Latest news with #dishwasher
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
I'm a dishwasher engineer – the models to buy and cost £10 per year even if you use them EVERY day
BOUGHT the wrong dishwasher? You'll soon know about it. Instead of sparkling dishes, you might end up with streaky glassware, sky-high bills, and a heap of dirty cutlery. Even worse, some models end up needing fixing every few months, leaving you out of pocket. We spoke to the testing expert at Which? and two leading UK engineers to find out which dishwashers come out sparkling, and which ones will leave you with a sink full of regrets. The Which? verdict Andrew Laughlin is the Which? dishwasher expert, which means he's well-versed in how poor they can be. He said: 'Buy a bad dishwasher and you'll end up having to fall back on washing up by hand, or you'll have to run the dishwasher again, wasting more time, energy and money.' Which? tests dozens of dishwashers every year at its in-house lab, running thousands of dirty plates, glasses, cups and cutlery through each machine. Its experts dirty a range of crockery and cutlery, then score how well the machine cleans, how dry everything is at the end, and whether it leaves watermarks behind. It also checks how easy each machine is to load and use, tests how often the filter needs cleaning, and measures the energy and water used on both auto and eco programmes. Energy and water use are then turned into running cost calculations. Dishwashers that perform well in cleaning, ease of use and efficiency can earn both Best Buy and Eco Buy status. An Eco Buy could save you more than £30 a year in energy. Mum issues urgent warning to 'check fire alarms now' as she shows devastating results of running her dishwasher at night Best buys Miele G 7191 SCVi AutoDos, £1,048, Which? Score: 82% This top-of-the-line fully integrated dishwasher boasts automatic detergent dosing, ComfortClose door, Miele@Home connectivity, and whisper-quiet operation at just 43dB. It's rated B for energy use, consuming just 0.64kWh and 8.4 litres per eco cycle, with annual energy and water costs of around £66. This means it's not only efficient, but long-term affordable. It's currently available for £1,048 at Appliance Centre – a discount of over £500 off the RRP. Which? verdict 'Flawless cleaning. Although the price tag will put a dent in your wallet, this high-quality Miele will put a lean, mean, cleaning machine in your kitchen. "If you want a premium integrated dishwasher, look no further.' Pros - Flawless cleaning Cons - Nothing of note Bosch SMS4EMW06G, £549, Which? Score: 80% This freestanding Bosch model balances performance and features at a mid-range price point. It includes Home Connect smart features, SpeedPerfect Plus for faster washes, and Extra Dry for added hygiene. Rated C for energy, it uses 0.79kWh and 9.5 litres per auto cycle – working out to annual running costs of around £69.23, according to Which?. Available to buy at Which? verdict "Lean, mean, dishwashing machine. Although its price is rather high, overall this Bosch dishwasher is worth the investment. "It combines Best Buy cleaning and drying, with simple usability and Eco Buy efficiency.' Pros - Good cleaning Cons - Noisy Best to avoid Hoover HDPH 2D1049W-80 – £249, test score 39% This slimline Hoover model is one of the cheapest on the market – and unfortunately, one of the worst performing too. Which? verdict 'Avoid. A bargain this is not. It fails to clean everything, leaving dried-on dirt on many dishes. "If it was wonderfully energy efficient, we might be able to excuse this, but it's not. "It actually uses more energy than most (doing what, we don't know). "Add on that it's noisy and tricky to use, and we have no option but to make it a Don't Buy.' Pros - It's cheap (and that's about it) Cons - Really bad at washing, inefficient with energy CDA CDI6242 – £455, test score 43% This integrated, full-sized dishwasher may seem affordable, but its low Which? score and serious performance flaws make it one to avoid. Which? verdict 'This dishwasher cleans and dries so poorly we've made it a Don't Buy. As such, it's one to avoid at all costs.' Pros - good energy and water efficiency Cons - poor cleaning, dismal drying, noisy Which? expert tips for using your dishwasher properly Don't rinse the plates – Most dishwasher programs pre-rinse your dishes, so you won't need to waste water (and money) by running them under the tap. Don't bother with the detergent dispenser – Logic dictates that the detergent dispenser will release your dishwasher tablet at the optimum moment during the wash cycle. But you can just chuck it straight into the body of your dishwasher and not sweat about it. It will still work. Don't skip maintenance – That means topping up your rinse aid and salt, regularly cleaning the filter, and periodically maintaining other aspects of the machine, such as the spray arms and door seals. You should also leave the door ajar after a cycle from time to time, as this will circulate air into your dishwasher, stopping the build up of mildew, mould and bacteria. Stack like a pro – Stack plates and flat items facing inwards so they are well covered by the spray jets, while pots, pans, deep bowls and other such items should face down. Make