Which dishwasher cycle do you use most often & why?

[washer111]

Seeing as this Thread Popped Up

Typically Heavy or Heavy Eco. 1 wash, three rinses. Main-Wash at 158ºF (70ºC) {So "NSF Sani"} or 150ºF (65ºC), with rinsing at either 150ºF or 140ºF (60ºC). 

Have found these cycles, whilst excessive for only "day old" soils, guarantees washing and drying performance* AND keeps the filters much cleaner for much longer. 

 

Previously, I was using the Delicates cycle, due to the added rinse (for a total of 3).

Having sat and watched the machine through the cycle**, I discovered that while the Normal-Wash is supposed to have about a 40min washing phase (Per F&P service material for the DD60DCX6), it only lasts 26mins, the same as the Delicates cycle. Given that the target temperatures are the same, I saw no use in "Normal" anymore.

 

I also noted that "Normal" needed careful pandering to ensure the final rinse target temp (140ºF) was reached, water too cold (i.e. tub temperature below about 104ºF/40ºC per onboard diagnostic) at start of final rinse would result in the heating "timing out," and not reaching the target temperature, by a significant margin. 

The Heavy cycles are the same, although the higher washing temperatures mean the final rinse temperature is perfectly adequate, should there be no-one to run the tap hot for the rinses. 

 

Footnotes:

* This is NOT an admission of "poor washing/drying" performance. Merely, I am using it to suggest that some questionable, heavily soiled items won't come clean without one of these cycles. Besides, there is LOTS of steam 

These temperatures guarantee drying of plastics, in particular

 

** I think what Bob said above fits perfectly here. I too am guilty of sitting and listening to the action on a number of occasions! 

 

Photo: Example of what usually gets put into the DD, from 2yrs ago, washed on Delicates. Sat for 4 days, Apple pie residue. 

Photo 2: An extreme example (Christmas or New Years load from a while back. Don't have the "Before" examples)

 

 

[toploader55]

Generally Normal/ Full Cycle depending on the machine of choice.

 

If there is a option for Water Heating... It is on.

 

Heated Dry, Yes. Cascade Complete Powder Only, Both Cups filled and Wave Jet Rinse Agent.

 

Soak and Scrub or Pots and Pans when needed.

 

[kimball455]

Auto wash on my Amana with temp boost. Supply water is 140F. It seems to do the job every time. Occasionally, a rinse only ... does a better job that using all that water in the sink. Plates scraped to get rid of the large stuff. That all goes down the disposal.

Harry

 

[brib68]

My KA near-TOL (going on 6 years old): Normal Wash, heated dry. Sometimes I will use the Turbo Wash on crusty baking dishes. Truthfully, though... 1) trying to get a 9x13 pan braced to stand upright to face the turbo jets along the back wall is a pain. 2) half the time, even after rigging the load to support the pan of doom, I forget to push the Turbo Wash button. But the biggest thing, #3: ignoring the turbo wash and tilting the pan at a roughly 45 degree angle with the inside of the dish facing the bottom-rear, the baking dish will usually come out much cleaner than using the turbo.

I have never used the china/delicate cycle on any dishwasher. I will ONLY hand wash my grandmother's antique Noritake, and it only gets used once a year when hubby makes Seder. And my modern (80's) Noritake can go on regular cycle.

Does anyone use Rinse & Hold? I can't decide if its a waste of water or if it would keep the kitchen smelling better.

 

[firedome]

on our past and future KDC17

we only ever used Normal/Full Cycle, supply water at 140, lower rack loaded properly for a 17, blower drying as with all 17s, Cascade back then., The Hurricane did it's thing in a mere 45 min and everything came out sparkling clean.

 

[lordkenmore]

These days, my cycle is, alas, fill dish pan with water, add squirt of detergent, and scrub dishes, while cursing dish pan hands and the pure drudgery of it all. LOL

 

[lordkenmore]

Years back, I had a dishwasher under my control for a brief period. Maybe 5 months at most. (Strangely, it was the first time I ever had a dishwasher to use.) Some might cringe at this thought, but my standard cycle then was a short wash cycle. Some people I knew then certainly cringed at the idea. But it was basically the same as "Normal" as far as I could tell, except "Normal" added one more wash with detergent round at the very start. (This dishwasher was one of those with both a sealed detergent cup, and an open cup that would spill into the dishwasher immediately upon closing the door.) My dishes never really seemed dirty enough to justify the extra round with detergent.

Later, I lived with a roommate. It was her dishwasher, her rules: dishes cleaned up (probably too much before going in), "Normal" cycle, detergent cup filled to brim, and "Sanitize" on (with the switch nailed on if she'd been able to do it).

In the future, who knows? It all depends on the dishwasher and what the loads I have at the time are like... I suppose I'd start by researching the dishwasher, particularly if a modern one (which might play cute games with one cycle like washers do to make regulatory agencies happy). Plus, of course, experimentation. There are worse things one can do than an evening quietly playing with the dishwasher.

 

[abcomatic]

2006 Whirlpool dishwasher. I use normal cycle without heated drying. Bubble Bandit is the detergent that is used. This dishwasher actually uses water to clean. lol Gary