A remake‽ Yep, and sorry for any feelings of déjà vu! It's my hope that this new version of the video combines more useful information into less time - and I put things in order of importance. While I really hate the stinkin' pods, there's no denying that the market is nearly All Pods All The Time so I put the information that can help anyone up front and held my angst until later. But I really hope that more people challenge their dishwashers! It was designed to wash dishes for you, and most of them do it quite well! A better understanding of _what_ they're doing and when can, I think, lead you to discover the best practices for your machine.
"the market is nearly All Pods All The Time" I have to disagree. There is plenty of powder and liquid detergent available at every store I've ever been to (including today!)
yea man, thanks for reminding me that everyone born after 2000 are just fully incapable of being respectful. SO much toxic space rented out in their heads.. sad for real.. Literally saying "skill issue" unironically, is, a skill issue.
"If you're not having problem's with your dishwasher ... you're probably not watching this" Man, I don't even have a dishwasher, this is just good content
@@Django45 I have camping sized one which I'm happy with. It doesn't fit much and cleans not as good as a full size one but still much better than washing yourself
He made me buy one, I'm serious. lol I live in country where one out of a thousand house has one. Even rich people don't buy it, and let a house cleaner do it, they just don't know how good they are, better than any human can clean.
Put this on before bed in hopes it would be boring and I could sleep to it. However, it is now 2am and I am chock-full of knowledge and a newfound appreciation for my dishwasher. Great video!
I've been a powder user forever, but after your last run of videos on dishwashers I started buying the cheap stuff and using less of it. You know what happened? My dishes are still clean and I spend less to get them there! That warms the heck out of my frugal mid-western heart!
Pods are nothing but forcing consumers to use more soap than is needed. Same reason clothes detergents come with ginormous scoops. Check your manual and you'll see how little soap you're actually supposed to use.
I have only found the powder in grocery stores on the bottom shelf in my area. Usually a no-name or store brand. Dollar store as well. Costco has stopped selling it all together. I use eco-strips for laundry, you can tear them into half pieces as needed and work great!
I used to be a "handwash only" guy, because I was ignorant of how the magic box in my kitchen worked - but your original video showed me the light. Now I throw everything in the dishwasher, buy the cheapest powder, and everything comes out perfect with only 10% of the effort. Unironically life changing advice here people.
When I got married in 1983 we first lived in an apartment without a dishwasher so we hand washed for five years. Then we bought a house with a 1952 kitchen and no dishwasher. We finally gutted the kitchen and most of the house in 2010 and installed new plumbing and electricity and finally had a new Bosch dishwasher! My wife never used it. I did use the dishwasher but she preferred hand washing everything. She died of cancer in 2023 at age 62 and never used a dishwasher in our almost 40 years of marriage. I continue to use the dishwasher and will use these tips.
He does mention loading in things face down, but I see so many disagree on that when it comes to silverware. I firmly belive it should to down because A: it gets clean anyway. B: You won't make it dirty again when you take them out as you grab it with your hand. And C: I reduces the changes of injury, especially for children
@@Kyderra He means face down as in the dirty side of plates and bowls toward the washer. For silverware which stands mostly upright it really doesn't matter.
I'm a service technician for a major appliance manufacturer whose name rhymes with... Smosh... and I always recommend powder to customers over pods and liquids. For the very same reasons listed in this video. Chiefly, most people's dishes really aren't that dirty and the pods are, as Alec mentioned, pre measured amounts of detergent that is usually nuclear overkill for dishes that aren't especially dirty. Over time you end up with detergent clinging to your dishes and your dishwasher and can even hurt washability with all the excess detergent foaming up and preventing the pump from pulling water efficiently. "But Smosh recommends Finish pods it's right there on the door" they say, and as Alec did in one of the previous videos, I point out the two companies have a comarketing agreement. I use powder myself and my 10 year old dishwasher looks brand new, as do my dishes. And if you have a water softener built into your dishwasher, use it! You paid for it, it costs extra. Use it. Thanks for all the dishwasher content, it's been very reaffirming for me as a tech - "that's what I've been saying!" Hope lots of people watch this and take the advice.
How come Smosh dishwashers don’t have a heating element at the bottom? Not that I’m complaining but mine doesn’t and now I don’t worry about my partner melting containers anymore… 🫠
Not sure why Alec didn’t recommend breaking powder tabs instead of using two. That’s way too much. I use finish tabs, break the sides off for prewash and the “power ball” goes in the dispenser. But even that is too much. I can often taste/small dishwasher soap residue in my glassware, no matter what. I have a sensitive nose and I’ve just learned to hand wash my glassware. A few points to disagree with Alec on: Finish tabs do not completely dissolve, I’ve found blue particles can build up. That is rinse aid and depending on your water you likely don’t need to add additional rinse aid. I use a little vinegar instead to try to neutralize the residual soap.
@@Ivan-ks1ix don't know if he mentions this in the video or not because I haven't got to the end yet but white vinegar works much better than rinse aid
@M9_Prime I think he may have briefly mentioned it in the video, but they use a heater built into the wash pump that heats the water as it passes through the pump, as opposed to the traditional heating element at the bottom of the tank. It's relying on the concept of "condensation drying" and why some form of rinse agent is especially helpful compared to a dishwasher with the traditional heating element and heated air dry cycle.
OMG! I never knew half of these things. I’m 62 years old and read all owners manuals to every appliance I’ve ever owned! I’ve shared this video with my kids and next I’m putting it on my Facebook page so my extended family and friends can benefit. I watch a lot of TH-cam videos, and this one gets my best video EVER!
"together, they're the length of a feature film, and you don't have time for that" jokes on you, I watched both videos several times because I thoroughly enjoy dishwasher lore
The dishwasher movie is like one of my favorite things to listen to as background noise as well. Can't believe a dishwasher lecture could be so soothing.
I have a cheap dishwasher. The kind with only one sprayer. I was going to replace it because it never gets anything clean. Well, followed your instructions and now I use half the soap AND get clean dishes. Running the hot water first was a game changer. So, I figured I owed you $10. Thanks for helping me keep a perfectly fine dishwasher out of the landfill.
I have the same kind and the same problem. This comment has helped me feel like there is still hope. Well the video and this comment together have given me hope. Thank you!!
Switch to glass food storage. Pyrex has great deals on their site and it's made in the USA. It also washes better. I hardly use any soap now. I wonder if it has to do with how glass holds heat. Ever put a glass bowl in the microwave???
Your original videos on this seriously helped my depression. I started doing “depression loads” and not pre washing my dishes before loading and throwing in extra detergent for the pre wash that I wasn’t doing before. And I’ve gotten into the habit of cleaning out the filter every time I unload. The dishes used to be my wall of “can’t” and not it’s not. I can’t thank you enough.
@@dorianthegray (especially since I have a portable washer -- I long for a video on these, as I do know mine does not deal as well with particular as a "real" dishwasher, but)
I can relate as well. I get severe anxiety over doing the dishes. Even had a literal full-scale flashback from it once. The dishwasher was already my favorite appliance in the house. And now I can use it even more effectively and do even less of the "doing dishes" that I dread so much! Thank you Alec! And thank you kimeebug for sharing your story.
If someone bet me $100 that I would wake up this morning and watch an entire interesting 30-minute video on the proper functionality of dishwashers, I would be out $100. Great video 👍🏻
"I'm very sorry for what you are about to find. It will be unpleasant!" That was an understatement lol. I can't believe I've never thought to clean my filter as I am an engineer who works with pumps every day... I even watched the last two dishwasher videos. Thank you!
My mother should watch these vids. She firmly believes dishwashers will run up her water bill and refuses to use it and so she hand washes everything instead with continuously running water.
Home Economics should be a part of school curriculum. It should include, but not limited to, basic car maintenance, basic HVAC maintenance, Toilet & Plumbing, Dish Washer, Cloth Washer, Dryer, and Mold & Insect Control, Basic Electrical. Just saying. It would not provide an average Joe knowledge for their homes and save $$ & environment at the same time. Too bad that today's school wants to keep people as blissfully ignorant as possible so that they can make $$$ off of you on basic basic maintenance services.
@@marzoval9551 this hurts me 😭 there's literally zero upside, only downsides, water, energy, and time spent Definitely an unfortunate part of being human that "well that's what I was taught and therefore your new facts are wrong and I'll now believe my own ideas even more strongly" is such a proven phenomenon for us. At least wasting one's time and a relatively small amount of water and energy to hand-wash the dishes is far from the worst example of that phenomenon.
@@lapprentice "school got rid of home ec classes teaching women how to do household chores and auto repair classes (which, BTW, is still a thing in many schools) because they want to make sure professional tradesmen make more money" is a hilarious take I completely agree with you otherwise. We should be teaching those things. It's almost surely not because people working in education have an obsession with getting more HVAC company revenue, though.
@@lapprentice lmao it's not some conspiracy. Academia is white collar, it's a cultural bubble, that's why every teacher just tells you to go to school to get a "good job" the administrator is even worse, since they're the ones who actually make money how is home-ec gonna get more for their students into ivy leagues so they can get more prestige/funding.
I bought an expensive dishwasher due to your advocacy (it has a crazy capacity/compactness with 3 drawers, small for cutlery) and 3 sprayers. If the information they provide for them is correct, both the extra space and the more efficient systems should be a saving over its warranty period, though electricity is pricy here. The other tradeoff is longer cycle lengths for the maximum economy. I had never used a dishwasher, and was reliant on your explaination and advice. Shortly after the birth of my son I became disabled and my wife would spend over an hour at night doing dishes and getting only 4 hours sleep. Your videos were life changing for our family. You have saved us hundreds of hours labour far in excess of the expense of operating it. Thank you.
See if you have time of use rates and use the delay function to run it in the dead of night. Clean dishes first thing in the morning! I'm in Europe so YMMV but I have a simple two-rate system, with electricity being about 60% cheaper(!) between 9pm and 7am. Definitely worth it to overnight anything you can. This leads to an interesting effect where you can hear all your neighbors in an apartment building starting their washing machines at 9pm on the dot.
@@estrheagen4160Excellent advice. I'm in Europe too and we do this with our washing machine too. If we had a dishwasher at the moment, I'd time it so it finishes just before we wake up though, because I love opening it when it's still hot and letting the water evaporate.
In Australia and other parts of the world, the huge uptake in solar means that the electricity during the day is becoming cheaper than at night. It is becoming more common for people to start up appliances before going to work in the morning: dishwasher, slow cooker etc.
For those of us looking back .. 1. Check for and Clean Filters 2. Run kitchen tap until hot before starting dishwasher 3. Use the detergent dispenser and close its door (also put some detergent in pre-wash!) 4. Try a basic/ cheap detergent (powder or gel jug) Also, make sure your dishwasher is actually hooked up to the hot tap your sink is hooked to.
I want to cry from joy. I did the math, and I owe you 90 literal days of my life with the time you will save me. No more washing dishes before loading the dishwasher!! My 1-sprayer, cheap-landlord, old appliance does the job, now that I know how to use it. I'm forever grateful. 💕💕
I'm happy for you. 👍 I would not use the rinse helper, even if it's not a scam, because of the health implications. Lots of things like that are worse for us than we realize. And ingesting the stuff from cups, plates, and silverware is probably worse than being exposed to it from shampoo.
