Choosing the best detergent for your Bosch dishwasher.

In the basket? On the bottom floor of the dishwasher? If you just got a new dishwasher, or are switching from powder 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.

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.

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 budget-friendly and effective alternative to tabs is powder detergent. Adjust the dose to suit the load size, which is also gentler on the environment.

Nearly everyone can relate to this situation, right? As tempting as it is, avoid putting dish soap 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.

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. In areas with soft to slightly hard water, it might not be necessary.

Purchase Hard Water Test Strips in the Bosch accessories shop.

1. FINISH ® Powerball® Tabs: these include a presoaking agent, rinse aid, and detergent for a thorough clean.

2. FINISH ® Quantum®: this helps remove tough food residue. Quantum® tabs are similar to the Powerball® Tabs but contain an extra bleaching agent for whitening and enzymes to dissolve tough food residue.

3. FINISH ® Jet-Dry® Rinse Aid: assists the drying process by helping water droplets slide off dishware with ease.

4. FINISH ® Turbo-Dry® Rinse Aid: great for extra drying assistance with hard-to-dry items like plastics.

It’s best to store detergent in a dry location. Avoid storing detergent under the sink since moisture and humidity tends to accumulate in this location. This can make detergent ‘stale’ or less effective.