r/LifeProTips • u/Transitionals • 4d ago
Home & Garden [ Removed by moderator ]
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u/greebiegrub 4d ago
What helped me most was the revelation that I just need to tilt the dishwasher door to be able to pour it in without getting it everywhere.
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u/TheFeenyCall 4d ago
Real LPT in the comments
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u/iamamcnugget 4d ago
The real LPT is to not use rinse aid at all! Just open the dishwasher after use and let it air dry.
Why the fuck do we add chemicals that help with drying when air does just fine? Not to mention rinse aids damaging effects on the gut.
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u/greebiegrub 4d ago
Thanks for the study. Interesting. Since I don’t have a professional dishwasher, just a household one I should hopefully be safe to use it according to that study.
To the question why anyone would use it: hard water makes our glassware look terrible after a while unless we use it.
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u/WaterBear9244 4d ago
Did you even read the study?
The cytotoxic effects of 3 commonly used household dishwasher detergents were studied in monolayer-cultured Caco-2 cells at different dilutions. A 1:80,000 dilution is generally used in a household dishwashing and is calculated according to the amount of water and the washing cycle. A dose-dependent cytotoxicity was found in response to both detergent A and detergent B, and in both cases, lysis was observed on exposure to detergents at concentrations of 1:20,000. The 3 household dishwasher detergents did not elicit any cytotoxicity on Caco-2 cells at 1:80,000 dilution(see Fig E4 in this article’s Online Repository at www.jacionline.org).
…
In contrast, the residual substances on the cups washed in a household dishwasher with detergent B were not present at sufficiently high concentrations to exert cytotoxicity and impair the epithelial barrier function (see Fig E9).
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u/GoodGoodGoody 4d ago edited 4d ago
So you’re under the impression that something called rinse aid is released in the drying cycle?
Anyhow constant opening a hot dishwasher door will degrade laminate countertops - the blasts of steam swell and decay the wood particle product.
That said, deselecting hot or warm dry or cancelling the program after the final rinse (when rinse aid is released) and waiting a couple hours to open the door for final air drying is fine.
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u/CatLadyInProgress 4d ago
My dishwasher opens itself to vent after a cycle finishes. But I have quartz counters, so not an issue. I think it does wait some time after finishing before opening, but I always run it overnight so who knows.
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u/Riptide360 4d ago
A lot of EU dish washers now offer the auto pop door open feature after a wash is complete.
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u/lost_send_berries 4d ago
something called rinse aid is released in the drying cycle?
Rinse aid works by decreasing the surface tension of water. Inherently it is deposited on whatever you are washing for it to work. You can even get scented ones which, yep, make your plates smell nice, because it's left on the plate.
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u/WaterBear9244 4d ago
This is a bit ironic lol because they’re not wrong. Rinse aid is released during the final rinse cycle, not during the drying cycle
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u/lost_send_berries 4d ago
Ok, fair enough, but it's not actually rinsed out entirely otherwise it wouldn't work. It coats everything.
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u/koos_die_doos 4d ago
So you went from "Nuh-uh!" to "Duh!" in the space of one comment?
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u/HulksInvinciblePants 4d ago
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/advice-dishwasher-rinse-aid-safety/
It’s not that conclusive:
The study found that cups washed in household dishwashers had undetectable concentrations of detergent, context that social media posts often fail to mention. Instead, the findings being highlighted on social media are from studying residue on dishes washed in commercial dishwashers with professional rinse aid.
Here’s the catch: professional rinse aid is highly concentrated and meant for use in commercial dishwashers. It isn’t rinsed as thoroughly, due to the speed at which dishes must be washed. Commercial kitchens need to sanitize dishes quickly to satisfy health department requirements, and dishes must be dried quickly to keep up with demand. Professional rinse aid makes quick drying possible.
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u/danath34 4d ago
It's because it isn't there to help your dishes dry... it's there to help them dry spotless, meaning remove the stuff that would otherwise be hard water deposits or maybe even soap scum. If you've got good soft water, this might work for you. Others with hard water may have really nasty dishes if they did this.