Alec is one of the few people that can talk for hours on dishwashers, lava lamps, pinball machines and VCRs and you not only sit there fascinated but you’re enjoying every minute (or hours and hours) of the videos. Keep up the good work!
Just wanted to leave a comment to say this video literally changed my life. I was raised to treat the dishwasher as solely a sanitation device. I would scrub and struggle with dishes until they were spotless before putting them in the dishwasher. This ended up leaving me exhausted and having to rerinse the white powdery spots off of everything after it was done. I eventually just stopped using it Your video taught me that i was drastically overworking for worse results. I stopped prescrubbing and now my dishes end up coming out cleaner 😂 Thank you so much for this video❤
Central Floridian here, my dishes always come out still wet unless I leave the dishwasher overnight, even then there's no guarantee the dishes will be dry. The worst is plastic Tupperware. I'm trying to slowly replace the crap with glass Pyrex because I don't know what it is, but I could leave the clean dishwasher for a week, open it up and all of the plastic stuff is covered in water while the ceramic and glassware is nice and dry. Plasticware is even a pain to towel dry because I can wipe it down with a fresh dry towel and it still feels damp afterwards.
To be fair, a lot of the tips to using a device effectively and efficiently, _is just plain logic._ However, the successful inculcation of 'believe our hype' and 'you need even more convenience' over-rides the application of _reasoning,_ in the vaaaaaast majority of consumers. 🙄
Every dishwasher episode makes me more excited for the inevitable sequel: Your washing machine is better than you think (tips, tricks, and why 3 minutes can last for 15)
@@julianbello8376 Purex. There is a podcast with Malcom Gladwell (I think, I’ll see if I can find it) where they did an experiment and they spoke to machine manufacturers about best practices. I don’t remember if there was a machine or brand recommendation, but the overall take away was that modern washing machines are made to be efficient and so I soap. So use cold water and less soap, and Purex was the best soap.
YOU, sir, were the reason I bought a dishwasher for my house. My hand arthritis-soaring days were over! We didn't buy a dishwasher before, because on our parents house, the dishwashers were more of a headaching thing than proper kitchen-helper appliance. I saw your first video, I made my wife watch, I started my mind-bogging teary eyes mode, I cryed for help for 2/3 weeks, I made my wife so sick of hearing it and she finally cracked, and let me buy a dishwasher. At first she was doubting the results 'You really think a random nerdy-guy from TH-cam is right about dishwasher?'... But then, no more dirty dishes coming out of that dishwasher (unless I forget to clean that filter... oops) Recently, as in, last week, we went on vacation, and my mother-in-law was putting dishes in the dishwasher, and even rising out would leave the dishes dirty. She is obnoxious on the powder, she still uses those pods, and everytime I talk about powder she goes: 'companies made such an effort in creating these pods, so they must surely work!' And they never do.... 'And it's...' (--clearly not--) '...the dishwashers fault!'. I love to not have to pre-rinse the plates, I love how simple it is to load the dishwasher and how things turn out to be. PS: when I bought the dishwasher, I made sure to be energy-efficient, and to have a pre-wash compartment (in my case, it has a slope on top of the wash compartiment lid). As a result of this, every wash takes about 2/3kwh in ECO Mode, 5Litters of water and 10grams of powder. Pretty neat! And as a Plus, on ECO mode, about 20min from finishing, it automatically pops the door to a specific angle, so the dishes/utensils are correctly dry when it ends the cycle! Thank you for all the tips! Kudos from Portugal ;)
Oh, pods do work as intended all right! They look flashy and make idiots - sorry, ignorant consumers - buy them ...for triple the cost of cheap powder.
He has hinted on this in one of the full length dishwasher video's, in a snarky comment about washing powder existing. My eyes have been peeled ever since!
I switched to dish powder a few years ago after watching your previous video, and I couldn't be happier. Less packaging waste, perfectly clean dishes and I've saved a couple hundred Canadian dollars on powder vs. tabs over this time. Thank you @TechnologyConnections for saving me hundreds of dollars, which I can now spend on Super Thanks.
He should hire people and do labs like LTT does to test and rank different appliances. Honestly we all use them, and with his explaining and attention to daily-life details it would be soo good to have reliable source of information.
Being "the internet's weird appliance guy who can also do proper research, scripting and editing" is what earns him the badge of honor for me. Because god knows there are a lot of other "appliance folks" out there who make factually shallow content that brings as much joy as having a root canal done.
It is in my book. I’m preaching Alec’s Advice to my peers that’s for sure. Most of them would probably never watch any of his videos, but his knowledge is spread via proxy around here. I always refer to Alec when someone asks how I know this simple but yet alluding knowledge, in the hopes of racking some new subs. But In the end, I’m happy to spread the knowledge.
Wow!! Wish I had found you much earlier. I have the same brand of dishwasher you do (tho mine is a 2012 version) & my friend has a one year old top of the line (Miele) and we were both having trouble with "stuff" left mainly in/on our glasses. Cleaned the dishwashers with special cleaners, tore mine apart and cleaned the filters, the garbage thingy, cleaned ALL of the pipes to and from the dishwasher (even the garbage disposals)....all to no avail. Aha!! Hot water, cheap detergent and a rinse aide. We love you!!! Sandy in Lincoln, Nebraska and Judy in Jefferson City, MO.
You also didn't hear all the mis-takes he left on the cutting room floor. And, disappointingly, there was no blooper section at the end, where we usually get to see a few of them.
My mother once used Dawn dish soap in our first dish-washer. It will forever be a fond childhood memory. The whole kitchen filled up with suds and we moved armloads to the bathtub to remove water.
That the floor got clean as the suds slowly advanced over the rest of the floor is the unanticipated bonus I discovered. It's like scrubbing bubbles for your floor once you mopped it all up.
i work in an appliance store and i can’t tell you how much more helpful this video is for actually educating customers, as opposed to the brand endorsed training videos we’re supposed to watch.
@@TrueLady-m9v It is. What are you trying to do? Don't use them simultaneously, they will neutralize each other and you will be left with nothing but sparkly salt water.
@@TrueLady-m9v Ideally, as mentioned in the video at 20:40, you would use a dishwasher cleaning product or citric acid powder for this purpose. When using these products, I believe it would help to switch to an Express or Eco mode for the cycle so it doesn't all get drained out after the pre-wash phase of a standard cycle; I haven't personally tried this because I do not have a dishwasher in my current apartment.
I agree. It is amazing. And the comments (5400 after only 2 days!) are also so lovely. I'm so pleased for Alec. I've been watching his channel since the beginning.
when the original video came out i was on the verge of replacing my dishwasher since it was under preforming compared to just hand washing my dishes, i watched the video as part of a 3am TH-cam rabbit hole and im glad i did because i tried out a few of the ideas the next day and it turned out saving me from needlessly going out to replace my admittedly improperly operated dishwasher. no joke you saved me so much hassle with a single video thank you
But parents don't know it. These videos remind me of Australia's state TV educational programming unit in the 80's and 90's. It's high praise, as they were known for practical content with high production values.
I was thinking the same thing while watching this! Until recently I was a teacher, and I always wished I could add a class period to the day for stuff like this and how to make a good phone call or write an email that's actually well written and communicative.
If by "life-preparation course" you mean Home Economics... Those classes were got rid of because society saw them as only for training housewives, thus misogynistic. Never mind that EVERY adult needs to know how to feed themselves (plan meals to avoid waste, grocery shop wi$ely, cook & properly STORE food), clothe themselves ($hop wi$ely, wear what looks good on them, properly launder and MEND to help clothes last, and possibly sew), shelter themselves (find and CARE FOR a house/apartment), transport themselves (buy & care for a car or find other viable options), fund any needed education, find a JOB (apply & interview), properly manage that paycheck (aka, BUDGET & balance accounts) and PAY BILL$. Everybody forgets the "Ec" is for ECONOMICS. We became "ashamed" of being frugal, as it admitted that we were NOT all "temporarily embarrassed millionaires". If the last 20 years or so has taught us nothing else, Adulting 101 is VERY needed.
This video should be broadcast as a PSA. I feel like 90% of people with a dishwasher could learn how to get the most performance out of their machine and save some money too.
@@Anon-y4wThis is the compressed version, hah. I think the first videos done on this were just upwards of 5 hours? Unsure on that number, but it’s definitely around there.
@@IceWolfLoki That reminds me of the licence agreement with a forced arbitration clause printed on the box of LG refrigerators. The issue there was that the box would usually be taken away by the delivery crew and people had no idea they "agreed" to those terms and conditions.
Per your previous dishwasher videos we switched from pods to powder, and it made a HUGE difference. My wife was ready to buy a new one, but now we're completely happy.
This guy really is the informative parent type we all need. So many appliances just aren't explained enough so we just get frustrated when they don't work the way we think they should. Actually having someone explain HOW it all works is beyond helpful and will save us all so much headache, time and money. One of my favorite phrases "Happy is the man that knows WHY.".
A dishwasher feature I'll never want to live without again: Automatically opening door when finished. That was a game changer for me. No more needing to pay attention to when the machine is done so I can open the door while it's still toasty inside to help the last moisture to evaporate. Just start and forget, it'll sort itself out.
Agree! My machine (in Germany, from Neff) has the weird limitation of only doing this in the Eco programme without modified options. As soon as you choose a different programme or add an option to Eco, the door will stay shut. :(
Especially handy, when you are about to leave for 2-5 days and forgot to put on your dishwasher. With classic, 'non self-opening' one you come back to very unpleasant smell... or just leave dirty dishes to further rot. With self opening doors - there is no dilemma.
Make sure to warn your visitors about it, though. My current dishwasher has that option (and somehows counts the drying time with the door open as part of the wash cycle), and someone visiting was doing something on the kitchentop when the door opened; it was a guy of the right height just in the perfect position.
WOT. I’ve never heard of this witchcraft and would be in awe of your dark wizardry. Really you shouldn’t have said anything, you could’ve gotten a new follower of your magic with a simpleton like me, I’m willing to do the cleaning and promise not to go all Mickey Mouse on your mops
Everything about this channel is awesome! Teaching about topics relevant to everyday life. Profound, condensed info, great speaking, no bs, down to earth but high standards. Keep it going!
@@springpurse Oh yeah I don't miss a single video. I'm almost convinced to buy a dishwasher, and he helped me choose my AC by understanding how it works.
your videos on dishwashers have literally changed my life. That sounds exaggerated, but unfortunately it is true. I used to spend hours a week cleaning dishes just to put them in a dishwasher for them to get washed again! My house is so much cleaner not having to spend all my time washing dishes but letting the dishwasher do all the work and now I can instead focus on cleaning the rest of my house with my time! Thanks!!!
I was a repair technician for 12 years. This is a great explanation of everything and very helpful. I'm even going to show it to my wife seems how she doesn't want to listen to me when I try to explain this stuff to her.
I'm an appliance technician, absolutely adore your videos. This one is close to home. I give a rapid-fire paraphrasing of these tips at least a couple times a week.
Thanks for this video. I'm the main “dishwasher person” in my house, and I thought I knew it all, but this video has given me lots of try --- starting with cleaning those filters, which I've been neglecting.
