Dishwasher

[I'mTildy]

I just moved and got all new appliances from Sears. I have a Kenmore dishwasher and have had problems with it not getting things clean. I've experimented with the soap. Now there is a white film on everything. I can't get through on the hotline number and the local store refuses to help. Any suggestions?

[AlleyKat]

For the hard water residue, you almost always have to use a rinse agent, one brand name is Jet Dry. If I ran out of this, I would sometimes substitute vinegar in the dispenser. As far as not getting the dishes clean, I always made sure there was no left on food before I put them in, because I hate baked on food

[butterfly]

I've always gotten my appliances from Sears and never had a problem. I use the cascade powder in it. And I agree with Alleycat, I soak and rinse off the dishes with a brush first - I think of the dishwasher as the thing that sanitizes them. I know some people put the dishes in really covered with stuff, but it is too easy for something to be stuck on that way. Good luck!

[I'mTildy]

I make sure that there is very little food on the dishes. I use a rinse agent that they gave me when I purchased the appliance. The problem is a black spatula will come out with white film on it. Clear glass also has a film. Teacups might be brown inside. I've tried using one single packet of the prepacked dishsoap like they provided and it didn't seem to be enough. Using liquid detergent and filling both dispensers seems to be too much. Do they honestly expect us to stand around and know exactly when to apply vinegar and how much? Sigh, I've had dishwashers for 20 years and never had this happen before. I am so busy that handwashing is too time consuming.

[khaleas]

Does the manual have any suggestions on detergent? Mine says to only use powdered kind (not the tablets or liquid). You really don't need very much detergent, maybe a table spoon or a tablespoon and a half of high quality kind.
Have you made sure that none of the hoses are kinked and that it gets enough water (dont know if your heats the water or uses hot water from them line).

[countrycook]

I have lots of mineral deposts in my water-we have a well,I use white vinegar in everything and it's a big help. I use straight white vinegar for the rinse part. I keep playing around with detergents, for a while one will do great and then I'll hav to switch to another. Good luck.

[grmpookie]

I used to have the milky film on my clear glassware, I think I was using too much detergent. I started using Cascade X-tra Action, premeasured detergent packets with Dawn liquid. I really like these packets and have not seen any film since using them, I just put one in the soap holder and turn it on. My dishwasher is a convertable-portable and I have to push it to my sink and hook it up.
grmpookie, Indiana

[Queenbrea]

I've found that Cascade complete is really the only dish soap that really got the dishes clean and shiny. Try putting a cup or more of vinegar in a bowl, right side up on the top rack, and running a wash cycle, too. That's what the dishwasher repairman told us to do for hardwater, etc.

[calligraphygirl]

Ok - I know this is a little late, but I had to share what I recently learned. I went to an intensive 2-week training to become an appliance sales associate, and I learned that 1) most people use way too much detergent--you only need about a teaspoon of liquid Cascade in each cup (prewash and regular); and 2) DO NOT rinse your dishes! If the enzymes in the detergent have nothing to grab (food particles) on the dishes, they actually start "etching" and eating away at your dishes, so just scrape off the big food particles, but don't rinse! Yea! We've all been liberated -- now we can do other things with the time we used to rinse all those dishes! Hope this helps!

P.S. If you have a front-loading washing machine, only use about one tablespoon--that's right--only ONE TABLESPOON of liquid detergent (I use Tide) and believe it or not, your clothes will come out clean!!!!