Hand placing a dishwasher tablet in the detergent compartment inside the dishwasher door.
A dishwasher tablet goes in the detergent compartment.

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.

A package of Finish dishwasher tablets on the countertop of a modern kitchen.
Powerful all-in-one dishwasher tablets from Finish.

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.

An open package of dishwasher tablets lying on its side. Tablets falling out on a countertop.

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.

Dishwasher tabs, liquid dishwasher detergent and powder detergent on a light surface.
Choose from different detergent options: tablets, liquid or powder.

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.

The upper part of a Bosch dishwasher, showing the control panel with different programmes.
Only use dishwasher detergent in your dishwasher.

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.

An open package of dishwasher tablets on its side with tablets tumbling out onto the worktop.
All-in-one tablets are enough in moderately soft water areas.

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

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.

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