sure no large items are placed in a way that will block the spray arm. Anything that needs harder cleaning, such as baking trays or pots and pans, goes on the lower rack where the water pressure is higher whereas more delicate items, including glasses, mugs and cups, go on the upper rack. The same goes for plastic items and containers, as well as large utensils. Leave enough space between items for the water and detergent to spread around – alternating larger and smaller plates in the rack will help with this. Watch out for spoons 'nesting' in the cutlery basket – when this happens, there's no space for the water to circulate. To avoid this, place some facing upwards and some downwards. Make use of the adjustable racks – The upper racks on most modern dishwashers are usually adjustable, meaning you can lower the rack to accommodate taller items, such as a long-stemmed wine glass. The engineer's verdict Steve Neale, founder of repair business The London Spin Doctor, has seen the worst of and dishwashers and warns that buying cheap, usually means buying twice, and more quickly than you might think. He said: 'If you buy a dishwasher for £200, it's going to last you less than five years. "If you spend around 400, 500, you should have the machine for at least 10." When it comes to picking a good machine, he said brand is important, as is ease of repair. He said: "Every machine in the world is going to break, but you want one that's cheaply repairable. That's the key. "So, I always recommend Bosch machines simply because they're quiet. They're really well-built and they're always repairable.' Steve's brands to buy: Bosch Beko (best on a budget) Neff Siemens Steve's brands to avoid: Indesit Hoover Candy Hotpoint AEG When it comes to upkeep, Steve said that many of the callouts he gets could have been avoided with better use. He said: '90% of the dishwasher repairs that I do are down to user error rather than mechanical failure. "Which means basically they've they haven't scraped their plates. So, for example, sweetcorn, eggshell, fish bones, chicken bones. "You have to scrape them off your plates because the dishwasher can't break those things down.' He added that another common is blocking one or both of the spray arms, for instance by having a long spatula poking through the top. This stops the dishwasher from cleaning properly. Key features to look for in a dishwasher Rado Domev, CTO at appliance repair company Domex, said choosing the right dishwasher for your needs is not just about brand – it's about smart features and long-term usability. For instance, he tends to recommend models with higher capacity. He explained: 'Full size dishwashers could vary from 12 to 16 place setting. Higher capacity allows you to wash more dishes per cycle, saving water and electricity in the long run.'. His other must-have features include: Half Load Option: A half load setting offers great versatility. If you only have a few items, you can run a smaller, more efficient cycle, avoiding wasted water and energy. Separate Cutlery Tray: Dishwashers with a separate cutlery tray at the top often provide superior wash results for your silverware. Plus, it frees up valuable space in the bottom rack for larger pots and pans. Flood Protection: This is a crucial safety feature. Models with flood protection can prevent significant water damage to your property in case of a leak, offering peace of mind. What not to overspend on Rado warned not to obsess over efficiency ratings alone. He said: 'Don't let energy efficiency ratings be your sole focus. "While important, the real-world running cost difference between an A and B rated model might only be around £10 per year if used daily. "The upfront cost difference for a slightly more efficient model often doesn't justify this minimal annual saving.' He also recommended ditching models with limited wash programmes. He said: 'Avoid models with only 3 or 4 basic programs. "A poor choice of programs might force you to use longer, more intensive cycles for lightly soiled dishes, wasting time and resources. "Look for dishwashers with a variety of settings to match different cleaning needs.' Rado's top maintenance tips To ensure your dishwasher performs at its best and lasts longer, follow these maintenance tips: Always Use Dishwasher Salt: This is critical, regardless of the type of dishwasher tablet you use. Dishwashers require salt to regenerate their water softener resin, which prevents limescale buildup and ensures effective cleaning. Set Correct Water Hardness: Adjust your dishwasher's water hardness setting to match your local water supply. This optimises the performance of the detergent and softener. Regular Cleaning: Make it a habit to regularly clean the filters and degrease the appliance. This prevents blockages, maintains wash performance, and extends the life of your dishwasher. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Glitch made my 'smart' dishwasher order me enough tablets to last three YEARS: SALLY SORTS IT
