ryner1988
Well-known member
Mike, thankyou for the recommendation and I will certainly try that other detergent. I also am not a user of RinseAid, but perhaps I will try that as well and see what happens.
My apartment dishwasher isn't cleaning very well. Any advice?
- Thread starter ryner1988
- Start date
Help Support :
yes, good detergent and rinse aid and a thorough clean of the filter/sump/etc (toothbrush is a good idea...if the filter's bent or anything it will need to be replaced).
Wirecutter just did an extensive test and review of DW detergents, top place went to a somewhat rare version of Cascade pod, 2nd to Cascade Platinum plus and 3rd to Finnish powder. That would be my suggestion in this case. With an 18" DW you would need a bit less detergent so a powder might be the best option.
I use Platinum pods almost exclusively, but for small loads I do keep a box of Cascade powder around.
I use Platinum pods almost exclusively, but for small loads I do keep a box of Cascade powder around.
Before anything---CONTACT YOUR LANDLORD and tell them your apt dishwasher won't work.Had this a couple of times-they simply replaced the old dishwasher with a NEW ONE!
Please run the water at the sink to ensure it is HOT.
Are you using detergent in BOTH cups? If you choose to use a pod in the closed cup, use powder in the OPEN cup. TWO charges of detergent works best when the machine has TWO washes. (Or two charges of ordinary powdered detergent works well also. )
A DW can't remove all baked-on food items. It is ok to let the machine do 90% of the work then do a quick scrub of pots and pans.
If a load is particularly greasy, you can do a pre-wash of sorts or a "rinse and hold" if it exists. Simply start the machine with detergent. When it pumps out, cancel the cycle. Start again with two charges of detergent on any cycle BUT "NORMAL" ( This cycle tend to be focused on saving resources, not getting results.)
Hopefully (to save time, water and effort) there is no pre-rinsing or pre-washing by hand involved, before loading the DW. . Leftover dishsoap can be catastrophic to good results in a DW.
Hope this helps.
Are you using detergent in BOTH cups? If you choose to use a pod in the closed cup, use powder in the OPEN cup. TWO charges of detergent works best when the machine has TWO washes. (Or two charges of ordinary powdered detergent works well also. )
A DW can't remove all baked-on food items. It is ok to let the machine do 90% of the work then do a quick scrub of pots and pans.
If a load is particularly greasy, you can do a pre-wash of sorts or a "rinse and hold" if it exists. Simply start the machine with detergent. When it pumps out, cancel the cycle. Start again with two charges of detergent on any cycle BUT "NORMAL" ( This cycle tend to be focused on saving resources, not getting results.)
Hopefully (to save time, water and effort) there is no pre-rinsing or pre-washing by hand involved, before loading the DW. . Leftover dishsoap can be catastrophic to good results in a DW.
Hope this helps.
ryner1988
Well-known member
I think I figured out what the problem is
I believe I may have been pre-rinsing the dishes too much to compensate for the issue noted above, however it might have actually been the contributor to the problem.
Last night, I made quesadillas and they didn't turn out quite right, leaked all over the place and made a pretty big mess in my skillet. I could not get all of the mess rinsed out no matter what I did. There were also some really dirty plates with butter on them as well as a couple days' worth of breakfast bowls with oatmeal sludge on them that I couldn't rinse off. I ran this load in the DW on the pots and pans cycle and all came out perfectly clean, I also noticed on the wash portion of the cycle that the spray arms sounded normal, not deadened so to speak as they had been sounding previously.
The only thing I can figure is that my DW has a soil sensor that determines how dirty the load is and adjusts cycle strength accordingly. So, I might have been unintentionally making it harder for the machine to clean the load properly by pre-rinsing, so there were still dirty spots on my dishes after the cycle in that case.
I knew of course that higher-end DW's have this feature, but perhaps that's just standard on most modern machines now and I wasn't aware of this. Just didn't occur to me that my little apartment DW would have this feature.
Time will tell of course but I really think maybe this is what was happening.
