Dishwasher tab recommendations ?

If only the two of you have you tried manually doing a washup in a sink? Ten times faster and a tenth the cost.

No way is it ten times faster. Even if you sit around watching it while it works.

I value my time.

We have a slimline for two of us, it's run slightly more than once a day.

I *tend* to look for the high performance ones when they are discounted in supermarkets, Which? seems to give them a slightly higher rating.

But TBH I've not noticed that these are significantly better than the basic Aldi/Lidl solid wrapped tablet.

We've had them from Makro many times. The do the 2 for 1 offers quite frequently.

SteveW

A few years back I worked out it saves about 40p per hour of labour. You can work for that if you want.

I trialled lots of tablet brands years ago and found zero difference between the most promoted and the barely reputable. So I just get the cheapest, which is Aldi, IIRC in the region of 5p a tab. Their occasional bulk pack offers are more expensive.

NT

I live in hard water area and put salt and rinseaid in the dishwasher. Used to use Finish all in one tablets but then thought "why?". Now use Sainsbury's basic tabs (solid, wrapped) and they give same results as the much more expensive Finish ones.

I use the cheapest I can find, currently using Tesco Everyday Value. I break them in two and use half unless the machine is particularly full of greasy stuff. I never add rise-aid or salt.

But you haven't told us the most important thing, your water hardness, I'm in Manchester, elsewher the above may not work too well.

Not so easy for SWMBO :(

Very very soft water (brum).

We buy powder in 5kg tubs!

If you wash up manually, you think more about what you use. In any case, washing up is more fun than watching telly, especially with a bottle or two of good cider at hand.

Cheers

I just get whatever the supermarket has on special - which is often exactly 50% off a big pack of tabs (an offer that seems to come around with some regularity and in fact just happened now, must order some).

I find that between the main brands that I trust (Fairy, Finish usually) they all work just as well - but I still run rinse aid in the machine as there's no way that can be effectively supplied by some of the fancy tabs whatever they claim.

I'm surprised it's as high as that!

Our rinse aid dispenser packed up a while ago ... cost of replacement far outweighs benefits ...

I find the Lidl or Aldi all in ones work well - and (of course) save on rinse aid and salt. Work at about 8p a tablet. They were on special over the weekend at Lidl - £2 for 40, not much use to you, but hey :-)

Unless they actually enjoy washing up, why would they?

I'd say considerably more inconvenient and time consuming, and very little in it cost wise.

Dishwashers are also considered more hygienic.

What benefits? Your water is soft. Have you fallen for the industry's lies?

Like this, it purports to give you the facts but stops short (other than by implication) of telling you not to waste your money.

The supermarkets are complicit too, the ones around here (Manchester) have the same range of softening and descaling products as (say) London.

not putting salt in the machine if it sees hard water is a real mistake. Ta blets do not in any way mitigate the water hardness issue.

NT

I have a feeling you could be right - even though the water is fairly soft (11.8mg/l calcium) I think there's more to it than that, and machine loaded salt's a good idea. Not sure why though.

We still salt the machine as advised at purchase. Doesn't need it very often.