My dishwasher is linked up to the internet, and I allowed it to monitor my usage and automatically reorder Finish dishwasher tablets when I was down to my last ten. The dishwasher is connected to the Finish app on my phone. However, when I ran low on tablets, the app ordered me a new delivery on four consecutive days. I only found this out when packets kept turning up on my doorstep. I now have about three years' supply for which I was automatically billed £45. I have complained, but two months on I've got nowhere. J.C., Ware, Herts. Rinsed: A reader's smart dishwasher ordered new packages of tablets on four consecutive days landing them with a £45 bill Sally Hamilton replies: I was intrigued by the concept of intelligent ordering. It sounds a great way of ensuring you never run out of dishwasher tablets. I'd find such a subscription service handy for other areas of domestic life such as loo rolls, though I'm not sure that many toilets are linked to the internet. I do know some people who use a similar service for the re-ordering of ink for printers and there are smart fridges that prompt owners when they are running out of essentials. The service you signed up to is called SmartFinish, which, as you described, tracks dishwasher usage and automatically sends out a new pack. Ideal, if it works. Customers need to own a Wi-Fi-enabled dishwasher to take advantage of such auto-reordering. The system is matched to the customer, so if you use the dishwasher more than usual, orders will turn up more frequently. Gremlins seemingly got into the re-ordering system in your case, landing you with a pile of unwanted tabs. When you initially complained, Finish said you must have made the additional orders yourself, which you said was laughable. Why would you order three years' worth of tabs over a few days? Scott Dixon of consumer service Complaints Resolver, suggests customers getting nowhere with an over delivery like yours quote section 25 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. He says: 'This says the business is responsible for collecting and refunding the excess items at no cost to the customer.' You asked Finish to do this but hit a brick wall. I contacted Reckitt, the consumer goods giant that owns Finish, to ask it to resolve your dishwasher tab mountain pronto. I didn't get anywhere at first so understood your frustration at the limited response to your complaint. But when I chased a couple of weeks later, it turned up the dial and soon Finish refunded your £45 and told you to keep the excess product. It said the problem was due to a 'technical issue' with the app, which was quickly resolved. When it asked if you wanted to continue the subscription, you politely declined. Scam Watch Drivers should beware a scam email that impersonates insurance company Admiral, consumer website Which? warns. The email claims that you have been selected to win a free 'car emergency kit' that includes tools and a hazard triangle. Scammers say to win the kit you need to answer a few questions by following the link on the email. Do not click on this link. It aims to steal your personal and financial information. Instead, report the email by forwarding it to report@ Rental car mix-up left me with £375 bill I booked a flight with EasyJet to arrive at Edinburgh on May 14, but in error reserved a rental car for pick up from Drivalia a day earlier. I realised my mistake on May 13 and phoned the firm but was advised to sort it out on arrival. When I arrived, I was issued with a second booking at a cost of £375 and received no refund for the first one. I realised later that I was charged again in the second booking for May 13. I even got charged a further £115 for a parking offence that took place on May 13, before I even got to Edinburgh. Please help. J.R., Hampshire. Sally Hamilton replies: Any holiday that involves a vehicle rental fills me with dread as the process seems designed to catch customers out, whether it's the extortionate price of excess insurance at the desk, high charges for extras such as satnavs and child seats or the tricky rules around whether the fuel tank should be returned full or not. Your experience highlights the costly risk of being tardy for picking up a rental car – even though you tried to correct the error in advance. We all make mistakes, and you were prepared to take it on the chin – up to a point. But to be charged twice for the rental is not fair. I asked Drivalia to reconsider, emailing both its chief executive and customer services. I heard nothing back from the former, but the latter requested you complete an online complaint form. In that process you respectfully asked for a refund of the first booking and the extra day charged on the second rental. They declined, though they did refund the parking ticket and admin fee. How kind. Hitting a roadblock with Drivalia, I approached EasyJet, since you had booked the hire from a link on its website. EasyJet told me that while the site enables customers to make such bookings, these are provided by third party partners. In your case, the Drivalia deal was found through EasyJet partner CarTrawler, a platform listing various hire options. I am pleased to say CarTrawler's response was at the speed and standard I would have liked to have seen from Drivalia – with no hesitation in offering you a full refund of both hire bills, a total of £446. A CarTrawler spokesman says: 'We were sorry to hear about J.R's experience. We understand booking errors can have a significant impact on travel plans, and we appreciate how frustrating this experience must have been. 