Detergent
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Active ingredients
Damage caused by using unsuit-
able detergents.
Detergents that are not suitable for
domestic dishwashers can cause
damage to the dishwasher or to the
load.
Only use detergents formulated for
domestic dishwashers.
Modern detergents contain various act-
ive ingredients, the most important of
which are:
– Water softening complexing agents
to prevent calcification.
– Alkalis to aid removal of dried-on
soiling.
– Enzymes to break down starch and
loosen protein.
– Oxygen-based bleaching agents to
remove coloured stains (e.g. tea, cof-
fee, tomato sauce).
Most dishwasher detergents are mildly
alkaline and contain enzymes and oxy-
gen-based bleaching agents.
There are different types of detergent:
– Powder and liquid gel detergents.
These detergents allow you to adjust
the amount dispensed according to
the size of the load and level of soil-
ing.
– Tab detergents. These are suitable for
most levels of soiling.
As well as the usual detergents, com-
bination products are also available.
These contain rinse aid and water
softener (dishwasher salt).
Only use these combination detergents
for the water hardness levels recom-
mended by the manufacturer on the
packaging.
The cleaning and drying performance of
these combination detergents can vary
greatly.
For optimum cleaning and drying res-
ults, use dishwasher detergent and
add salt and rinse aid separately.