Many customers report white residue or an unpleasant odor on their dishes after washing, or that their dishwasher deteriorates quickly after just 2-3 years. In reality, most of the cause lies in incorrect dishwasher usage. Let Largo Vietnam guide you through the most standard steps.
1. Preparing dishes before loading them into the machine
- Scrape large food scraps (bones, shrimp shells, paper towels, etc.) into the trash; there's NO need to rinse off oil and grease.
- Do not stack dishes on top of each other. The dirty side should face inward/downward for direct water spray contact.
- Place knives with the tip down or horizontally in a separate tray for safety.
- Light items (plastic containers, small bowls) should be placed on the upper rack to prevent them from being blown away by the water spray.
2. Three essential products
Modern dishwashers are designed to work with three standard European products:
- Dishwasher tablets (detergent): contain enzymes and surfactants to remove grease and oil.
- Dishwasher salt (regeneration salt): softens water and prevents limescale buildup in the machine's water softener unit.
- Rinse aid: helps dishes dry quickly, without water spots or streaks.
These are not "upgrades" but rather minimum requirements to protect your machine. Lack of salt leads to limescale buildup on the heating element, damaging the machine over time. Lack of rinse aid results in wet dishes with white spots.
You can purchase the complete set at a discounted price at Combo 3 Largo savings – including a box of Classic tablets (60 tablets) + 2kg salt + 1 liter rinse aid.
3. Correct usage of each product
3.1. Dishwasher tablets
- Place 1 tablet in the detergent dispenser on the door (DO NOT unwrap it, do not place it in the cutlery basket).
- Close the dispenser tightly so the tablet is only released at the correct cycle.
3.2. Dishwasher salt
- Open the salt compartment cap at the bottom of the machine (near the lower spray arm).
- Fill the compartment with salt up to the brim; for the first use, add a little water to activate it.
- Refill when the salt indicator light on the control panel illuminates.
To ensure effectiveness, choose specialized pure salt like Largo German Dishwasher Salt 2kg – large granules, no impurities, won't clog pipes.
3.3. Rinse aid
- Pour into the rinse aid dispenser right next to the detergent dispenser.
- Adjust the dispensing level (usually 3-4 on a scale of 1-6) depending on water hardness.
- Use Largo Rinse Aid 1 liter for fast drying and sparkling clean results – especially for glassware.
4. Choosing the right wash program
| Program | When to use | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Eco / Auto | Daily wash, saves electricity and water | 2-3 hours |
| Intensive 70°C | Heavily soiled dishes, frying pans | 2-2.5 hours |
| Quick / Fast | Lightly soiled dishes, when you need them fast | 30-60 minutes |
| Glass / Delicate | Glassware, fragile items | 1.5-2 hours |
5. Mistakes to avoid
- Using regular dish soap → creates excessive foam, damages the machine.
- Putting wooden items, carbon steel knives, old non-stick pans in the machine → damages the items.
- Skipping salt because "my water is soft" → salt is still needed for the ion exchange system to function.
- Machine maintenance every 6 months: clean filters, wipe rubber gaskets, run self-clean program.
6. Conclusion
A dishwasher is an investment of tens of millions, so stop "saving" in the wrong places. Investing correctly in the 3 standard accessories – detergent tablets + salt + rinse aid – is the cheapest way to protect your machine and save electricity and water in the long run.
Order the complete German standard set at: Combo 3 Largo savings – only 555,000 VND.