'Although the original issue resulted from a date selection error, and the charges applied were in accordance with the car rental supplier's terms, a full refund of the original hire and additional rental costs has been arranged.' CarTrawler adds: 'We encourage all customers to carefully review the travel dates and rental terms outlined in their booking voucher. 'Should any problems arise at any stage, our dedicated customer care team is available 24/7 to support travellers before, during, or after their journey.' Straight to the point I have had a policy with home repair company HomeServe since 2021 and I have never claimed on it. Now we have a badly dripping tap in our shower – but it is refusing to repair it as it is in a shower. Dripping taps are covered in my policy documents. Please help. J.W., Lincolnshire. Homeserve apologises but says the policy includes a simple 'what is and what isn't covered' image which reveals showers and shower controls are not included. You can cancel your policy at any time. *** I retired in July 2024, and my final pension contribution and salary sacrifice of around £2,268 was paid by my company to Aegon. I tried to move it to my Sipp in September but found out Aegon has received the money but it had not been credited to my account. At the end of last year it gave me £250 as an apology but it still hasn't added the missing amount to my pension. Aegon still can't say when my complaint will be dealt with – even one year on. Please help. S.G., Hampshire. Aegon says the funds have now been applied to your plan and you have received a £300 goodwill gesture for the delay. *** My family and I make regular trips from Leeds to Malaga and sometimes buy food and drink on the plane. Since 2022, the payments have been card only. The menu is priced in euros so I pay with my Spanish bank account. But when I checked my bank account I was paying more than I thought, so a bottle of water cost €4.10 instead of €3.60. What's happening? E.V., Leeds. You were charged in pounds, without your knowledge, on flights to the UK from Spain where the 'local' currency was euros. You were subject to the airline's exchange rate and your bank would charge you to convert the pounds payment back to euros. The airline says you can choose to pay in euros.
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
The historic town drowning in sewage... and why YOUR area could be next thanks to Labour's new plans
There's a plumber connecting the dishwasher in Nick Robinson 's kitchen, plus a newly installed bespoke counter and a smell of fresh paint. After eight months, his Buckingham home is nearly ready for him to move back into. Yet memories of the sewage that spewed through drains outside and flooded his floors last November are not so easily fixed.
CNET
16-07-2025
- Health
- CNET
Why Coffee Stains Your Mugs and the Best Way to Get Rid of Them
Did you know that 73% of Americans drink coffee daily? After water, coffee and tea are two of the most popular drinks in the world. If you're one of the folks who finds it hard to start the day without a freshly brewed cup of joe (or tea), chances are you've seen a stained mug or two, regardless of whether you handwash yours or use the dishwasher. In my family, we have an ongoing joke about how my sister absolutely will not touch a mug with even the faintest coffee stain, even if the cup is clean and even if she's putting coffee back in it. That got me thinking: Why do coffee and tea stain mugs so easily, and why are those stains so hard to remove? To find out, I did some digging and found a handful of surprisingly effective ways to keep coffee mugs, thermoses and coffee pots looking spotless. Here's what I learned. For more stain-removing tips, learn how to remove stains from clothes, how to clean workout clothes and how to clean your running shoes. Why does coffee stain your cups and mugs? It's so frustrating to run your cups and mugs through the dishwater only to find they're still stained at the end of the cycle. Before you throw out that old cup, think of it as a learning opportunity to research why coffee has such powerful staining power. Coffee can stain cups and mugs due to the presence of compounds called tannins, a type of polyphenol that is naturally present in coffee beans. When coffee is brewed, tannins can adhere to the surface of cups or mugs, leading to brown staining over time. Boy_Anupong/Getty Images How to avoid coffee stains in your mugs The best offense is a good defense. To stop stains before they start, it's best to rinse a cup or mug right after use to prevent any stains from setting in. Additionally, coffee stains can be exacerbated by other factors, like the temperature of the coffee, since heat accelerates chemical reactions. The tannin compounds in the hot coffee will more strongly adhere to the cup material. Leaving the coffee in the cup or mug for an extended period also makes stains harder to remove since the tannins will set into the surface of the cup as the coffee cools down. The porosity of the cup material can also impact the likelihood of staining. The more porous the material, the more susceptible it is to absorbing liquids and staining. Plastic, earthenware