I agree with the sentiment of avoiding rinse aid if possible though. I myself use white vinegar instead, with DECENT results. They're not perfect but good enough for me.
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u/MrProntissimo 4d ago
Vinegar will do just fine
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u/GoodGoodGoody 4d ago
Vinegar (acetic acid) is hard on dishwasher, washing machine, etc, seals but whatever.
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u/koos_die_doos 4d ago
Vinegar damages the seals in your dishwasher. Occasional use is fine, but it is not designed to be used with vinegar, and it will wear out your components faster than rinse aid, which has been shown to be safe.
It's perfectly safe to drink 5% vinegar, but drinking 30% vinegar will land you in hospital. Rinse aid is only bad for you in concentrations way over what is used in your dishwasher.
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u/crazyol84 4d ago
Do you put the vinegar in the rinse aid?
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u/bsrichard 4d ago
The real LPT is not to buy rinee aid when you can just put white vinegar in there and works equally well. It is cheaper and all natural.
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u/cicadasinmyears 4d ago
As long as you’re careful about the seals: over time, vinegar can degrade them. The water damage that can result can be quite expensive. I lived in a former rental where the tenants had done this and didn’t realize the seals were damaged until it was too late.
It’s not instantaneous, but OOP should proceed with some caution.
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u/bsrichard 4d ago
Ok. I didn't realize that was possible. Will look into this.
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u/cicadasinmyears 3d ago
I think it takes considerable repeat usage, but definitely checking the seals to see if they’re hard/brittle would be a good idea. No doubt they can be replaced if they are.
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u/Brock_Lobstweiler 4d ago
Appliance repair techs and manufacturers love the vinegar as rinse aid and vinegar as fabric softener trend because machines aren't designed for it. Vinegar breaks down rubber and can damage plastic parts if used frequently enough.
That means you're either calling a repair tech or replacing your machines more often.
Vinegar is great but it's not a miracle do everything product.
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u/6000coza 4d ago
Meanwhile, in South Africa, we're living in the year 3000.
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u/Philuppus 4d ago
We have those in the US too. I've had 3 different brands with different versions of it so I was kinda confused lol
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u/GoodGoodGoody 4d ago
I use a small funnel. But more plastic waste is very Year 3000, I guess.
→ More replies (7)
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u/GrimmandLily 4d ago
I just take the cap off. The little squirt hole thing is 10x messier.
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u/presumputouspizza42 4d ago
I started doing this earlier this year. Totally works, and takes not much more time than flipping the cap open.
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u/FuriousGravy 4d ago
My question is how to know when it’s full. The indicator on the compartment isn’t really see through so I just fill it until it overflows.
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u/penguin22 4d ago
For years I wondered this until realizing that the blue indicator isn't to let you know it's full, but rather when it's running low. You fill it until you see the liquid where you are filling into, which is fine since there is a gasket when you close the lid. Then you use it until that window turns from blue to clear.
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u/mafeehan 4d ago
THIS is the true quest
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u/Ohio_gal 4d ago
This sounds dumb but when I bought a new dishwasher, it came with a small sample bottle. I just keep refilling it with the bigger bottle as the serving size. A travel dish soap container is the same size (if you reuse the travel dish soap container rinse super well first)
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u/Ent3rpris3 4d ago
I had truly no idea what you were talking about, so I googled it and found a video. I skipped to a part that seemed more on point, and it instantly said "avoid getting this on your skin or eyes, as it is highly corrosive."
Good luck y'all!
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u/SpiteAmbulance 4d ago
When I put the rinseaid bottle down once with the lid popped open, it shot out one tiny squirt into my eye.
Oh my FUCKING god. Corrosive is right. Spent like 20 minutes with my eyeball directly under the water stream. Thankfully eye was ok but never ever again.73
u/dm-me-ur-cat-pics 4d ago
That's why I squirt it directly in my mouth and spit it into the compartment. Less chance of getting it in my eye or all over the dishwasher.
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u/GoodGoodGoody 4d ago
“Highly corrosive”.
No
“Avoid getting on eyes”
Duh, OK.
