Dishwasher tablets 3 in 1 etc

[elsajo]

Hi
This may sound like a really dumb question but I have never had a dishwasher. I have bought 5 in 1 tablets that have rince and salt in. Do I need top add any extra rince aid or salt?
Thanks, Elsa

[bednobs]

no

[Panic Button]

Yes, add salt. The salt dispenser is not to soften the water, it is to periodically flush out a water softening device.

Also, if you are in a very hard water area, then when you have used them up, don't buy them again. Buy 'Classic' tabs, and add separate salt and rinse aid.

This was advised to me by an engineer who came to repair my six month old machine with a burnt out heater.

Our area is extremely hard, and he said the three/four/five in ones could not cope with that.

[Ethel]

I live in a very hard water area. My dishwasher manual has a chart to determine the setting I should set my machine to inspect of the salt that goes in the large reservoir at the bottom of the screen.

You can find your level of water hardness on your water supplier's website and entering your post code.

If the chart reading is 0 you add no salt, but if it is between 1 and 9 you add the salt, and enter the number into the machine. This only needs to be done once, unless you move house.

Salt needs to be topped up once a month in my case - if I lived in an area with softer water it would be less frequent.

However, my manual says it is perfectly fine to use 1 in 3 or 1 in 5 tablets provided the salt reservoir isn't showing empty.

I don't use rinse aid, and everything comes out shiny sparkly.

[LoftyLottie2]

Agree with Panic Button. I always Classic tabs and use salt. I live in a very hard water area, and was also told it is essential to have salt in the reservoir. I use separate rinse aid.

What annoys me is some shops have stopped stocking the classic tabs.

[gumboot]

You might like to try Lidl LoftyLottie2. They have classic tablets that a few months ago won an award from "Which?" magazine and they are damn good value.