Rinse Aid

A frequent conversation I have with clients and friends is how to make their dishwasher work better.  There is an often overlooked tip that I want to explore with you today.  Have you ever wondered what that other compartment in your dishwasher is for? It’s for rinse aid!

What is rinse aid? A rinse aid, or rinse agent, is a surfectant — which is just a fancy word meaning that it reduces the surface tension of the liquid it’s dissolved in. An even simpler way to put it: A rinse aid make the water wetter, more likely to spread out, and less likely to form droplets that turn into water spots. Rinse aid reduces the surface tension of water and prevents it from forming into drops, instead encouraging it to drain away from the surface in thin sheets. Then, spots from dissolved minerals left behind from evaporated drops are diminished. Bottom line-use it to get rid of water spots. Another reason to use a rinse aid? It makes your dishes dry faster, which is helpful if you’re skipping the heat cycle to save energy, or if you notice that your dishes are still wet when your heat cycle finishes.

Because of the minimal amount of water dishwashers are able to use as mandated by the government, there are a few settings to take advantage of that could give you better performance. Select High Temp Wash, Sani Rinse and Extra Dry. These 3 settings will add additional time to your cycle but will raise the temperature of the water allowing for faster drying, which is especially helpful with glassware and plastics.

Do you have any tips and tricks for getting the best out of your dishwasher? I’d love to hear! Email me at jessica@webbercoleman.com