I’ve tried sending your videos to my parents because their coffee mugs keep coming out dirty and they just won’t see the light. They insist on a certain brand of the pods. So when I’m there and doing the dishes, I throw a cheaper gel pod in the tub and put their favorite pod in the dispenser and suddenly their mugs are cleaner. I also do a citric acid clean every week or so because their water is hard. You’re changing lives, man.
Dishwashers in Germany have a compartment that you fill with a special salt (usually only every couple of months) which then descales the water automatically. You then don't have to use acid to clean the machine and also glassware for example comes out very shiny without any stains.
@@strohmy9863Well that is not exactly true and yet not harmfully untrue so to speak: 1) Dishwashers with water softeners are not special to Germany. 2) Salt is not special and is not softening water itself. It's just pure salt without whiteners(well not always), iodide or antigranulation additives. It's more pure than your kitchen salt. 3) softening is done by ionex capsule full of small granules Granules in capsule inside the dishwasher are refreshed few times in cycle by salt dissolved in water. It's not a rocket science really. However you might damage softening capsules if you forget to add salt into it annually or you not disable softener prior use all in one agents. Not all dishwashers have reliable signalling for missing salt. It's good to check it vusyally from time to time.
You helped me understand Xmas lights, pinball machines, water heaters, heat pumps, freezers and now dishwashers. This content is very helpful to virtually anybody who watches it. Thank you!
TC: May I interest you in 2 videos about dishwashers? What about a compressed version? Maybe a video about coffee percolators, or perhaps one about drip machines? How about many about different lighting devices? Perhaps a video about boiling water? Or maybe 2 videos on appliances from decades ago that are far superior to their modern counterparts? Me: All of the above
I got my current dishwasher for free from my neighbor, they thought their dishwasher wasn't the best anymore and bought a new one. Never had a problem with it thanks to these videos. :)
I got a NICE Whirlpool Gold dishwasher for free from a programmer at work. His wife suddenly decided their kitchen was "outdated" after just 9.5 years, and everything *_had_* to go and needed remodeled again. Yeah, must be nice being ignorant with money LOL?? _edit:_ goober spelling error
Husbands should learn all of this, too! Mine could listen to my dishwasher lore a little more! My mother won a dishwasher in about 1950 or so, meaning my house had one for my entire life. I learned a few things about dishwashers, but I'm not afraid to learn even more from these great modern videos.
Thanks for redoing this! Ive recommended your initial videos many times but i think this shorter version will increase their chances of actually watching.
Showed my gf 10m vid from another channel, she quickly lost interest. She couldnt believe i watched over an hour on what should be 5mins. Big items on the bottom, small and fragile on top. Pack cutlery randomly. Run hot water b4 starting. Go cheap, and just add some powder for first rinse.
One of the things I've noticed in switching to powder -- not to mention using the minimum amount of powder I can get away with - is that it has resulted in dishes that are every bit as clean as pods can make them and doesn't leave an invisible residue of soap on the dishes that you can smell and even taste in your food. That has been by far the best advice I've gotten from this series of videos. Thank you for reminding me that newer, more, and more convenient are not always equivalent to better.
@@deus_ex_machina_ i still had residue with rinse aid but lowered the amount of detergent after watching his last video and it went away. for laundry/dishes, i always liked filling up the soap to the max as a kid and just continued that until his vid
I legitimately changed my dishwashing behavior based on your first set of videos. I started running my kitchen sink until the water was hot, I switched from pods to powder detergent for the main wash, and liquid detergent for the prewash, and I've been very happy with the results. Glad to see a more accessible update for people who aren't about to watch an hour long video about dishwashers (plus another ~hour long Connextras video)!
I find that the best use of that water is to just wash our hands after loading. This helps to avoid wasting water, and helps us to avoid forgetting to purge cold water. Settings can be chosen before step 1, if the machine allows it.
We don't have powder available in the whole country, used liquid ones for both prewash and the wash. Results: better but still worse than licking the plate clean.
@@brewtalityk if we make it bro, a beer for you is on me for getting that far. Remind me ten years from now. Edit: IDGAF if we live on separate continents. If we make it that far and it's within my means, i will video call you, send you the funds, and say cheers with my own drink in celebration. Hopefully the housing crisis or climate change doesn't kill is first.
I work as a grocery picker at Walmart, and after three months there, I finally got my first order with powdered dish soap. When I went an picked it from the shelf, I really wished I had a "Technology Connections Approved" sticker I could slap on the box.
😂 I always get powder. I've always considered the pods as kind of a scam. I tried gel after his first video and went directly back to powder. The powder is on the bottom shelf, but I must not be the only one in my area buying it because there's a couple options at least. Perhaps I'm the only millennial though🤷🏻♀️
That's awesome! (your sticker idea, that is.) I'm a little surprised, and a tiny bit sad, that so many people buy the pods that it took three whole months before you had an order of powdered dish soap. I always thought the ordinary powdered dish soap was the standard default, and pods were only for people who were bad with money.
Me and my parents are constantly arguing about different dishwasher programs and techniques, and on few occasions I said something along: "I've literally watched hours of dishwasher videos, I know what I'm doing"
The real secret is that you don't need any of the programs. I've never seen a dishwasher where you couldn't just press power and it'd run whatever the default 30-45 minute program is and it worked perfectly regardless of what is inside. Not even sure why they have programs or buttons beyond a single one.
I can't believe this was suggested to me and I'm watching the whole thing...and, I FINALLY KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY WASH DISHES IN THE DISHWASHER. I love how serious of a tone this is...how technical it is. This is the level of detail we need things explained. Well done.
when the original video came out i set out to buy myself a dishwasher. i was mid 20's and had handwashed my whole life and it was honestly the worst chore ever. i had my first child with a second on the way so i knew the amount of dishes would only increase. i managed to find a portable one for really cheap and i fixed it myself. to this day it still works and is hands down the only purchase i have never ever regretted even a tiny bit. i love that thing and its coming with me every where i ever move too. all because of these great videos, they're awesome.
Two years ago I replaced my broken dishwasher with a Kitchen Aid very similar to the one TC appears to be using. It took about 3 weeks of hand washing to convince me to cough up the money for it. I was amazed at how much time the machine saves me. I'm completely satisfied with the Kitchen Aid dishwasher. Parts are readily available, because it is made in America by Whirlpool. And thanks to TC, I am using liquid detergent in the pre-rinse, which makes everything squeaky clean despite the hard well water. I never have to clean the filter because I do a quick hand rinse in the sink to remove large stuff.
For whatever reason I cried a little in the end watching this. Not that because it makes my dishwasher works spectacularly (that has been rectified in the last dishwasher video), but because so much effort was put into a single, seemingly mundane topic. Compound that with a concise, arguably perfect script writing, plus the right dash of humor, this video has made me extraordinarily happy. That or perhaps I'm just in a moody mood today. In any case, I wish one day I have the tenacity and ability to explain topics like Alec does. You'll always be my hero.
Hundreds of thousands, millions? of people will watch this video and either start using dishwashers or use less detergent. That's a lot of water and chemicals no longer being used.
Sounds like you had one of your period days, and I don't mean that negatively at all. I'm a guy and I definitely have my period from time to time. Not that I bleed down there (thankfully), but I do have my emotional days, so that's what I call em. I think it's nothing to feel ashamed about anyway, just like women should never have to feel ashamed for anything related to their (actual) periods. I sometimes experience what you experience. So whether you're a guy or a gal, I think it's just one of those days we're more emotional than usual!
I have an eighteen yr old machine, of a basic brand, use a cheap detergent, and never wash with hot water. (Granted - some of my methods would be inconvenient for many people, but I'll throw them up here anyway.) I still get properly washed clothing, etc, by doing this: (BONUS - my water bill is microscopic.) 1. _Use Space._ Overloading is really bad. If the garment load is not swishing about with some decent action, it's not being washed. 2. As Alec says for dishwashers, _Clean The Filter._ Mine is a simple gauze bag which hangs above the rim of the barrel. I just check it after any load of towels, or after every 2 to 3 regular wash loads. It's never allowed to even half full with lint/fibres. 3. _Dissolve Detergent First._ Any time the machine is washing, while the detergent isn't thoroughly spread through the load, is wasted time/energy. As the machine is filling, I throw my liquid detergent into a small bucket of hot water, then into the machine. I do this after the machine is about half full. If thrown in at the start, before the water and load has gone in, half the bucketful of rich detergent would be in the tank _below_ the barrel, rather than distributed through the load. 4. _Use Time._ (This takes a little planning.) A. For extra dirty items etc that won't necessarily come out stain-free with a regular wash, fill the machine to about ⅓ water level, but with the full-load amount of detergent. Throw the extra dirty items in and just leave them to soak overnight. Next day, add any extra items, and start a regular wash as normal. B. Dissolve 20-30 grams of specific 'prewash soaker' / ’stain remover’ / 'whitener' / 'sanitiser' in a bucket of lukewarm water. For items I want _really_ clean, like dish-towels stained with sauces, wine, meat juices, etc, from cooking, chuck them in this soaking bucket. Next day, dump the entire bucket of items with soak water, in the machine, with any extra load, and regular detergent measure, for a regular wash. _Why not do this in the machine, like for A.?_ Those whiteners/soakers are so high in salts, that any metal components not of high quality stainless steel, will soon leave rust marks on the garments, etc. Years ago, I learnt this little lesson the hard way. 5. _Pump TLC._ (My 'manual greywater system' will be prohibitively inconvenient for just about everyone. 😒, but what the hey...) I have a stack of buckets in my laundry. As the wash load is pumped out, I actually remove the hose from the sink outlet, drop it in a bucket at floor level, and catch most of the water. This way, the pump isn't working against gravity, 2 to 3 times per load! Wash water gets thrown over the lawn. First rinse water is good for the garden beds, car washing, etc. 2nd/final rinse water goes into same buckets, which stack neatly beside machine. This water either supplies most of wash cycle of next load, or used to flush the adjacent toilet. _Because as a great thinker once observed, using drinking-quality water to flush turds, is pretty much insane._ Rough calculation of water charges saved: $400-500/year. ($600 down to $150) 6. _Clean Machine._ Once a year, I do full load of hot water with a litre or two of el-cheapo white vinegar. Helps get most residual gunk from soap or whatever, out of internals. When I saw some residue on clothes _after_ this, I repeated but swapped vinegar for half litre of bleach. (Normally I never touch this horrible stuff.) Needless to say, this water does not get thrown on yard/gardens!
@@assininecomment1630it is insane to use drinking water to flush toilets, we should come up with better systems with all the water shortages that go on. Especially out west in the U.S.
Thanks for the great video! European here, using moderately hard water in 6+ year old Siemens dishwasher that came with the apartment I bought (so it might as well be 10-15 years old). Two more tips that were not mentioned: 1. If the dishwasher has a salt based water softener, go check out if the dishwasher has a water hardness setting. My wife was ready to throw the dishwasher out the window as there was always a thin grease film left on the dishes, especially plastic ones. I was lucky to find the manual of a similar enough dishwasher and realized the thing was set to the softest setting! After setting it correctly (checked the water hardness both via city's water supplier site and with a free sample water hardness strip) and it's like we have a new dishwasher. Oh and the filter at the bottom is also went from a greasy mess to almost not needing cleaning. 1*. Avoid exaggerating with the hardness setting as the salt is corrosive and a too high setting will use it up incredibly fast. 2. Avoid putting narrow dishes (like tall soda glasses) at the corners of the racks!
