Many of us run our trusty dishwashers day in and day out with our favorite plant and mineral-based detergent, never realizing there’s even more we can do to improve our dishwasher’s performance. Let’s try something. Open your dishwasher and take a look. Almost certainly, next to where the detergent goes there’s an additional small compartment. What’s it for? Meet rinse aid, your new favorite product.
Now, you may be thinking, what is rinse aid? Do I even need that? You’re probably not alone. To help you make the most of dish time and get even better-looking dishes, we’re breaking down how to use rinse aid, and why it’s a great addition to your dish doing repertoire.
What is Rinse Aid?
A rinse aid is what’s known as a surfactant, which means that it helps reduce the surface tension of a liquid, in this case, your dishwasher’s water. Fancy speak aside, what this means for us at home is that a rinse aid makes water less likely to stay put on surfaces and form into droplets, which in turn become those dreaded water spots we all know too well.
Should You Use Rinse Aid?
As we mentioned, rinse aid helps prevent water spots, especially if you have hard water. How many times have you pulled squeaky clean plates out of the dishwasher only to feel frustrated when you find them dotted with water spots? Rinse aid helps.
The other benefit of rinse aid is that since water doesn’t stick to your dishes as easily, they tend to dry quicker with the benefit of a rinse aid. If you’re regularly pulling still-wet dishes out of the dishwasher, give rinse aid a try to help your drying cycle do its job more effectively.
How to Use Rinse Aid
Now comes the easy part!
Start by choosing a rinse aid that helps prevent spots and film and delivers a brilliant shine. Our plant-based Free and Clear Rinse Aid is a USDA Certified Biobased Product 62% and uses no fragrances or dyes, so you can feel good using it with every load of dishes. It’s also designed to reduce dreaded water spots (and increase smiles).
Most dishwashers likely have a small compartment that automatically releases the rinse aid when the cycle moves into its final rinse. Just fill the compartment normally and close the lid. Let your machine do the hard work. When in doubt, follow your rinse aid’s usage instructions. If your dishwasher does not have a dispenser, consider investing in a rinse aid basket. Or even seek out a 2-in-1 detergent pod that contains both detergent and rinse aid.
See, we told you it was easy.
Now you can run your dishwasher with even more confidence that you’ll love the results each and every time.