Home Appliances
Where to put a dishwasher tablet.
In the basket? On the bottom floor of the dishwasher? If you just got a new dishwasher, or are switching from power or liquid detergent to dishwasher tabs, you might wonder where exactly to put a dishwasher tablet. A dishwasher tablet goes in the detergent compartment on the inside of the dishwasher door – the same place you put powder or liquid detergent.
Can you put a dishwasher tablet on the bottom of the dishwasher?
Doing so won't harm your appliance. However, putting the tablet in the compartment ensures it's released at the most effective time in a programme. That's why we advise putting it in the designated compartment.
What's in a dishwasher tablet.
In general, a dishwasher tablet consists of:
- Builders to clean and soften the water
- Enzymes to tackle starch and protein
- Bleach to break down certain stains
- Surfactants to remove certain residue
Pro tip: All-in-one tablets are better at softening water and removing water spots than normal tablets. Please check the packaging of your dishwasher tablets for details.
How to use dishwasher tablets.
Step 1
1. Remove the tablet from the wrapper. Dissolvable coating? Skip this step.
Step 2
2. Place in the designated compartment on your appliance.
Step 3
3. Close the compartment flap, select the programme and press start.
Tablets vs liquid dishwasher detergent. Powder dishwasher detergent vs liquid.
Tablets are not the only detergent option available: there are also liquid and powder versions. Here's a closer look at your options.
Tabs
Just pop in a tab and push start – done! Choose high quality: some budget-friendly dishwasher tabs might corrode delicate items and don't always dissolve properly.
Liquid
Liquid detergents are poured into the dispenser. A word of caution: liquid detergents often decrease the cleaning performance, especially for bleachable stains, such as tea or coffee.
Powder
A budge-friendly and effective alternative to tabs is powder detergent. Adjust the dose to suit the load size, which is also gentler on the environment.
Help! I ran out of dishwasher tablets.
Nearly everyone can relate to this situation, right? As tempting as it is, avoid putting washing-up liquid in the dishwasher. It's too foamy and can damage the appliance.
The best thing to do: ask a neighbour for a tablet or pop quickly to the store.
Your personal tablet counter.
Tired of keeping track of when to buy new dishwasher tablets? Our latest dishwashers with Home Connect have a convenient tablet counter that notifies you when it's time to buy more or reorder.
All-in-one dishwasher tablets and dishwasher salt.
Many all-in-one tabs contain dishwasher salt. So you might wonder: do I need dishwasher salt if I use tablets? It depends on your water hardness. If you live in a hard water area, adding dishwasher salt is essential. However, in New Zealand our water is soft so adding salt to your dishwasher is not necessary in most regions.
FAQs.
Can I make my own dishwasher tablets?
We don't recommend using homemade dishwasher tablets in your dishwasher since it might damage the appliance and could be hazardous to your health. Additionally, using homemade tablets in your dishwasher might invalidate the warranty.
What detergent to use in a Bosch dishwasher?
Practical all-in-one tablets are a great choice if you prioritise convenience.
For environmental and costs reasons, powder detergent in addition to a separate rinse aid and dishwasher salt is a good option. You can dose each product to suit the needs of your dishwasher, water and dishwasher load.
Where to put liquid detergent in the dishwasher?
Liquid detergent goes in the same place as powder detergent or a dishwasher tab does: in the detergent compartment.