Any thoughts?
Ryne
I believe I may have been pre-rinsing the dishes too much to compensate for the issue noted above, however it might have actually been the contributor to the problem.
Last night, I made quesadillas and they didn't turn out quite right, leaked all over the place and made a pretty big mess in my skillet. I could not get all of the mess rinsed out no matter what I did. There were also some really dirty plates with butter on them as well as a couple days' worth of breakfast bowls with oatmeal sludge on them that I couldn't rinse off. I ran this load in the DW on the pots and pans cycle and all came out perfectly clean, I also noticed on the wash portion of the cycle that the spray arms sounded normal, not deadened so to speak as they had been sounding previously.
The only thing I can figure is that my DW has a soil sensor that determines how dirty the load is and adjusts cycle strength accordingly. So, I might have been unintentionally making it harder for the machine to clean the load properly by pre-rinsing, so there were still dirty spots on my dishes after the cycle in that case.
I knew of course that higher-end DW's have this feature, but perhaps that's just standard on most modern machines now and I wasn't aware of this. Just didn't occur to me that my little apartment DW would have this feature.
Time will tell of course but I really think maybe this is what was happening.
Any thoughts?
Ryne
Scrape but do not prerinse dishes. Modern detergents need soil on dishes to work properly.
pre-rinsing
Also use a rinse aid, and quit pre-rinsing.
Also use a rinse aid, and quit pre-rinsing.
I'll chime in and say that, unfortunately, once you land on a good combo of detergent for your water conditions, sometimes the detergent brand will "reformulate."
You'll then get weird results you're not used to.
I've had this happen in the past.
Procter & Gamble is NOTORIOUS for constantly futzing with their formulas.
Sometimes I have good luck with Cascade pods. Sometimes not.
Cascade powder is pretty consistent, but it doesn't work well in all water conditions.
I've had better luck with Finish products in the past, which are more affordable too. But they also like to change things up once in a while.
Finish powder WAS working best in my 90s era KitchenAids, especially with coffee stains.
But my local stores have all stopped carrying Finish powder :/
Even when I've moved addresses, the differences in water source chemistry often forces me to re-calibrate what detergent to use, and what machine I have.
It's a fun game.
This of course is always dependent on wether your flavor of machine is functioning properly. And from what era.
Older machines tend to not like the pods. Newer machines are programmed to work best with pods.
But SOME older machines can work with pods, but not all brands.
You'll then get weird results you're not used to.
I've had this happen in the past.
Procter & Gamble is NOTORIOUS for constantly futzing with their formulas.
Sometimes I have good luck with Cascade pods. Sometimes not.
Cascade powder is pretty consistent, but it doesn't work well in all water conditions.
I've had better luck with Finish products in the past, which are more affordable too. But they also like to change things up once in a while.
Finish powder WAS working best in my 90s era KitchenAids, especially with coffee stains.
But my local stores have all stopped carrying Finish powder :/
Even when I've moved addresses, the differences in water source chemistry often forces me to re-calibrate what detergent to use, and what machine I have.
It's a fun game.
This of course is always dependent on wether your flavor of machine is functioning properly. And from what era.
Older machines tend to not like the pods. Newer machines are programmed to work best with pods.
But SOME older machines can work with pods, but not all brands.
I would say, be sure the water at the faucet is hot. (both portables and built-ins) Use a good powdered detergent in BOTH detergent cups. Chose a heated wash cycle.
DO NOT USE THE NORMAL CYCLE. That is where the govt tests for water/energy efficiency. Even the "1-hour cycle" will provide better results.
And as mentioned, clean the filters often.
The OCCASIONAL capful of chlorine bleach should keep the machine shiny and odor-free.
Best wishes!
DO NOT USE THE NORMAL CYCLE. That is where the govt tests for water/energy efficiency. Even the "1-hour cycle" will provide better results.
And as mentioned, clean the filters often.
The OCCASIONAL capful of chlorine bleach should keep the machine shiny and odor-free.
Best wishes!