@@jurajvariny6034Different water distribution models. Recently visited my local water treatment facility for work and it was fascinating. Potable water treatment plants sometimes control hardness content. One crazy fact - I live 45 miles from Chicago but have their water via underground distribution network. That said there are many Americans who draw from underground reservoirs, good or bad and this water is inspected for content (usually yearly). Family home was hard water (lots of CaCO2) from the geology so the softening unit was whole house to bring it back within usable range. For the wealthy home owners, it is usually a whole-house water softener.
Not sure about the whole "salt is corrosive" argument. Salt is only here to regenerate the water-softening resin. What is corrosive is the water that is softened.
@@haventyetbegun I've picked this info up from somewhere... I only remember the advise saying that thr salt container should only be refilled right before a washing as spilled salt sitting around the interior of the dishwasher will be corrosive.
Video suggestion: portable countertop dishwashers. A lot of people living in apartments don’t know about these, or underestimate them, but mine works surprisingly well. Mine has no door for detergent, just a cup that dumps immediately, so I wonder if they work differently.
They do work differently in the sense that they do a full wash first, in the eco modes they usually do it quite a bit. After that they basically pump it all out and do a fresh water clean rinse. And its surprisingly enough, haven't had issues with mine in years, not cleaning something proper. Plus they use next to no detergent. Like 6-9g of powder per wash. 1.3kg powder package literally lasts over a year.
As an owner of those: This! I had bad luck with my first one (It kept erroring out indicating that it couldn't heat anymore) and the second one just started getting unhappy as well after only a year - no error, but less water than necessary to spin the upper sprayarm is being pumped out at the top which results in it actively not cleaning as well as it used to, and I think it doesn't reach the temperatures it needs to anymore either - at least the dishes aren't as hot as they used to be after the wash anymore. At this point, I am 50/50 between both just being cheap garbage (they *do* have suspiciously identical "washing chambers"(? Not sure what the proper term for that is?), despite being from different manufacturers...) and me just plain handling them wrong. Side note: The manual stated for both that they should be plumbed into *cold* water, not *hot* as their larger brothers seem to require as-per the video.
I wish my rental agreement didn't ban even those. But having seen the "quality" of some of the plumbing in the building, I totally get why that is the case. One too many water-hammer events and someone's got a flooded apartment.
I loved my counter top dish washer. You need to do a good job of scraping, as little food as possible. A tiny amount of soap, too much, and you have to run it again. And set your water heater to as high as reasonable. Fabulous
If any other channel had recommended specific branded products from specific big-box stores, I would assume in a heartbeat that the channel had simply been sponsored by the brand/store. It is the highest possible compliment to your scientific rigor and your demonstrable midwestern frugality that I did not consider even for a second that you were in the pocket of Big Dishwasher Soap.
I learned so much from your dishwasher videos! I have figured out a "toolkit" for cleaning my filter, and, over time, figured out all the ways it can be disassembled to make reaching all the nooks & crannies for best results. We were seriously considering replacing our high end dishwasher, until we started following your recommendations & tips. We no longer have the problems that led us to consider replacement, all because we now understand more of the workings & needs of our machine. Thank you so much for saving us so much time & money. I clean the filter & run a cleaning cycle the first of every month. ( I am still amazed, though, at the gross stuff caught by the filter!)
It’s funny, just yesterday I was telling my friend who has dishwasher problems that you have a super long video about dishwashers and here you are today with an updated shorter version. Truly a man of the people!
A remake‽ Yep, and sorry for any feelings of déjà vu!
It's my hope that this new version of the video combines more useful information into less time - and I put things in order of importance. While I really hate the stinkin' pods, there's no denying that the market is nearly All Pods All The Time so I put the information that can help anyone up front and held my angst until later.
But I really hope that more people challenge their dishwashers! It was designed to wash dishes for you, and most of them do it quite well! A better understanding of _what_ they're doing and when can, I think, lead you to discover the best practices for your machine.
Always good nonetheless! Just in time to remind me of what I’ve forgotten!
Never apologize for dishwasher content
"the market is nearly All Pods All The Time" I have to disagree. There is plenty of powder and liquid detergent available at every store I've ever been to (including today!)
weird coincidences....Minute Earth just did a (way shorter!) video on this and your original video was mentioned in it and its comments.
بلو رے سیریز کب؟؟؟❤❤❤
Love how the opening lines are basically, "Your dishwasher is crap? Sounds like a skill issue", but said in a really friendly manner.
thats called speaking "midwest"
@@phobospotato better than speaking "New York"
I work as an appliance repairman and have to say that very frequently.
IT support use PEBCAC, problem exists between chair and computer. I guess this will be PEBKAD😂
yea man, thanks for reminding me that everyone born after 2000 are just fully incapable of being respectful. SO much toxic space rented out in their heads.. sad for real..
Literally saying "skill issue" unironically, is, a skill issue.
"If you're not having problem's with your dishwasher ... you're probably not watching this"
Man, I don't even have a dishwasher, this is just good content
If I had room for one, I would have it. Love watching the content nonetheless! :D
@@Django45 I have camping sized one which I'm happy with. It doesn't fit much and cleans not as good as a full size one but still much better than washing yourself
I’m a simple man. I see Technology Connections posts a video about dishwashers, i use my work break and watch it 😂
He made me buy one, I'm serious. lol I live in country where one out of a thousand house has one. Even rich people don't buy it, and let a house cleaner do it, they just don't know how good they are, better than any human can clean.
My dishwasher works just fine. Still gonna watch.
Me: "I can't believe Technology Connections got me to watch two long-format videos on dishwashers."
TC: "I'll do it again"
And, apparently, you watched this one too! (I watched all three, too)
@@61rampy65Me three!
+
For real. I already knew all this stuff, but watched it all anyway lol
I don't even have a dishwasher and yet here I am 😂😂
Put this on before bed in hopes it would be boring and I could sleep to it. However, it is now 2am and I am chock-full of knowledge and a newfound appreciation for my dishwasher. Great video!
I've been a powder user forever, but after your last run of videos on dishwashers I started buying the cheap stuff and using less of it. You know what happened? My dishes are still clean and I spend less to get them there! That warms the heck out of my frugal mid-western heart!
trouble is that is really hard to find powder nowadays.. so we ended up buying blocks and cutting them in half..
What kind of powder
Pods are nothing but forcing consumers to use more soap than is needed. Same reason clothes detergents come with ginormous scoops. Check your manual and you'll see how little soap you're actually supposed to use.
I have only found the powder in grocery stores on the bottom shelf in my area. Usually a no-name or store brand. Dollar store as well. Costco has stopped selling it all together. I use eco-strips for laundry, you can tear them into half pieces as needed and work great!
@@ToolkiT73UKcheck the Mexican markets and things like that, that's the only place I can find powder laundry detergent these days.
"I'm apparently the internet's weird appliance guy."
Yup. And thats why we love you.
I adore the well-paced nerdery 🥰
Please do not stop doing what you’re doing, weird appliance guy. Please. PLEASE.
Though, we haven't seen a video sponsored by Too Many Small Appliances in a long time...
Weird? Nah. SMART. ... And you help us save money!!
*Oh no! Another dishwasher commercial!*
I never thought that I would ever watch a 27 minute video on dishwashers. I must be getting old.
If it makes you feel better I'm 20 and I've heavily invested in this
I don’t even use my dishwasher 😂
Well, I'm not even 18 yet so i hope you feel younger now
Or, smarter?
I watch most videos on 1.5 speed. :)
I love when my favorite artists start redoing their greatest hits
😂
Nice compliment, next time don't use your back hand
@@Dude-vb4ul lol that's a great turn of phrase 👏
I used to be a "handwash only" guy, because I was ignorant of how the magic box in my kitchen worked - but your original video showed me the light. Now I throw everything in the dishwasher, buy the cheapest powder, and everything comes out perfect with only 10% of the effort. Unironically life changing advice here people.
Not to mention a massive time saver
@@OurHeroXeroand power/water saver, if you have an electrical water heater.
Glad you’ve seen the way of the light. No idea why people are die hard hand wash only though
When I got married in 1983 we first lived in an apartment without a dishwasher so we hand washed for five years. Then we bought a house with a 1952 kitchen and no dishwasher. We finally gutted the kitchen and most of the house in 2010 and installed new plumbing and electricity and finally had a new Bosch dishwasher! My wife never used it. I did use the dishwasher but she preferred hand washing everything. She died of cancer in 2023 at age 62 and never used a dishwasher in our almost 40 years of marriage. I continue to use the dishwasher and will use these tips.
Your first video was the motive that I bought my current dishwasher that has an measured gel dispensing mechanism
First video I've ever seen that said "load the dishwasher properly," and then actually explained how to load the dishwasher properly.
it explains alot more than i thought
He does mention loading in things face down, but I see so many disagree on that when it comes to silverware.
I firmly belive it should to down because A: it gets clean anyway.
B: You won't make it dirty again when you take them out as you grab it with your hand.
And C: I reduces the changes of injury, especially for children
@@Kyderra He means face down as in the dirty side of plates and bowls toward the washer. For silverware which stands mostly upright it really doesn't matter.
Not only how, but more importantly, why.
That was amazing! Bravo. Learned a lot and I have been using dishwashers for many decades.
I'm a service technician for a major appliance manufacturer whose name rhymes with... Smosh... and I always recommend powder to customers over pods and liquids. For the very same reasons listed in this video. Chiefly, most people's dishes really aren't that dirty and the pods are, as Alec mentioned, pre measured amounts of detergent that is usually nuclear overkill for dishes that aren't especially dirty. Over time you end up with detergent clinging to your dishes and your dishwasher and can even hurt washability with all the excess detergent foaming up and preventing the pump from pulling water efficiently. "But Smosh recommends Finish pods it's right there on the door" they say, and as Alec did in one of the previous videos, I point out the two companies have a comarketing agreement. I use powder myself and my 10 year old dishwasher looks brand new, as do my dishes. And if you have a water softener built into your dishwasher, use it! You paid for it, it costs extra. Use it.
Thanks for all the dishwasher content, it's been very reaffirming for me as a tech - "that's what I've been saying!" Hope lots of people watch this and take the advice.
How come Smosh dishwashers don’t have a heating element at the bottom? Not that I’m complaining but mine doesn’t and now I don’t worry about my partner melting containers anymore… 🫠
Not sure why Alec didn’t recommend breaking powder tabs instead of using two. That’s way too much. I use finish tabs, break the sides off for prewash and the “power ball” goes in the dispenser.
But even that is too much. I can often taste/small dishwasher soap residue in my glassware, no matter what. I have a sensitive nose and I’ve just learned to hand wash my glassware.
A few points to disagree with Alec on: Finish tabs do not completely dissolve, I’ve found blue particles can build up. That is rinse aid and depending on your water you likely don’t need to add additional rinse aid. I use a little vinegar instead to try to neutralize the residual soap.
Smosh? You mean the TH-cam comedy channel lol? (I’m kidding, of course.)
@@Ivan-ks1ix don't know if he mentions this in the video or not because I haven't got to the end yet but white vinegar works much better than rinse aid
@M9_Prime
I think he may have briefly mentioned it in the video, but they use a heater built into the wash pump that heats the water as it passes through the pump, as opposed to the traditional heating element at the bottom of the tank. It's relying on the concept of "condensation drying" and why some form of rinse agent is especially helpful compared to a dishwasher with the traditional heating element and heated air dry cycle.
