How to use an Ikea dishwasher

In order for the PMM to work for a long time without failures or breakdowns, it is important to follow the basic operating rules. Negligence can lead to premature failure of the dishwasher. We’ll figure out how to use the equipment and what care recommendations must be followed.

Prepare your equipment for use

The instructions for the equipment will help you understand how to use an Ikea dishwasher. The manual covers absolutely all the important points: how to connect the device to communications, how to start the first cycle, what programs are stored in memory. It is important to follow all manufacturer's recommendations.

It is better to invite a professional to connect the dishwasher. A specialist will install the device and connect it to the water supply and sewerage system. After this, you can start using the PMM.

The first PMM cycle should be idle, with detergent, but without dishes in the working chamber.

During the factory assembly process, the dishwasher elements become dirty. Oil, other technical fluids, dust and dirt remain on the parts. Therefore, the first cycle is started empty in order to wash the “insides” of the machine.

The second task of the idle cycle is to check the machine’s functionality. It is necessary to observe how the PMM will carry out each of the stages of the program. See if there are any leaks, if the water heats up, and how the waste liquid is drained. If everything goes well, then you can use the dishwasher to its full potential.

After a successful first test cycle, you can start a second one, this time with dishes.Cutlery is laid out in baskets, salt is poured into a special container, and detergent is loaded into another tray. Next, the PMM door closes tightly and the desired washing program is activated.

Purpose of PMM baskets

You also need to lay out the dishes inside the machine according to the instructions. If plates and mugs are not securely secured, they may break or crack in the process. By placing the products close to each other, it will not be possible to achieve high quality washing. Therefore, it is important to arrange the cutlery correctly.

The upper basket is designed to accommodate small items:

• saucer;
• mugs;
• glasses;
• gravy boats;
• bowl;
• glasses.

The bottom of the upper tray is equipped with small pins; there are separate sections there. This allows you to secure small dishes. Ikea dishwashers have separate holders for glasses.

The lower basket is designed for large items:

• bowls;
• plates;
• salad bowls;
• bowls;
• frying pan;
• pots;
• stewpans;
• nastier.

Water is sprayed onto the dishes located in the lower tray from all sides. This ensures better cleaning of products. Pots and stewpans must be placed upside down.

Ikea dishwashers also have a tray for forks, spoons and knives. This is a separate removable container that is placed above the main baskets. Thus, there are three levels in the working chamber for placing cutlery.

Place dishes in baskets

Everything is clear about the purpose of the baskets, but how exactly to place the dishes in them? And there are certain rules here. Let's look at the main recommendations.

Firstly, be sure to remove any pieces of food from the dishes. Before loading into the machine, wipe heavily soiled appliances with a damp cloth or sponge.The better the items are cleaned, the safer it is for the PMM. Small debris, such as fruit pits, tea bags, and toothpicks, can easily clog the dishwasher drain system.

Be sure to secure all the dishes in the baskets so that during the program the mugs, saucers and plates do not fall under the pressure of the water.

Secondly, dishes should not be placed close to each other. Be sure to leave space - this way the quality of the wash will be higher. If there are too many dirty items, it is better to divide them into several cycles rather than overload the dishwasher.

If, on the contrary, there are very few dishes, do not worry. This will not affect the operation of the machine. You will need to select the half load mode. The dishwasher will use less water, kilowatts and detergent.

Cleaner dishes (mugs, small saucers, glasses) are placed in the upper basket. Dirty, bulky items can only be placed in the lower tray. This will ensure proper cleaning quality.

Nuances of bookmarking individual items

There are also subtleties in the process of arranging dishes in baskets. For example, which side should the plates be placed on, should the mugs be turned over. Let's look into the nuances.

• Mugs and glasses are placed in the upper basket. The products should be turned upside down and placed at an angle. The wine glasses are fixed on special holders. This way, the water will flow freely during the washing process and not linger in the dishes.
• Small diameter plates can also be placed on top. Bowls, sauce bowls, tureens are turned over and fixed with a slight inclination.
• Plates of large diameter are placed in the lower tray, vertically, so that the front part “looks” towards the center of the basket. The larger the product, the closer to the edge it should be placed.
• Pots, saucepans, frying pans, baking sheets are placed in the lower basket, bottom up. Their handles should not interfere with other utensils. The lids from them are placed vertically, along the edges of the tray.
• Spoons, forks and knives, as already mentioned, are loaded horizontally into a separate upper container. Some PMM models have a special basket, then they are placed vertically. You need to arrange the devices in a mixed pattern so that they do not cover each other.
• Other utensils (ladles, masher, garlic press, whisks, frying spatulas) can be placed horizontally in both the lower and upper baskets. Kitchen boards are placed from below, vertically.

It is important to remember that not all dishes are allowed to be loaded into the PMM. Do not machine wash wood or cast iron items. Some types of plastic should also not be placed in the dishwasher.

What means does PMM use?

Another important point is the use of detergents. For dishwashers, you need to buy special household chemicals. Regular dish gels are very foamy, so they can cause equipment failure.

For normal operation of the dishwasher, salt and a special detergent are required.

Many housewives also prefer to use dish rinse aid. It is not necessary to use it, but if you want, then purchase the product. It is poured into a separate compartment.

Salt for PMM softens hard water, preventing the formation of scale and limescale on the internal parts of the device, as well as the appearance of stains on dishes. Many dishwasher models have a special indicator that lights up when the salt crystals in the ion exchanger run out.

The detergent removes grease and dirt on dishes.You can purchase special tablets for PMM, gel, or opt for powder
(this is the most budget option).

Many housewives prefer to use dishwasher tablets. There are several advantages of this particular form of the product.

• Easy to use. Using tablets, it is impossible to make a mistake with the dosage. One capsule is designed to fully load the dishwasher. When loading powder or gel, it is easy to overfill or underfill the product.
• Versatility. 3 in 1 tablets contain cleaning ingredients, salt, and rinse aid. One capsule can replace three products.
• Convenience. It is much easier to store such a product than the same powder for PMM.

There are also 5 in 1 tablets on sale. Their composition is richer, they contain enzymes that improve the quality of washing. They also contain components that give the dishes extra shine.

Among the disadvantages of tablets is their higher cost compared to gels or powders for PMM. Also, the capsule cannot be divided when the dishwasher is half loaded. Visually, they also look like candy, and in a house where there are small children, the product will have to be safely hidden from the kids.

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