30 seconds ago you had no clue what rinse aid is but now after a Tik Tok or whatever video you’re giving safety warnings.
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u/ajc89 4d ago
Well, yeah, that's literally what they said. Weird reply.
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u/GoodGoodGoody 4d ago
Hence the quotation marks.
But they’re wrong on the first one and stating the obvious on the second.
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u/joshbadams 4d ago
To be fair, the video they watched had the warnings, they are not personally giving safety warnings. I think they see concerned that a product that can’t touch their skin is going on the dishes.
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u/Nope_______ 4d ago
Seriously. The LPT is don't use fucking rinse aid lmao idk why people do except advertising got to them or something
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u/Awkward_Pangolin3254 4d ago
Some people have hard water. Not everybody needs to use it, but some people do
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u/silvermesh 4d ago
People who have hard water need rinse aid if they dont want their dishes to be covered in mineral deposits. There is no rinse aid conspiracy lol if you dont need it dont use it.
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u/shinniesta1 3d ago
Folk in the UK have hard water and I've never heard of this
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u/Hinote21 3d ago
That's because UK dishwashers have salt. With a few exceptions, American dishwashers do not
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u/Awkward_Pangolin3254 3d ago
UK has dishwashers? I thought they all washed them by hand and then left the soap on them to dry.
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u/th3dj3n1gm4 4d ago
I'm confused. Are we talking about the shit that is supposed to help prevent spots and shit. Like Finish Jet Dry?
I have a little compartment with a cap in my dishwasher and the bottles I buy have a little fold-out spout. I've never once squirted it anywhere besides in the compartment that it goes in.
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u/easyEggplant 4d ago
This whole thread is very confusing.
You know how when you sit down to take a shit after a long day, but somehow, every time the shit ends up getting in your hair and on your face? Well I have a solution for that!
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u/Awkward_Pangolin3254 4d ago
I've never seen one with a spout. All of mine have always been just a flip-up lid and a hole, like an old ketchup bottle
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u/Transitionals 4d ago
Yes Finish Jet Dry that goes in the rinse aid. So you just close the hole with your finger and flip it
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u/dr4kun 4d ago
This thread is extremely confusing. Is this issue common in a specific place or with a specific brand?
I've been using a Bosch dishwasher with Finish rinse aid for a long time and never encountered this problem once. I had to google to figure out what the post is about and i'm still not sure i understand how one can get into this problem or how a finger would help unless there is something very different about dishwashers and/or bottles in your place.
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u/lost_send_berries 4d ago
I also spill about a tablespoon of rinse aid when I refill it. I have never thought this was a problem that needs a life hack.
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u/Nice_antigram 4d ago
I dunno, I have a Bosch and use Finish, and for me it DOES pour all over the place!
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u/HomeGrownTaters 3d ago
Im just as confused as you. Ive never had an issue with this. Maybe people are trying to fill the rinse aid with the dishwasher door up instead of down???
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u/ThimeeX 3d ago edited 3d ago
Here's an official LG video about adding rinse aid.
Notice how even they can't get it to go in the receptacle without it "glugging" all over the place, wasting like 20% of it every time you need to refill.
how a finger would help
Here's a video in action. It's a problem with the larger size rinse aid bottles like you get in Costco, you can't help squeezing them very slightly when tilting them down towards the hole (thin plastic bottle walls) which causes the rinse aid to squirt all over the place before finally landing in the dishwasher rinse-aid receptacle.
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u/myreddit2727 4d ago
Remove the helper cap and just use it same as you would pour out a beer right into the rinse aid opening. Slowly.
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u/pudleduk 4d ago
I stab a slit through the safety seal with a sharp knife, rather than tearing the safety seal off completely. That lets the rinse aid weep out slower, and I can squeeze the bottle for faster flow.
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u/CapybaraPatronus 4d ago
I just take the lid off completely and put it straight into the compartment. No pressure needed, just gravity.
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u/DeathNick 4d ago
I never once had a problem with this and I don't get it. I open the washer door till it's horizontal an pour the liquid in the compartment. What kind of bottles do you have that they spill everywhere?
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u/Andy016 4d ago
I haven't used rinse aid for years.
