what happens on the Machine Care program on my Bosch Serie 8 PowerControl dishwasher?

[wholelottared]

hello y'all!! hope everyone is doing good

ever since I bought my Bosch Serie 8 PowerControl dishwasher like a year ago, I never used the Machine Care program before.

now, after it reminded me to use it countless times, I thought it's finally the time.

first i cleaned all of the filters and sprays.

then I bought one of those Finish dishwasher cleaners, peeled off it's top, and put it upside down into the drawer.

then i also added a Finish ultimate plus detergent to the detergent dispenser, because the manual makes it sound like it's a two step program and a detergent can be used too, which is interesting.

so, as i'm a curious soul, i wonder what happens on this program. as it has a 2:10 length, it's pretty long too.

does anyone know the steps and details of this program? how does it work? what's happening on background? what's it's difference compared to the intensive 70?

and finally, does it really use two steps to first use the Finish cleaning thing and then the detergent?

and do you think Finish dishwasher cleaners are a scam or can i do this with just a detergent only too?

will be waiting for replies from everyone, thank you so much!!

model code if it matters: SMS8YDI82T

 

[phillymatt53]

The enormous Marketing of "miracle" products for just about everything always makes me suspicious of their actual value.
I like to "keep things simple", and of course, that type of thinking saves me money, and I'm a frugal person, and I don't "buy into" products like so many others do.
Do some research online, scan the negative reviews first, and use your own sense.

As for dishwasher maintenance, and depending on water hardness, on occasion I'll pour a cup of CLR into the machine's tub, and run it for a normal cycle.
CLR (Calcium-Line-Rust) is a proven product that loosens any calcium buildup on surfaces, inside the spray arms, and inside the hoses, insuring free flow of the water.
I maybe do this twice a year, I don't often use the dishwasher, maybe once a month if I make a large dinner or have guests.

 

[logixx]

Neither my washer, not my dishwasher has ever prompted me to run the self-clean cycle - despite what the manuals say about the reminder after 40 cycles.

According to a YouTube video the cycle is

Wash 70C
Rinse
Wash 60C
Rinse
Rinse 65C
Dry

I suppose the first wash is to remove lime scale (although there really shouldn't be any) and the second wash opens the detergent dispenser to remove grease.

 

[lavamat_jon]

It’s a two step programme - the first wash uses the dishwasher cleaner, and then the dispenser opens on the second wash so you can dispense descaler (citric acid etc).

The Siemens IQ700 dishwasher I had before was more particular with the cleaning reminders which wouldn’t disappear unless you ran the maintenance cycle. I think I’ve only done it once on the Miele which replaced it (it doesn’t seem to remind you if you consistently use the high temperature cycles), and even the I don’t think it probably needed it.

 

[logixx]

Just checked the manual: liquid (in the bottle with the wax plug) is used first to descale, then a degreaser is used in the detergent compartment later in the second wash.

Unfortunately, both BSH (and Miele used to) call their descalers a "care" product and the degreaser a "cleaner" in the manual and on their website, where you can purchase their own (expensive) products. While that makes sense if you get their own stuff, supermarkets and people usually - at least here - call the entire product group a dishwasher cleaner, which makes sense but gets confusing if manufacturers also throw the term "dishwasher care" on there.

Long story short: liquid bottle -> in the rack, detergent -> in the cup.

Oh also, the manual I read said the cleaning reminder will go out if you ignore it for three cycles. Maybe they changed the software along the way, compared to yours @lavamat_jon .

 

[simpsonencore]

hello y'all!! hope everyone is doing good

ever since I bought my Bosch Serie 8 PowerControl dishwasher like a year ago, I never used the Machine Care program before.

now, after it reminded me to use it countless times, I thought it's finally the time.

first i cleaned all of the filters and sprays.

then I bought one of those Finish dishwasher cleaners, peeled off it's top, and put it upside down into the drawer.

then i also added a Finish ultimate plus detergent to the detergent dispenser, because the manual makes it sound like it's a two step program and a detergent can be used too, which is interesting.

so, as i'm a curious soul, i wonder what happens on this program. as it has a 2:10 length, it's pretty long too.

does anyone know the steps and details of this program? how does it work? what's happening on background? what's it's difference compared to the intensive 70?

and finally, does it really use two steps to first use the Finish cleaning thing and then the detergent?

and do you think Finish dishwasher cleaners are a scam or can i do this with just a detergent only too?

will be waiting for replies from everyone, thank you so much!!

model code if it matters: SMS8YDI82T

I've only got the most basic Serie 2 (SMS24AI01A) with like, 4 cycles on a knob selector, but even that goes so much better than my last non-Bosch dishwasher!

You've done the right thing by removing the filter and cleaning that off first. You don't need to add a tablet or powder if you're using the Finish liquid machine cleaner in a bottle, but you do need to run it in an empty dishwasher. I also recommend running the powdered tablet-looking Finish machine cleaner in an empty dishwasher with no additional detergent, even though Finish says you can use that one in a loaded dishwasher with a tablet. Each to their own, but I personally don't like the idea of even the remote possibility of all the grot from deep inside that dishwasher being dislodged and flung all over my dishes!

From my understanding, most "machine clean" cycles are a variation of the "Pots & Pans" or "Intensive" cycles, as they always sounded and ran for the same amount of time in my previous dishwashers. Bosch Serie 2 with selector knob doesn't have a specific "machine clean" cycle (only Pots & Pans, Auto, Eco and Express) so I use Pots & Pans, which yields the same results in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

How often do you use your dishwasher? Back when I lived with 5 other people, the dishwasher was being used daily, sometimes twice a day if needed; I was running a machine clean once a month. Now there's only 2 people living in the house, it gets used every other day at the most, so I now run the cleaner through every 2 months. The cleaners themselves are a good idea imo.

 

[lavamat_jon]

Oh also, the manual I read said the cleaning reminder will go out if you ignore it for three cycles. Maybe they changed the software along the way, compared to yours @lavamat_jon .

It didn’t on ours, though that was the least of our problems with that machine. Definitely got a Friday afternoon machine there, which is why we eventually got the Miele as a replacement through our retailer after getting to know our local BSH engineer very well indeed .

I never used the manufacturers care products - I would use Aldi dishwasher cleaner (in the bottle with the wax plug) and then dispense citric acid in the second wash to descale - I never clocked that the “official” care products were the other way round!

 

[jrap330]

It didn’t on ours, though that was the least of our problems with that machine. Definitely got a Friday afternoon machine there, which is why we eventually got the Miele as a replacement through our retailer after getting to know our local BSH engineer very well indeed .

I never used the manufacturers care products - I would use Aldi dishwasher cleaner (in the bottle with the wax plug) and then dispense citric acid in the second wash to descale - I never clocked that the “official” care products were the other way round!

I tried the Lidl product, Aldi's German competitor. The wax plug never resolve....product container stated 145 degrees.Well most water heaters are set to 120- 125 deg and that is what the dishwasher will use. I guess I should have tried the pots, pan cycle or heavy cycle. So later on I found just citric acid at Target.