The $11 Fix That Quietly Solved My Biggest Dishwasher Problem

Back in October, the decades-old dishwasher that came with our house finally broke down. Getting a brand new, stainless steel dishwasher that had never been used by anyone else was an upgrade only someone like me in their mid-30s would get excited about.

My husband did a ton of research before we chose what a lot of people on the internet called the best dishwasher out there, and I couldn’t wait to get it delivered and start using it.

But the first few uses were underwhelming, to say the least. Despite this being such a highly-rated and beloved dishwasher, all of our dishes were still coming out soaked in water when the cycle was over—clean, but soaked.

I knew my parents had gone through three dishwashers in the last 10 years, so my immediate thought was, “This is broken already.”

I mentioned this to my dad, and he asked me if we used a rinse aid. I said no—we used one of the fanciest dishwasher pods available, which claims to have a rinse aid in it.

And besides, what does a rinse aid have to do with wet dishes? I assumed rinse aids were solely for leaving dishes shiny and clean.

So my dad suggested, before calling anyone to look at the dishwasher, that we try adding a rinse aid. So I ordered a bottle of Finish Quantum Rinse Aid Jet Dry, and filled up the rinse aid compartment in the door of the dishwasher.

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Finish Quantum Rinse Aid Jet-Dry Ultra Ultimate Shine

We ran the dishwasher as normal that night, and in the morning, I was stunned—I opened the dishwasher, and aside from a few crevices in some of the dishes and glasses, everything in the dishwasher was completely dry.

The amount of rinse aid that fits into my dishwasher typically lasts about two to three weeks. And when it’s time to refill it, I can tell immediately—because I start to notice my dishes coming out of the dishwasher with more and more water on them.

How Does a Rinse Aid Work?

Rinse aid are surfactants, which work by reducing the ability of the items in your dishwasher to hold onto water. Without a rinse aid, water clings to your dishes and can leave streaks and water marks as a result.

By not letting the water accumulate as much in the first place, your dishes can dry much faster during the drying cycle.

While my dishwasher pods do have a rinse aid in them, the benefit of using a rinse aid on top of that is when it gets released. Because it’s in a separate compartment, it only gets released during the drying cycle, instead of all at once with the rest of the pod at the beginning of the wash cycle.

Other Tips for a More Effective Dishwasher

Using a rinse aid has been a real game-changer for me, but it’s not the only thing you can do to make your dishwasher work more effectively.

• Clean your dishwasher filter and arms every month. If the inside of your dishwasher is dirty, it can’t adequately clean your dishes.
• Scrape off food before loading. A lot of dishwasher detergent manufacturers claim their products can clean any food buildup, but scraping food off before you load your dishwasher can help prevent clogs, and makes the filter less dirty.
• Use the right dishwasher cycle. For regular daily loads, the regular cycle is probably all you need. If you’ve just hosted a big dinner party and used a lot of pots and pans, try using the heavy-duty setting.
• Load it correctly. Loading a dishwasher correctly and putting your items where they’re intended to go in the dishwasher will help ensure cleaner dishes.