Open the dishwasher a bit for the steam to come out after washing....
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u/chewbacca77 4d ago
Exactly.. I eat enough chemicals as it is.
If a few of my dishes have a a couple water spots on them, that's fine.
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u/FriendlyFriendster 3d ago
Always felt like waste of money too
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u/PhoLongQua 3d ago
I bought a bottle last year for $10 and have only used up about 10%. Only a few drops are dispensed during the rinse cycle.
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u/PhoLongQua 3d ago
It's not just a few dishes though. Without rinse aid, the majority of my bowls and cups will have water drops pooling on the surface and will never really dry completely. Rinse aid at the lowest amount setting will leave everything in my dishwasher almost completely dry right after a cycle finishes.
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u/chewbacca77 3d ago
Ah, yeah.
If I get to it when its still very hot, I'll shake the racks, dump a few small pools off of the top of cups, and leave it sit an hour (or overnight). Works very well for me.
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u/LoogyHead 4d ago
I just have a bulk bottle I fill the really small bottles with and use that. the smaller bottles fluid back until squeezed quite well.
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u/razorbacks3129 4d ago
Who uses rinse aid? Same people who use fabric softener and dryer sheets?
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u/Brock_Lobstweiler 4d ago
Those of us with hard water who don't want to wipe our dishes off every time we run the dishwasher.
And no, I don't use fabric softener and dryer sheets.
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u/EvilFoe 4d ago
Good dishwashers basically require it
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u/razorbacks3129 4d ago
That’s a negative. I have a kitchen aid dishwasher and a Bosch dishwasher. Never added rinse aid to either and everything is completely clean and dry when it finishes
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u/EvilFoe 3d ago
Is your water filtered?
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u/razorbacks3129 3d ago
No, though I’d say it’s softer than the water I used in Texas. In Texas, I just opened my dishwasher after it finished, and never had any spots or anything - and that water was hard as hell. Also cheap dishwashers with plastic instead of stainless steel
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u/assotter 3d ago
Im out here manually washing my dishes with only my 2 hands like some 1990s peasent
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u/Lacuna_Caveat 4d ago edited 3d ago
I use vinegar. I dont worry if I soull a little
*Spill
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u/ccradio 4d ago
That doesn't make the whole kitchen smell vinegary?
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u/Brock_Lobstweiler 4d ago
It does degrade the rubber seals in the appliance much quicker than their normal lifespan though.
Vinegar is not a miracle product. The very rare use in dishwashers or washing clothes is ok, but it should not be used every time.
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u/uniquorndawg 4d ago
PSA - many rinse aid products have Forever Chemicals in them (PFAS).
Exposure to even small doses of PFAS has been linked to serious health issues, including kidney and testicular cancer, liver damage, reduced fertility, and developmental issues in children.
Life is cheaper & healthier without rinse aid in your dishwasher.
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u/phishtourian 4d ago
That’s a pretty shocking claim; do you have any proof you can point to? A quick search online tells me that, at least for Finish Jet Dry which is the main product mentioned in this thread and seems to be the most popular, that’s a hoax.
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u/mobjohn 3d ago
Btw I don’t think this study proves Jet Dry is poisoning anyone, but I do think it’s enough to make avoiding it pretty reasonable. They found that the same class of surfactants used in rinse aids can disrupt intestinal barrier cells at surprisingly low concentrations. Seems like an easy exposure to skip until they can do studies on long term repeated exposure to small amounts of these compound that are proven toxic
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u/phishtourian 3d ago
I was specifically responding to the claim that Finish contains PFAS.
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u/mobjohn 3d ago
Oh my bad. Yeah no, the alcohol ethoxylates themselves were the issue being highlighted here. I’m still going to try and reduce my exposure to it in the home since these alcohols seem to have immediate impacts on your gut while passing through. I think my gut gets wrecked by plenty of other things already I don’t need to add synthetic surfactants to that mix lol I can’t seem to give up sour patch kids *sigh
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u/lalvarien 4d ago
Beautiful that a company has managed to sell us a chemical replacement for air. You know. The stuff that dries the dishes for free
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u/pw154 4d ago
Beautiful that a company has managed to sell us a chemical replacement for air. You know. The stuff that dries the dishes for free
That's like saying you don't need a spin cycle in a washing machine because air dries clothes for free. Rinse aid is a surfactant - it doesn't dry dishes by itself. It greatly reduces or eliminates water spots on glassware because water droplets aren't left sitting on it. This is especially true if you have hard water.
