To get to the bottom of things, the first thing to determine is whether the tabs are leaving the dispenser or not. If you’re finding your tab undissolved at the bottom of your machine, then skip further down this blog.

I’M FINDING MY TAB IN THE DISPENSER

1) A STICKY SITUATION

If there’s some moisture from a previous wash in your tab dispenser, the coating of the tab can start dissolving in the dispenser itself, causing it to get sticky and end up stuck. If it’s stuck, it won’t be released into the machine where the water is, and won’t dissolve. Quick fix for this: just pop your tab in the bottom of the machine at the start (like you would with a laundry pod). It’ll work just as well, without a sticky middle man.n.

2) OVERFILLING THE MACHINE

Sometimes, an overfilled machine can result in your plates pushing against the  on the door of the dispenser and stopping it from opening. Like with the sticky situation above, the best fix for this is to just pop it on the floor of the machine instead.

I’M FINDING MY TAB AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MACHINE

1) NOT-SO-HOT THINGS

Your water will need to be a certain temperature to be able to dissolve the tabs fully. But just because you set the machine to a certain temperature, doesn’t mean that that’s the exact temp it’s washing at. If it’s very cold outside, the water may not warm enough to dissolve the tab quickly during the cycle. It might be worth trying a slightly warmer temperature than usual if it’s a chilly day or you’re doing a short wash!

2) CLOGGED OR BROKEN SPINNING ARMS

The spinning arms distribute the water through the machine. If they’re clogged, then not enough water will be passing through the machine to dissolve the tabs. It’s worth taking them out and giving them a rinse in the sink to check water is flowing freely. Or if they’re not able to spin then get an engineer to take a look.

3) CIRCULATION PUMP NOT CIRCULATING

The circulation pump moves water from the bottom of your machine up to the top and back down again. If the pump isn’t circulating, ( a really common fault in a dishwasher) you’ll need to get an engineer to take a look at it.

4) INLET VALVE ISSUES

The inlet valve is how water gets into your dishwasher, so if it isn’t working properly then there won’t be enough water to dissolve the tablet. To check if this is the case, open your machine 2-3 minutes into the cycle and see if there’s water at the bottom of the machine.

If any of these are the culprit then you’ll also find that your dishes aren’t getting properly rinsed!

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Tabs still not dissolving? Fire us over an email to hello@gethomethings.com