rinse.