OMG! I never knew half of these things. I’m 62 years old and read all owners manuals to every appliance I’ve ever owned! I’ve shared this video with my kids and next I’m putting it on my Facebook page so my extended family and friends can benefit. I watch a lot of TH-cam videos, and this one gets my best video EVER!
Wait until you watch this channels toaster video!
Totally agree
I’m 83 & just learned a bunch I also saw one on cleaning a frt loader washer & learned so much.
You read the manuals?
Wait… there is somebody else who does that? I thought I was the only one on the planet! 🤣
I read the manuals too.😂
You can hear the tormented cries on the wind of all the people who didn't know their dishwashers had a filter
The Venn diagram of those people and of those that don't know of the lint trap is probably a circle.
First thing I did when I moved into my apartment was clean the filter. Nasty nasty 🤢
My filter is always clean... 6 years, never cleaned, still clean.
I really have no idea what would you expect to find.
I was scared, but I just checked and mercifully it appears I do not have one.
@@IIARROWS That's... atypical. I extract and rinse mine off every two months and it's definitely not clean.
"together, they're the length of a feature film, and you don't have time for that"
jokes on you, I watched both videos several times because I thoroughly enjoy dishwasher lore
Exactly.😁
The dishwasher movie is like one of my favorite things to listen to as background noise as well. Can't believe a dishwasher lecture could be so soothing.
@@SimuLord Ahahahhahahhaaaa
"How am I supposed to do that with one of these CASCADE?!?" Is still an iconic line.
Dishwasher lore. 😆
I have a cheap dishwasher. The kind with only one sprayer. I was going to replace it because it never gets anything clean.
Well, followed your instructions and now I use half the soap AND get clean dishes. Running the hot water first was a game changer. So, I figured I owed you $10.
Thanks for helping me keep a perfectly fine dishwasher out of the landfill.
😂🤣🤣
🙏
Wow 😊!!
I have the same kind and the same problem. This comment has helped me feel like there is still hope. Well the video and this comment together have given me hope. Thank you!!
Switch to glass food storage. Pyrex has great deals on their site and it's made in the USA. It also washes better. I hardly use any soap now.
I wonder if it has to do with how glass holds heat. Ever put a glass bowl in the microwave???
This is the kind of dry, witty nerdiness I live for. Thank you!
You're not the "Internets weird appliance guy", you're "The Internets Appliance Savant". Take this imaginary award with what you will.
An appliance sommelier as it were lol
This comment takes me back to a simpler time, when Internet Awards were still a thing
"The Internet's Weird Appliance Savant"
Man oh man, an informative, articulate, well-edited video without MUSIC! This is gold!
YES !!!
I concur! Lol
And no flailing hand movements
He usually has outro music, though I absolutely love it and missed it this time.
Your original videos on this seriously helped my depression. I started doing “depression loads” and not pre washing my dishes before loading and throwing in extra detergent for the pre wash that I wasn’t doing before. And I’ve gotten into the habit of cleaning out the filter every time I unload. The dishes used to be my wall of “can’t” and not it’s not. I can’t thank you enough.
I've been there too. And now, if anything comes out dirty, I'll often just put it right back in for the next time I run it.
@@dorianthegray "You can always run it twice" is probably the best depression/fatigue/neuroatypical overwhelm advice I've ever tattooed upon my heart~
@@dorianthegray (especially since I have a portable washer -- I long for a video on these, as I do know mine does not deal as well with particular as a "real" dishwasher, but)
I can relate as well. I get severe anxiety over doing the dishes. Even had a literal full-scale flashback from it once.
The dishwasher was already my favorite appliance in the house.
And now I can use it even more effectively and do even less of the "doing dishes" that I dread so much!
Thank you Alec! And thank you kimeebug for sharing your story.
Glad to know I'm not the only one with washing dishes trauma.
If someone bet me $100 that I would wake up this morning and watch an entire interesting 30-minute video on the proper functionality of dishwashers, I would be out $100. Great video 👍🏻
"I'm very sorry for what you are about to find. It will be unpleasant!" That was an understatement lol. I can't believe I've never thought to clean my filter as I am an engineer who works with pumps every day... I even watched the last two dishwasher videos. Thank you!
Finally, somebody got through to you.
I recommend a couple of therapy sessions for people after they clean their filter the first time. 😂
@@wolfe6220after reading these comments I am going to give this job to my sweet and unsuspecting husband. He is asleep as I watch this 😅
@@JetJ321 😂
Lots of people get rid of perfectly good dishwashers because they never cleaned the filter and now they think it's broken😢
This channel is what modern Home Economics in schools should be...
My mother should watch these vids. She firmly believes dishwashers will run up her water bill and refuses to use it and so she hand washes everything instead with continuously running water.
Home Economics should be a part of school curriculum. It should include, but not limited to, basic car maintenance, basic HVAC maintenance, Toilet & Plumbing, Dish Washer, Cloth Washer, Dryer, and Mold & Insect Control, Basic Electrical.
Just saying. It would not provide an average Joe knowledge for their homes and save $$ & environment at the same time.
Too bad that today's school wants to keep people as blissfully ignorant as possible so that they can make $$$ off of you on basic basic maintenance services.
@@marzoval9551 this hurts me 😭 there's literally zero upside, only downsides, water, energy, and time spent
Definitely an unfortunate part of being human that "well that's what I was taught and therefore your new facts are wrong and I'll now believe my own ideas even more strongly" is such a proven phenomenon for us.
At least wasting one's time and a relatively small amount of water and energy to hand-wash the dishes is far from the worst example of that phenomenon.
@@lapprentice "school got rid of home ec classes teaching women how to do household chores and auto repair classes (which, BTW, is still a thing in many schools) because they want to make sure professional tradesmen make more money" is a hilarious take
I completely agree with you otherwise. We should be teaching those things. It's almost surely not because people working in education have an obsession with getting more HVAC company revenue, though.
@@lapprentice lmao it's not some conspiracy. Academia is white collar, it's a cultural bubble, that's why every teacher just tells you to go to school to get a "good job" the administrator is even worse, since they're the ones who actually make money how is home-ec gonna get more for their students into ivy leagues so they can get more prestige/funding.
I bought an expensive dishwasher due to your advocacy (it has a crazy capacity/compactness with 3 drawers, small for cutlery) and 3 sprayers. If the information they provide for them is correct, both the extra space and the more efficient systems should be a saving over its warranty period, though electricity is pricy here. The other tradeoff is longer cycle lengths for the maximum economy.
I had never used a dishwasher, and was reliant on your explaination and advice. Shortly after the birth of my son I became disabled and my wife would spend over an hour at night doing dishes and getting only 4 hours sleep.
Your videos were life changing for our family. You have saved us hundreds of hours labour far in excess of the expense of operating it. Thank you.
See if you have time of use rates and use the delay function to run it in the dead of night. Clean dishes first thing in the morning!
I'm in Europe so YMMV but I have a simple two-rate system, with electricity being about 60% cheaper(!) between 9pm and 7am. Definitely worth it to overnight anything you can. This leads to an interesting effect where you can hear all your neighbors in an apartment building starting their washing machines at 9pm on the dot.
@@estrheagen4160Excellent advice. I'm in Europe too and we do this with our washing machine too. If we had a dishwasher at the moment, I'd time it so it finishes just before we wake up though, because I love opening it when it's still hot and letting the water evaporate.
In Australia and other parts of the world, the huge uptake in solar means that the electricity during the day is becoming cheaper than at night. It is becoming more common for people to start up appliances before going to work in the morning: dishwasher, slow cooker etc.
@@ha1234 that is amazing! Good to see solar getting more adoption... though i wish it was more popular here in the US
@@anglaismoyenwe run it during the day, so our small solar panels can provide the power for the pumps for free
For those of us looking back ..
1. Check for and Clean Filters
2. Run kitchen tap until hot before starting dishwasher
3. Use the detergent dispenser and close its door (also put some detergent in pre-wash!)
4. Try a basic/ cheap detergent (powder or gel jug)
Also, make sure your dishwasher is actually hooked up to the hot tap your sink is hooked to.
Thank you!😅
And for Europeans or others that can. Use Dishwasher Salt!
Thank you for the spark notes version! 🙏
I want to cry from joy. I did the math, and I owe you 90 literal days of my life with the time you will save me. No more washing dishes before loading the dishwasher!! My 1-sprayer, cheap-landlord, old appliance does the job, now that I know how to use it. I'm forever grateful. 💕💕
❤
Great to know these tips work equally well with old, crappy dishwashers!!!! Can't wait to try it! 💙
I'm happy for you. 👍
I would not use the rinse helper, even if it's not a scam, because of the health implications. Lots of things like that are worse for us than we realize. And ingesting the stuff from cups, plates, and silverware is probably worse than being exposed to it from shampoo.
This video should come on a disk with every dishwasher purchase.
On a disk ❤
Sadly I wouldn't have any way to play said disk anymore 🤣.
How about we compromise with a disk and a QR code for the rest of us with no way to play it.
lol before I saw these replies I was like oh yeah that'd be cool! Then they made me realize even I barely have anything that can play one anymore
A disk? Where would one find to play it? Next to a fax machine in a museum? A QR code to a link would allow more people accessibility.
Alec is one of the few people that can talk for hours on dishwashers, lava lamps, pinball machines and VCRs and you not only sit there fascinated but you’re enjoying every minute (or hours and hours) of the videos. Keep up the good work!
You forgot to mention *toasters* !
Just wanted to leave a comment to say this video literally changed my life.
I was raised to treat the dishwasher as solely a sanitation device. I would scrub and struggle with dishes until they were spotless before putting them in the dishwasher.
This ended up leaving me exhausted and having to rerinse the white powdery spots off of everything after it was done. I eventually just stopped using it
Your video taught me that i was drastically overworking for worse results. I stopped prescrubbing and now my dishes end up coming out cleaner 😂
Thank you so much for this video❤
This is the reason for TH-cam. this is quality original useful content.
Yes. 100 times yes!
yes
Useful AND entertaining!
the reason for youtube is obviously cats.
"That water will evaporate quickly, unless you live in a swamp." We in Louisiana appreciate your shout out. 🤣
Also central Florida, sauna land
South Florida. West of state road 7. A short drive from the wetland preserve. My air conditioned, indoor humidity often exceed 60%.
Right next door at the Gulf here! E. TX
Central Floridian here, my dishes always come out still wet unless I leave the dishwasher overnight, even then there's no guarantee the dishes will be dry. The worst is plastic Tupperware. I'm trying to slowly replace the crap with glass Pyrex because I don't know what it is, but I could leave the clean dishwasher for a week, open it up and all of the plastic stuff is covered in water while the ceramic and glassware is nice and dry. Plasticware is even a pain to towel dry because I can wipe it down with a fresh dry towel and it still feels damp afterwards.
Can confirm, in Louisiana they do not dry properly.
We need more of this. Everyday, 'boring' things explained in detail that just help people use their stuff better. Thank you.