and stone cups or mugs are generally considered more porous. I recommend purchasing high-quality stainless steel cups or mugs since they're non-porous, making stubborn stains unlikely. Regular cleaning of cups or mugs can help prevent coffee stains from ingraining into the material. Let's review some of the best methods for removing coffee stains. Five methods to remove coffee stains for good The following five methods should remove the coffee stains from your cups once and for all. (Or at least until the next time you drink coffee out of it, in which case, you'll need to repeat these steps.) Method one What you'll need: Baking soda and water. What to do: Create a paste by mixing equal parts baking soda and tap water. Apply the paste to the stained areas of the cup, scrub gently with a sponge or brush, then rinse thoroughly. Method two What you'll need: White vinegar. What to do: Soak the coffee-stained cup in a mixture of white vinegar and water for a few hours. After, scrub the stains with a sponge or brush, and then wash the cup with dish detergent to eliminate the sour vinegar taste and its pungent smell. solidcolours/Getty Images Method three What you'll need: Lemon juice and salt. What to do: Make a mixture of lemon juice and table salt. Gently rub this mixture over the stained areas and then rinse thoroughly. You will want to wash the cup or mug with dish detergent and water afterward to get rid of any lingering lemon taste or smell. Method four What you'll need: Baking soda and white vinegar. What to do: Sprinkle a few teaspoons of baking soda inside the cup or mug, gently pour in white vinegar and allow the mixture to fizz. Once it has fizzled out, scrub the stained areas with a sponge or brush and rinse thoroughly. fcafotodigital/Getty Images Method five What you'll need: Denture cleaning tablets. What to do: Denture tablets clean mugs just as well as they clean teeth. Fill the stained cup with warm water and drop in one denture cleaning tablet, making sure to add enough water to completely cover the coffee stains. Let it sit for a few hours, and then scrub and rinse as with the other methods. As with anything, a little effort and time will go a long way to making your cups and mugs shine. These tips will work on any drinkware material and can even be used for tea stains, too. Feel free to repeat any of the above processes as needed to get the stains out. For more cleaning tips, you can also check out how often you should clean your makeup brushes, and the best way to machine wash your sheets and bedding.
The Independent
14-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
10 best dishwasher tablets for sparkling clean glasses and crockery
If you don't have the time or energy to spend hours at the sink, a dishwasher can help you breeze through kitchen clean-ups. But what you use to clean your dishes is just as important as the appliance. Dishwashers need good dishwasher tablets for gleaming glasses and pristine pots and pans. Whether you're tackling baked-on pasta dishes or cloudy wine glasses, the best dishwasher tablets can make all the difference between a disappointing rinse and a showroom finish. But with so many options on the market, from all-in-one pods to plastic-free tablets, finding one that delivers can be tricky. Good dishwasher tablets combine powerful cleaning agents with rinse aid and salt, removing the need for extra products. They should also work well on short or eco cycles, and shouldn't leave behind a soapy film or chemical smell. To help separate the sparkling from the sub-par, we tested a wide range of dishwasher tablets to find options that performed well across different loads, from greasy baking trays to delicate glassware. How we tested Over the course of two weeks, I tested dishwasher tablets on a variety of loads in my kitchen. During testing, the tablets tackled everything from greasy roasting trays and plates covered in pasta sauce to wine glasses and cutlery. To keep things consistent, I stacked the dishwasher the same way each time and ran standard and eco cycles to see how each tablet handled different settings. I assessed these tablets on several criteria: Cleaning: the most basic metric, I ensured all of these tablets worked on tough, baked-on food like lasagna and tea stains. Dissolution: I needed all of these tabs to dissolve in every cycle; there are few things as annoying as leftover dishwasher tablet powder coating your dishes. Watermarks: I wanted glasses to come out sparkling, with no watermarks or residue. Eco credentials: Many dishwasher tablets contain phosphates that can pollute waterways. I looked for tablets free from phosphates and chlorine. Price per wash: Crucially, I wanted these tablets to be affordable, so I worked out the price per wash to see which tablets offer the best value. Why you can trust IndyBest reviews Zoe Griffin has been evaluating and reviewing products for IndyBest since 2021, testing a wide range of cleaning products, such as the best laundry detergents, stain removers, and fabric conditioners. Taking into account choices for all budgets, from supermarket own-brands to premium options, Zoe's reviews are always based on her genuine experiences through real-world testing. The best dishwasher tablets for 2025 are:
