One of the most common questions we get here at the Dishwasher Tabs support centre is "Can I put the dishwasher tabs in the bottom?" The short answer to this question is no. But why? Let's take a closer look.

A quick recap on how dishwashers work. First things first is the pre-wash, which is an initial burst of water that aims to get all of the dishes wet and get off that first layer of ‘stuff’. However, it doesn’t really tackle much of the actual cleaning of the dirt and grime. Then comes the main wash which is where the actual cleaning gets going and the detergent is released to work its magic (our Dishthings can your dishes sparkling with planet-positive ingredients and zero single-use plastic). The detergent drawer is usually near the top of the machine, so that it gets in contact with the water, high up + as quickly as possible and has the max time to dissolve and reach all of your dirty dishes.

With that in mind, there are a few reasons why you probably shouldn’t just whack a tab in the bottom of the machine and call it a day.

1. The tab might start to dissolve during the pre-wash (and end up being drained away before the main wash even begins)

2. The tab might dissolve right at the bottom and not reach the full bits of the washing machine.

3. The tab might end up reaching the bottom layer of the dishwasher, but not dissolving fully (leaving a juicy sludge on your dishes)

So… whilst it’s not going to do your machine any harm. It’s worth taking the extra couple of seconds to tuck it nicely into its dispenser.