Is it possible to wash dishes without rinse aid in the dishwasher?

In pursuit of saving money on their own budgets, dishwasher owners refuse to use dishwasher rinse aid, believing that only powder or tablets are enough. Are they doing the right thing? Or maybe it’s a mistake to use a dishwasher without rinse aid, which will lead not only to poor dishwashing, but also to equipment breakdown? It’s worth figuring out whether rinse aid is so important for PMM.

Main function of the rinse aid

Let's figure out how the rinse aid works inside the dishwasher. First, dirt is removed from the dishes by soaking in water and rinsing under high pressure. In this case, chemicals such as dissolving powder or tablets are introduced into the water, which is heated to a high temperature. Under the influence of these substances, the dirt dissolves and flows off. Poorly dissolved particles of detergent can remain on dishes and cutlery, and streaks from hard water often appear.

At this moment, the rinse aid comes into effect, which contains special additives that soften the water, weaken the tension of water molecules, and drops easily flow from the surface of objects, washing away all stains. Such products are safe for health and will not affect the taste in any way when eating. But the result of washing will please you; it is quite difficult to achieve such shine on cutlery and especially glass glasses by hand washing.

Thus, the rinse aid for PMM performs several important functions at once:

• neutralizes particles of alkali, acid and other chemicals contained in dishwashing products, be they gels, powders or tablets, washing them off the surfaces of objects and the dishwasher;
• eliminates all kinds of odors, grease residues and other dirt;
• prevents the formation of a limescale film and stains on glass, porcelain and metal utensils, giving it a pleasant shine;
• reduces the time at the drying stage;
• protects the inner surface of the dishwasher from limescale, and the heater from scale, which extends the life of the “home assistant”.

You shouldn’t give up the rinse aid, because it is no coincidence that dishwasher manufacturers have provided a special compartment for this product.

Yes, you can operate the equipment while washing dishes without rinse aid. But the quality of such washing will be very low. You will have to manually add shine to wine glasses and beer mugs by rubbing them with a soft kitchen towel, since you are unlikely to be satisfied with stains and water drips.

Choosing a quality rinse aid

There are a huge number of dishwasher rinse aids, among them you can choose the one that is right for you. This can be either the cheapest product or the most expensive. The main thing is that you are satisfied with the result of its use. Let's look at several rinses.

Cinderella

This product is suitable for all dishwashers, providing shine and freshness after drying. This product contains non-ionic surfactants, no more than 5%, acids no more than 15%, solvent and functional additive 5% each, the rest comes from purified water. A half-liter bottle of this product costs an average of $0.6, which is very attractive to buyers.Most housewives are satisfied with this rinse aid, noting not only the reasonable price, but also the quality of washing dishes. The consumption of the product is normal. Many users of this rinse aid, comparing it with the expensive Finish, do not notice any difference, so they prefer a cheaper product. You can easily find and buy it in online stores, whereas you may not find it in a regular store.

Clean & Fresh

Clean & Frash cares not only for the dishes, but also for the dishwasher. Removes all traces of detergents, fights stains, and also adds shine to dishes and cutlery. This rinse aid prevents the formation of crystalline deposits and extends the life of the “home assistant,” as the manufacturers assure. The cost of a 0.5 liter bottle of this product is $1. Unlike the previous product, it does not contain acids or solvents, but it does contain non-ionic surfactants up to 15%, preservatives and fragrance.

Consumers note that the product copes with its task very well. Despite the presence of fragrance, there is no smell left after it, however, there are those people who find the smell of the product unpleasant. Overall, the cleaning efficiency is excellent. The product consumption is similar to that of expensive products like Somat or Finish. Therefore, is it worth overpaying if the results from the rinse aid are the same, but the price differs by an order of magnitude?

Paclan Brileo

This product is intended not only to add shine to dishes, but also to protect the dishwasher from scale. Like previous rinses, it does not contain chlorine and phosphates. The composition contains only non-ionic surfactants and preservatives, there are no fragrances. The manufacturer indicates that the effectiveness of the product will be higher if it is used together with PMM powder and salt from Brileo.It is also worth noting that the product is convenient to dose, thanks to a special capsule on the cap. Its average cost is $1 per 500 ml.

Most reviews about this mouthwash are positive. People like the quality of the wash, and the price is quite reasonable. There are no streaks left, the dishes shine, and, as people write, there is practically no smell.

In general, whether to use dishwasher rinse aid or not is up to you. But is it worth giving up on it, because the market offers so many cheap and, at the same time, high-quality products. Aren't the nerves and time saved on carefully wiping away stains worth it?

1 reader comment

1. 10/15/2022 at 09:48

   Irina:

   Yes, without rinse aid there are stains on the glass and appliances. Horror. So I decided to save money, but I realized my mistake. After the first time I rinsed it manually, and after the second it was even worse. I'm going to buy it and read it again.

   Answer