At 60 I recently learned how to properly use and clean my Rowenta iron. I’ve owned this iron for about 14 years. 😂
To be fair, a lot of the tips to using a device effectively and efficiently, _is just plain logic._
However, the successful inculcation of 'believe our hype' and 'you need even more convenience' over-rides the application of _reasoning,_ in the vaaaaaast majority of consumers. 🙄
Hot water tip: Fill a pitcher until water is hot, wait for it to cool and water your plants with it. No water wasted.
Or, wash your pans just before you start the dishwasher. Or fill the dog bowl.
@@kginoregon8550 also good ideas. Anything to keep it from just going down the drain
Or the pasta water, oh! Further reuse the starchy water to thicken sauces or soups
Or wash your hands
Leon? Is it you?
First of all: yes, this is helpful.
Second of all: I'm so glad you're the appliance guy on the internet. The world needs heroes like you.
Every dishwasher episode makes me more excited for the inevitable sequel: Your washing machine is better than you think (tips, tricks, and why 3 minutes can last for 15)
Use cold water and less soap.
@@Roxwinswhich soap?
@@julianbello8376 Purex. There is a podcast with Malcom Gladwell (I think, I’ll see if I can find it) where they did an experiment and they spoke to machine manufacturers about best practices. I don’t remember if there was a machine or brand recommendation, but the overall take away was that modern washing machines are made to be efficient and so I soap. So use cold water and less soap, and Purex was the best soap.
@@RoxwinsBut cold water doesn't kill bacteria in your clothes, especially your underpants.
@@Tardisntimbits I don't think that's accurate when comparing cold water to water heated by a residential water heater.
YOU, sir, were the reason I bought a dishwasher for my house. My hand arthritis-soaring days were over! We didn't buy a dishwasher before, because on our parents house, the dishwashers were more of a headaching thing than proper kitchen-helper appliance. I saw your first video, I made my wife watch, I started my mind-bogging teary eyes mode, I cryed for help for 2/3 weeks, I made my wife so sick of hearing it and she finally cracked, and let me buy a dishwasher. At first she was doubting the results 'You really think a random nerdy-guy from TH-cam is right about dishwasher?'... But then, no more dirty dishes coming out of that dishwasher (unless I forget to clean that filter... oops)
Recently, as in, last week, we went on vacation, and my mother-in-law was putting dishes in the dishwasher, and even rising out would leave the dishes dirty. She is obnoxious on the powder, she still uses those pods, and everytime I talk about powder she goes: 'companies made such an effort in creating these pods, so they must surely work!' And they never do.... 'And it's...' (--clearly not--) '...the dishwashers fault!'.
I love to not have to pre-rinse the plates, I love how simple it is to load the dishwasher and how things turn out to be.
PS: when I bought the dishwasher, I made sure to be energy-efficient, and to have a pre-wash compartment (in my case, it has a slope on top of the wash compartiment lid). As a result of this, every wash takes about 2/3kwh in ECO Mode, 5Litters of water and 10grams of powder. Pretty neat! And as a Plus, on ECO mode, about 20min from finishing, it automatically pops the door to a specific angle, so the dishes/utensils are correctly dry when it ends the cycle! Thank you for all the tips!
Kudos from Portugal ;)
Hey irmao! Can you find powder dishwasher detergent in Portugal? Greatings from Romania!
What make and model do you have?
Thanks for sharing :) Is that 2 or 3 kWh, or 0.66kWh?
Oh, pods do work as intended all right! They look flashy and make idiots - sorry, ignorant consumers - buy them ...for triple the cost of cheap powder.
@@purpleldv966 hi. Yes I can, SUN powder in Continente and Auchan, and Finish powder in Froiz.
The tip of running the water hot before starting the dishwasher has had clear benefits! THANKS!!
we've got fridges, freezers, dishwashers, toasters and kettles. now i'm really excited for a washing machine trilogy
Hopefully featuring a climactic battle between a side-loader and a top-loader!
@@InventorZahran yessssssssssssssssssssssss
He has hinted on this in one of the full length dishwasher video's, in a snarky comment about washing powder existing. My eyes have been peeled ever since!
Omg yes!! I need a washing machine video ASAP!
Yes please...
I switched to dish powder a few years ago after watching your previous video, and I couldn't be happier. Less packaging waste, perfectly clean dishes and I've saved a couple hundred Canadian dollars on powder vs. tabs over this time. Thank you @TechnologyConnections for saving me hundreds of dollars, which I can now spend on Super Thanks.
Thanks so much!
Being the "Internet's weird appliance guy" should be a badge of honor!
He should hire people and do labs like LTT does to test and rank different appliances.
Honestly we all use them, and with his explaining and attention to daily-life details it would be soo good to have reliable source of information.
LinusHousewifeTips™
Being "the internet's weird appliance guy who can also do proper research, scripting and editing" is what earns him the badge of honor for me. Because god knows there are a lot of other "appliance folks" out there who make factually shallow content that brings as much joy as having a root canal done.
weird-appliance guy or weird appliance-guy?
It is in my book. I’m preaching Alec’s Advice to my peers that’s for sure. Most of them would probably never watch any of his videos, but his knowledge is spread via proxy around here. I always refer to Alec when someone asks how I know this simple but yet alluding knowledge, in the hopes of racking some new subs. But In the end, I’m happy to spread the knowledge.
Wow!! Wish I had found you much earlier. I have the same brand of dishwasher you do (tho mine is a 2012 version) & my friend has a one year old top of the line (Miele) and we were both having trouble with "stuff" left mainly in/on our glasses. Cleaned the dishwashers with special cleaners, tore mine apart and cleaned the filters, the garbage thingy, cleaned ALL of the pipes to and from the dishwasher (even the garbage disposals)....all to no avail. Aha!! Hot water, cheap detergent and a rinse aide. We love you!!!
Sandy in Lincoln, Nebraska and Judy in Jefferson City, MO.
High quality Public speaker. I didn't hear an "um" in the whole 20+ minutes. I did hear every word, and you appear fairly relaxed.
He certainly prepares for these videos.
You also didn't hear all the mis-takes he left on the cutting room floor. And, disappointingly, there was no blooper section at the end, where we usually get to see a few of them.
The world is brimming with frivolous communication. How refreshing this man is. Good on him!
It's almost like it isn't broadcast to us live.
He is using a teleprompter.
My mother once used Dawn dish soap in our first dish-washer. It will forever be a fond childhood memory. The whole kitchen filled up with suds and we moved armloads to the bathtub to remove water.
i u fortunately did that not too long ago… peppermint + water in a spray bottle did away with the suds on short notice
Yeah, I did that too when I encountered my first dishwasher. A foot of foam filled the kitchen floor. Color me embarrassed.
That the floor got clean as the suds slowly advanced over the rest of the floor is the unanticipated bonus I discovered. It's like scrubbing bubbles for your floor once you mopped it all up.
At my first shared apartment when I was in the USAF, my room-mate did that. I should have taken photos. O_O
Well now I know a form of domestic terrorism
i work in an appliance store and i can’t tell you how much more helpful this video is for actually educating customers, as opposed to the brand endorsed training videos we’re supposed to watch.
Gimme $100 or I will tell your boss you are not following the manufacturers’ scripts.
Do you know if it's safe to use baking soda & vinegar in a dishwasher?
@@TrueLady-m9v It is. What are you trying to do? Don't use them simultaneously, they will neutralize each other and you will be left with nothing but sparkly salt water.
@Lordmuhkuh23 won't it clean it?
Along with the things in the dishwasher?
@@TrueLady-m9v Ideally, as mentioned in the video at 20:40, you would use a dishwasher cleaning product or citric acid powder for this purpose. When using these products, I believe it would help to switch to an Express or Eco mode for the cycle so it doesn't all get drained out after the pre-wash phase of a standard cycle; I haven't personally tried this because I do not have a dishwasher in my current apartment.
This channel is the reason my family thinks i've lost my mind when it comes to dishawashers but look whose holding all the dry detergent boxes!!!!
Your first dishwasher video legitimately changed my life
I gotta say, I am an actual qualified dishwasher repairer with many years experience, and you nailed every point perfectly!
I don't know any other channels that can get half a million people to flock to a half-hour dishwasher tutorial the day it's uploaded. I love it
Yeah it's great to see videos done this well. It more effectively brings crucial information to people who need it most.
I agree. It is amazing. And the comments (5400 after only 2 days!) are also so lovely. I'm so pleased for Alec. I've been watching his channel since the beginning.
I really enjoy all of your videos, but I swear the ones you have done on dishwashers have been the most life changing.
I don’t have a dishwasher. I’m here for moral support
😂
There's plenty of good women still out there. You'll find one eventually!
thx bruv
Ha ha my dishwasher is my own hands as well
You gave me the giggle that I so desperately needed today❤️. Thank you.
when the original video came out i was on the verge of replacing my dishwasher since it was under preforming compared to just hand washing my dishes, i watched the video as part of a 3am TH-cam rabbit hole and im glad i did because i tried out a few of the ideas the next day and it turned out saving me from needlessly going out to replace my admittedly improperly operated dishwasher. no joke you saved me so much hassle with a single video thank you
This stuff should be in a life-preparation course in schools
It's stuff parents should be teaching their kids
But parents don't know it. These videos remind me of Australia's state TV educational programming unit in the 80's and 90's. It's high praise, as they were known for practical content with high production values.
I was thinking the same thing while watching this! Until recently I was a teacher, and I always wished I could add a class period to the day for stuff like this and how to make a good phone call or write an email that's actually well written and communicative.
I mean, I don't even have a dishwasher but that's what I was thinking the whole time through the vid
If by "life-preparation course" you mean Home Economics... Those classes were got rid of because society saw them as only for training housewives, thus misogynistic.
Never mind that EVERY adult needs to know how to feed themselves (plan meals to avoid waste, grocery shop wi$ely, cook & properly STORE food), clothe themselves ($hop wi$ely, wear what looks good on them, properly launder and MEND to help clothes last, and possibly sew), shelter themselves (find and CARE FOR a house/apartment), transport themselves (buy & care for a car or find other viable options), fund any needed education, find a JOB (apply & interview), properly manage that paycheck (aka, BUDGET & balance accounts) and PAY BILL$.
Everybody forgets the "Ec" is for ECONOMICS. We became "ashamed" of being frugal, as it admitted that we were NOT all "temporarily embarrassed millionaires".
If the last 20 years or so has taught us nothing else, Adulting 101 is VERY needed.
I used your previous videos to help convince my family to actually replace our (fully broken) dishwasher
After 7 years of hand cleaning, that is
This video should be broadcast as a PSA. I feel like 90% of people with a dishwasher could learn how to get the most performance out of their machine and save some money too.
Dishwasher manufacturers should include a link to it on the box the dishwasher comes in (cause lets face it who reads the manual)
This video needs a compressed like 5 min version with just clear tips and only a sprinkle of explanation
@@Anon-y4wThis is the compressed version, hah. I think the first videos done on this were just upwards of 5 hours? Unsure on that number, but it’s definitely around there.
The detergent mafia will never allow that 😂
@@IceWolfLoki That reminds me of the licence agreement with a forced arbitration clause printed on the box of LG refrigerators. The issue there was that the box would usually be taken away by the delivery crew and people had no idea they "agreed" to those terms and conditions.
Ah, the original, the sequel, and the abridged version. Fantastic stuff.