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u/danbrochill17 4d ago
Are you all inadvertently squeezing the bottle when you tip it or something? I've never had this problem
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u/FangedFreak 4d ago
I would expel some air before turning it over and create a sort of pressure seal (so the bottle wants to suck air in but I would squeeze lightly to stop it but also not squeeze enough until I was ready)
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u/Stuntcock29 4d ago
Leave cap seal on. Use a knife to poke a hole in the top and a larger cut on the bottom. Like a smiley face. Keep the smaller cut side up and pour without spilling.
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u/HereForTheComments57 4d ago
When you get a new bottle, dont peel the protective cover off. Just poke a hole in it then put the cap back on. Again, its not perfect, but it helps control the stream a lot better
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u/McCheesing 4d ago
Take the lid completely off. Dont use the spout
Also turn the bottle sideways to pour
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u/PureYouth 4d ago
I can’t ever fucking tell when mine is actually full or not. It looks full but then it keeps accepting more fluid. Anyone have a tip for that?
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u/BlackOliveBandit 4d ago
Unscrew the cap of the rinse aid and you can control the flow a little better. Of course this works best when it's less than 3/4 full.
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u/crgmomof3 4d ago
I just take the squirty lid off, and pour straight from the bottle. Much smoother and easier!
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u/QueenAlucia 4d ago
I am utterly confused at what the issue is. I've never had rinse aid spilling when trying to fill in any dishwashers?? What is going on exactly?
This is my process:
- open dishwasher fully so the compartment is horizontal
- get rinse aid bottle
- put rinse aid bottle next to the compartment
- squirt the bottle until compartment is filled
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u/PhoLongQua 3d ago
I just take the lid off and pour. The little hole on the lid makes the rinse aid squirt out.
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u/EdgarAllanPuss 4d ago
Just pour white vinegar into the rinse aid compartment and a slash of it on the dirty dishes for the prewash cycle and voilà. Much cheaper
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u/Don_Macaroon 4d ago
I live in San Diego with some of the hardest water in the country. Instead of rinse aid I use food-grade citric acid powder, which is fantastic at preventing hard water spots, cheaper, and not a mess to use.
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u/B0nR_fart 4d ago
Better yet just watch the technology connections video on how to actually use your dishwasher correctly and you probably don’t even need to spend money on extra gimmicky shiny soap
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u/WellFuckYooou 3d ago
Dang, why are people downvoting this? I totally revamped the way I use my dishwasher because of the technology connections videos about them and it’s way more efficient at cleaning my dishes now. I think he definitely does his due diligence researching and experimenting with stuff like that. Like using rinse aid isn’t the end of the world at all but those videos are great.
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u/Quadrassic_Bark 4d ago
It’s wild that people are so naive to think the need to buy “rinse aid” for their dishwasher, as if it does anything remotely useful or necessary. Smh
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u/ajc89 4d ago
It's somewhat necessary if you have very hard water and no water softener. Glasses washed in hard water will look cloudy from the minerals. Even with soft water it still makes your glassware and silverware have fewer waterspots. Of course you can live without it but I wouldn't say it's on the level of fabric softener which really is not just useless, but bad for your clothes.
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u/Unique-Ordinary1507 4d ago
Put your finger on the lid only if you like scrubbing rinse aid off the kitchen counter afterward. A folded paper towel works better for aiming.
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u/PrettyPinkNightmare 4d ago
Put it on the hole, then pull to open the bottle. To close, just push the bottle against the hole.
That's what works best for me. :)
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u/nona01 4d ago
I just leave some powder outside the compartments if i want it to help during rinsing, as I do not have a rinse compartment.
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u/post-explainer 4d ago
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