Now it's for the third in the series and maybe a prequel. :)
You know we'll watch @TechnologyConnections!
Great video!
Per your previous dishwasher videos we switched from pods to powder, and it made a HUGE difference. My wife was ready to buy a new one, but now we're completely happy.
Yep I discovered that the absolute cheapest powder actually works better than any of the liquids.
This guy really is the informative parent type we all need. So many appliances just aren't explained enough so we just get frustrated when they don't work the way we think they should. Actually having someone explain HOW it all works is beyond helpful and will save us all so much headache, time and money. One of my favorite phrases "Happy is the man that knows WHY.".
A dishwasher feature I'll never want to live without again: Automatically opening door when finished.
That was a game changer for me. No more needing to pay attention to when the machine is done so I can open the door while it's still toasty inside to help the last moisture to evaporate. Just start and forget, it'll sort itself out.
Agree!
My machine (in Germany, from Neff) has the weird limitation of only doing this in the Eco programme without modified options. As soon as you choose a different programme or add an option to Eco, the door will stay shut. :(
So envious of you. I know they exist, but they're impossible to find around my parts (and mine doesn't need replacing yet anyway).
Especially handy, when you are about to leave for 2-5 days and forgot to put on your dishwasher. With classic, 'non self-opening' one you come back to very unpleasant smell... or just leave dirty dishes to further rot. With self opening doors - there is no dilemma.
Make sure to warn your visitors about it, though. My current dishwasher has that option (and somehows counts the drying time with the door open as part of the wash cycle), and someone visiting was doing something on the kitchentop when the door opened; it was a guy of the right height just in the perfect position.
WOT. I’ve never heard of this witchcraft and would be in awe of your dark wizardry. Really you shouldn’t have said anything, you could’ve gotten a new follower of your magic with a simpleton like me, I’m willing to do the cleaning and promise not to go all Mickey Mouse on your mops
Did not plan to spend half an hour watching a video about my dishwasher this morning, but I have no regrets.
I'm sitting the family down for movie night and playing this instead. Pure gold!
Awesome! Good stuff, huh?
I'll play it again for my family XD
ha ha, epic!
lol
A double feature!
Everything about this channel is awesome! Teaching about topics relevant to everyday life. Profound, condensed info, great speaking, no bs, down to earth but high standards. Keep it going!
I respect a man with a purpose. And Alec's purpose is to educate people on dishwashers.
Another purpose he has is to teach nerds like me how different technologies work
@@springpurse Oh yeah I don't miss a single video. I'm almost convinced to buy a dishwasher, and he helped me choose my AC by understanding how it works.
And heat pumps! 😆
And the refrigeration cycle.
and every other random ass topic. I love it.
I came home from a long day of bar exam prep to further optimize my dishwasher.
Today is a good day.
Yeah, you can't sue jour dishwasher if it doesn't work well!
This would be a great diversion from Bar Review! Best of luck on the exam…
Hope you slam dunked it!!
Thanks for single-handedly keeping cheap store-brand dishwasher detergent alive
Very grateful my mother taught me this growing up. She was outraged when the pods came out and I'm glad I took the note.
your videos on dishwashers have literally changed my life. That sounds exaggerated, but unfortunately it is true. I used to spend hours a week cleaning dishes just to put them in a dishwasher for them to get washed again! My house is so much cleaner not having to spend all my time washing dishes but letting the dishwasher do all the work and now I can instead focus on cleaning the rest of my house with my time! Thanks!!!
I was a repair technician for 12 years. This is a great explanation of everything and very helpful.
I'm even going to show it to my wife seems how she doesn't want to listen to me when I try to explain this stuff to her.
Haha! They never listen to us!
Really, @@belapapp4783? That's what 'they' say about you guys.
@@belapapp4783 That's probably tit for tat. Men usually listen even less, lol.
I'm an appliance technician, absolutely adore your videos. This one is close to home. I give a rapid-fire paraphrasing of these tips at least a couple times a week.
Thanks for this video. I'm the main “dishwasher person” in my house, and I thought I knew it all, but this video has given me lots of try --- starting with cleaning those filters, which I've been neglecting.
I’ve tried sending your videos to my parents because their coffee mugs keep coming out dirty and they just won’t see the light. They insist on a certain brand of the pods. So when I’m there and doing the dishes, I throw a cheaper gel pod in the tub and put their favorite pod in the dispenser and suddenly their mugs are cleaner. I also do a citric acid clean every week or so because their water is hard. You’re changing lives, man.
Dishwashers in Germany have a compartment that you fill with a special salt (usually only every couple of months) which then descales the water automatically. You then don't have to use acid to clean the machine and also glassware for example comes out very shiny without any stains.
@@strohmy9863Well that is not exactly true and yet not harmfully untrue so to speak:
1) Dishwashers with water softeners are not special to Germany.
2) Salt is not special and is not softening water itself. It's just pure salt without whiteners(well not always), iodide or antigranulation additives. It's more pure than your kitchen salt.
3) softening is done by ionex capsule full of small granules Granules in capsule inside the dishwasher are refreshed few times in cycle by salt dissolved in water.
It's not a rocket science really. However you might damage softening capsules if you forget to add salt into it annually or you not disable softener prior use all in one agents.
Not all dishwashers have reliable signalling for missing salt. It's good to check it vusyally from time to time.
@@strohmy9863 that salt is probably metaphosphoric acid
Ha! Boomers!
What does the gel pod do that the powder pod doesn't?
You helped me understand Xmas lights, pinball machines, water heaters, heat pumps, freezers and now dishwashers. This content is very helpful to virtually anybody who watches it. Thank you!
I've watched a few of this guy's videos now. He has a rare talent of making mundane subjects interesting.
I love his can-opener video!! It offers a more subtle life change than the dishwasher trilogy, perhaps, but improvements are improvements. 😂
TC: May I interest you in 2 videos about dishwashers? What about a compressed version? Maybe a video about coffee percolators, or perhaps one about drip machines? How about many about different lighting devices? Perhaps a video about boiling water? Or maybe 2 videos on appliances from decades ago that are far superior to their modern counterparts?
Me: All of the above
Thanks for this video. I cannot believe the magnitude of improvement these simple tips led to. It's night and day.
props to this man cutting a hole in his dishwasher to show us how it works.
You should see his 2-hour video showing the entire unedited sequence of operation! Pretty nifty stuff. And surprisingly meditative.
It’s the Magic of Buying Two Of Them!
After I started using pre-wash detergent, my dishwasher has won a Nobel Prize. Thank you Technology Connections!
I taught my wife about the little pre-wash soap pocket on the lid of the soap dispenser. Her mind was blown. Now our dishes have never been cleaner.
I got my current dishwasher for free from my neighbor, they thought their dishwasher wasn't the best anymore and bought a new one. Never had a problem with it thanks to these videos. :)
Filter cleaning and a round with citric acid on the hottest program?
I got a NICE Whirlpool Gold dishwasher for free from a programmer at work. His wife suddenly decided their kitchen was "outdated" after just 9.5 years, and everything *_had_* to go and needed remodeled again. Yeah, must be nice being ignorant with money LOL??
_edit:_ goober spelling error
@@youdontknowme5969 An Air Traffic Controller's wife had the same thing after just 7 years. Me, with my 30 year old kitchen..."Looks ok to me."
This guy is amazing. All bachelors should be required to watch his videos
I'm a married man and I enjoy them too.
Husbands should learn all of this, too!
Mine could listen to my dishwasher lore a little more! My mother won a dishwasher in about 1950 or so, meaning my house had one for my entire life. I learned a few things about dishwashers, but I'm not afraid to learn even more from these great modern videos.
Why not everyone why only bachelors? Cuz once u get married it’s the women’s jobs right
Thanks for redoing this! Ive recommended your initial videos many times but i think this shorter version will increase their chances of actually watching.
Showed my gf 10m vid from another channel, she quickly lost interest. She couldnt believe i watched over an hour on what should be 5mins.
Big items on the bottom, small and fragile on top. Pack cutlery randomly. Run hot water b4 starting. Go cheap, and just add some powder for first rinse.
But I really want to takemore.
One of the things I've noticed in switching to powder -- not to mention using the minimum amount of powder I can get away with - is that it has resulted in dishes that are every bit as clean as pods can make them and doesn't leave an invisible residue of soap on the dishes that you can smell and even taste in your food. That has been by far the best advice I've gotten from this series of videos. Thank you for reminding me that newer, more, and more convenient are not always equivalent to better.
Do you use a rinse aid, the surfactant thing that prevents water stains, and thus residue?
@@deus_ex_machina_ i still had residue with rinse aid but lowered the amount of detergent after watching his last video and it went away. for laundry/dishes, i always liked filling up the soap to the max as a kid and just continued that until his vid
@@deus_ex_machina_ Yes I do.
I legitimately changed my dishwashing behavior based on your first set of videos. I started running my kitchen sink until the water was hot, I switched from pods to powder detergent for the main wash, and liquid detergent for the prewash, and I've been very happy with the results. Glad to see a more accessible update for people who aren't about to watch an hour long video about dishwashers (plus another ~hour long Connextras video)!
I find that the best use of that water is to just wash our hands after loading. This helps to avoid wasting water, and helps us to avoid forgetting to purge cold water.
Settings can be chosen before step 1, if the machine allows it.
We don't have powder available in the whole country, used liquid ones for both prewash and the wash. Results: better but still worse than licking the plate clean.
Same, but I do use the heated dry; otherwise items will still be wet hours later. I make sure to put all plastics on top rack.
@@kevind814 Do you open the door when the machine is done? Letting out the steam is enough to dry most dishes.
@@eugenetswong No, as the machine has a vent to allow this.
Let’s all appreciate the hard work that goes into making these videos!
Ten years from now, my children will be shown your videos in school. And that is a good thing
I'm setting a reminder for 10 years from now. Hope we make it
@@brewtalityk if we make it bro, a beer for you is on me for getting that far.
Remind me ten years from now.
Edit: IDGAF if we live on separate continents. If we make it that far and it's within my means, i will video call you, send you the funds, and say cheers with my own drink in celebration.
Hopefully the housing crisis or climate change doesn't kill is first.
i’m joining the group
Thanks to channels like TC the internet isn't total brain rot for kids.
I live in Baltimore, so kids don't learn anything in our schools.
I work as a grocery picker at Walmart, and after three months there, I finally got my first order with powdered dish soap. When I went an picked it from the shelf, I really wished I had a "Technology Connections Approved" sticker I could slap on the box.
😂 I always get powder. I've always considered the pods as kind of a scam. I tried gel after his first video and went directly back to powder. The powder is on the bottom shelf, but I must not be the only one in my area buying it because there's a couple options at least. Perhaps I'm the only millennial though🤷🏻♀️
That's awesome! (your sticker idea, that is.) I'm a little surprised, and a tiny bit sad, that so many people buy the pods that it took three whole months before you had an order of powdered dish soap. I always thought the ordinary powdered dish soap was the standard default, and pods were only for people who were bad with money.
This video is more entertaining than 90% of TH-cam.
Well said 😂
And more helpful than 99%.
I just spent 30 mins watching how to best use a dishwasher, of which I dont have. But your presentation and tips were great. Well done you.😊
shrinking down your content to under 30 minutes is probably the hardest part about your job, but we thank you for it !!! the best youtube channel!
Me and my parents are constantly arguing about different dishwasher programs and techniques, and on few occasions I said something along: "I've literally watched hours of dishwasher videos, I know what I'm doing"
"Linda, you said if we sent him to that school of yours he wouldn't turn out this way!"
yeah me too 🤣
Did you showed any of them to your parents?? ;)
The real secret is that you don't need any of the programs. I've never seen a dishwasher where you couldn't just press power and it'd run whatever the default 30-45 minute program is and it worked perfectly regardless of what is inside.
Not even sure why they have programs or buttons beyond a single one.
Also the machine's handbook probably tells you all this and proves you are correct xD
I can't believe this was suggested to me and I'm watching the whole thing...and, I FINALLY KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY WASH DISHES IN THE DISHWASHER. I love how serious of a tone this is...how technical it is. This is the level of detail we need things explained. Well done.
Man we keep getting this white powder on everything, and usually stuff gets clean but *sometimes* it just. does not. Actual lifesaver bless your soul
when the original video came out i set out to buy myself a dishwasher. i was mid 20's and had handwashed my whole life and it was honestly the worst chore ever. i had my first child with a second on the way so i knew the amount of dishes would only increase. i managed to find a portable one for really cheap and i fixed it myself. to this day it still works and is hands down the only purchase i have never ever regretted even a tiny bit. i love that thing and its coming with me every where i ever move too. all because of these great videos, they're awesome.
What kind did you get?
Two years ago I replaced my broken dishwasher with a Kitchen Aid very similar to the one TC appears to be using. It took about 3 weeks of hand washing to convince me to cough up the money for it. I was amazed at how much time the machine saves me. I'm completely satisfied with the Kitchen Aid dishwasher. Parts are readily available, because it is made in America by Whirlpool. And thanks to TC, I am using liquid detergent in the pre-rinse, which makes everything squeaky clean despite the hard well water. I never have to clean the filter because I do a quick hand rinse in the sink to remove large stuff.
For whatever reason I cried a little in the end watching this. Not that because it makes my dishwasher works spectacularly (that has been rectified in the last dishwasher video), but because so much effort was put into a single, seemingly mundane topic. Compound that with a concise, arguably perfect script writing, plus the right dash of humor, this video has made me extraordinarily happy. That or perhaps I'm just in a moody mood today. In any case, I wish one day I have the tenacity and ability to explain topics like Alec does. You'll always be my hero.
Yeah, there's some mood disturbance if you're crying about this.
Hundreds of thousands, millions? of people will watch this video and either start using dishwashers or use less detergent. That's a lot of water and chemicals no longer being used.
Sounds like you had one of your period days, and I don't mean that negatively at all. I'm a guy and I definitely have my period from time to time. Not that I bleed down there (thankfully), but I do have my emotional days, so that's what I call em. I think it's nothing to feel ashamed about anyway, just like women should never have to feel ashamed for anything related to their (actual) periods.
I sometimes experience what you experience. So whether you're a guy or a gal, I think it's just one of those days we're more emotional than usual!
@@HazewinDog if it's just emotional days and call them like that not period days. It's disrespectful you made such an assumption about them.
if you would make a video this detailed about washing machines my life would be complete.
I have an eighteen yr old machine, of a basic brand, use a cheap detergent, and never wash with hot water. (Granted - some of my methods would be inconvenient for many people, but I'll throw them up here anyway.) I still get properly washed clothing, etc, by doing this: (BONUS - my water bill is microscopic.)
1. _Use Space._ Overloading is really bad. If the garment load is not swishing about with some decent action, it's not being washed.
2. As Alec says for dishwashers, _Clean The Filter._ Mine is a simple gauze bag which hangs above the rim of the barrel. I just check it after any load of towels, or after every 2 to 3 regular wash loads. It's never allowed to even half full with lint/fibres.
3. _Dissolve Detergent First._ Any time the machine is washing, while the detergent isn't thoroughly spread through the load, is wasted time/energy. As the machine is filling, I throw my liquid detergent into a small bucket of hot water, then into the machine. I do this after the machine is about half full. If thrown in at the start, before the water and load has gone in, half the bucketful of rich detergent would be in the tank _below_ the barrel, rather than distributed through the load.
4. _Use Time._ (This takes a little planning.) A. For extra dirty items etc that won't necessarily come out stain-free with a regular wash, fill the machine to about ⅓ water level, but with the full-load amount of detergent. Throw the extra dirty items in and just leave them to soak overnight. Next day, add any extra items, and start a regular wash as normal.
B. Dissolve 20-30 grams of specific 'prewash soaker' / ’stain remover’ / 'whitener' / 'sanitiser' in a bucket of lukewarm water. For items I want _really_ clean, like dish-towels stained with sauces, wine, meat juices, etc, from cooking, chuck them in this soaking bucket. Next day, dump the entire bucket of items with soak water, in the machine, with any extra load, and regular detergent measure, for a regular wash. _Why not do this in the machine, like for A.?_ Those whiteners/soakers are so high in salts, that any metal components not of high quality stainless steel, will soon leave rust marks on the garments, etc. Years ago, I learnt this little lesson the hard way.
5. _Pump TLC._ (My 'manual greywater system' will be prohibitively inconvenient for just about everyone. 😒, but what the hey...) I have a stack of buckets in my laundry. As the wash load is pumped out, I actually remove the hose from the sink outlet, drop it in a bucket at floor level, and catch most of the water. This way, the pump isn't working against gravity, 2 to 3 times per load!
Wash water gets thrown over the lawn.
First rinse water is good for the garden beds, car washing, etc.
2nd/final rinse water goes into same buckets, which stack neatly beside machine. This water either supplies most of wash cycle of next load, or used to flush the adjacent toilet. _Because as a great thinker once observed, using drinking-quality water to flush turds, is pretty much insane._
Rough calculation of water charges saved: $400-500/year. ($600 down to $150)
6. _Clean Machine._ Once a year, I do full load of hot water with a litre or two of el-cheapo white vinegar. Helps get most residual gunk from soap or whatever, out of internals. When I saw some residue on clothes _after_ this, I repeated but swapped vinegar for half litre of bleach. (Normally I never touch this horrible stuff.) Needless to say, this water does not get thrown on yard/gardens!
@@assininecomment1630it is insane to use drinking water to flush toilets, we should come up with better systems with all the water shortages that go on. Especially out west in the U.S.
@@assininecomment1630wash water over lawn?is it even alive?
@@assininecomment1630 thanks for the tips!
@@assininecomment1630 I also collect the wash water from not-very-dirty laundry to prewash stained or heavily soiled items.
Subbed immediately. The world needs an “appliance guy.”
Thanks for the great video! European here, using moderately hard water in 6+ year old Siemens dishwasher that came with the apartment I bought (so it might as well be 10-15 years old).
Two more tips that were not mentioned:
1. If the dishwasher has a salt based water softener, go check out if the dishwasher has a water hardness setting. My wife was ready to throw the dishwasher out the window as there was always a thin grease film left on the dishes, especially plastic ones. I was lucky to find the manual of a similar enough dishwasher and realized the thing was set to the softest setting! After setting it correctly (checked the water hardness both via city's water supplier site and with a free sample water hardness strip) and it's like we have a new dishwasher. Oh and the filter at the bottom is also went from a greasy mess to almost not needing cleaning.
1*. Avoid exaggerating with the hardness setting as the salt is corrosive and a too high setting will use it up incredibly fast.
2. Avoid putting narrow dishes (like tall soda glasses) at the corners of the racks!
This. TIL american dishwashers don't have built in water softener, dunno why.
@@jurajvariny6034Different water distribution models. Recently visited my local water treatment facility for work and it was fascinating.
Potable water treatment plants sometimes control hardness content. One crazy fact - I live 45 miles from Chicago but have their water via underground distribution network.
That said there are many Americans who draw from underground reservoirs, good or bad and this water is inspected for content (usually yearly). Family home was hard water (lots of CaCO2) from the geology so the softening unit was whole house to bring it back within usable range. For the wealthy home owners, it is usually a whole-house water softener.
Not sure about the whole "salt is corrosive" argument. Salt is only here to regenerate the water-softening resin. What is corrosive is the water that is softened.
@@jurajvariny6034I think they have the water softener in their detergent. (hence why you should use more of you have hard water)
@@haventyetbegun I've picked this info up from somewhere... I only remember the advise saying that thr salt container should only be refilled right before a washing as spilled salt sitting around the interior of the dishwasher will be corrosive.
Video suggestion: portable countertop dishwashers. A lot of people living in apartments don’t know about these, or underestimate them, but mine works surprisingly well. Mine has no door for detergent, just a cup that dumps immediately, so I wonder if they work differently.
They do work differently in the sense that they do a full wash first, in the eco modes they usually do it quite a bit.
After that they basically pump it all out and do a fresh water clean rinse.
And its surprisingly enough, haven't had issues with mine in years, not cleaning something proper.
Plus they use next to no detergent. Like 6-9g of powder per wash.
1.3kg powder package literally lasts over a year.
As an owner of those: This!
I had bad luck with my first one (It kept erroring out indicating that it couldn't heat anymore) and the second one just started getting unhappy as well after only a year - no error, but less water than necessary to spin the upper sprayarm is being pumped out at the top which results in it actively not cleaning as well as it used to, and I think it doesn't reach the temperatures it needs to anymore either - at least the dishes aren't as hot as they used to be after the wash anymore.
At this point, I am 50/50 between both just being cheap garbage (they *do* have suspiciously identical "washing chambers"(? Not sure what the proper term for that is?), despite being from different manufacturers...) and me just plain handling them wrong.
Side note: The manual stated for both that they should be plumbed into *cold* water, not *hot* as their larger brothers seem to require as-per the video.
I wish my rental agreement didn't ban even those.
But having seen the "quality" of some of the plumbing in the building, I totally get why that is the case.
One too many water-hammer events and someone's got a flooded apartment.
I also have a countertop dishwasher and it's amazing for what it is. So many have no idea these exist.
I loved my counter top dish washer. You need to do a good job of scraping, as little food as possible. A tiny amount of soap, too much, and you have to run it again. And set your water heater to as high as reasonable. Fabulous
If any other channel had recommended specific branded products from specific big-box stores, I would assume in a heartbeat that the channel had simply been sponsored by the brand/store. It is the highest possible compliment to your scientific rigor and your demonstrable midwestern frugality that I did not consider even for a second that you were in the pocket of Big Dishwasher Soap.
Big Cheap Dishwasher Powder
Hes not even recommending specific brands. He's saying buy the cheapest stuff lol.
I learned so much from your dishwasher videos! I have figured out a "toolkit" for cleaning my filter, and, over time, figured out all the ways it can be disassembled to make reaching all the nooks & crannies for best results. We were seriously considering replacing our high end dishwasher, until we started following your recommendations & tips. We no longer have the problems that led us to consider replacement, all because we now understand more of the workings & needs of our machine. Thank you so much for saving us so much time & money. I clean the filter & run a cleaning cycle the first of every month. ( I am still amazed, though, at the gross stuff caught by the filter!)
It’s funny, just yesterday I was telling my friend who has dishwasher problems that you have a super long video about dishwashers and here you are today with an updated shorter version. Truly a man of the people!
A continuation of the dishwashers!!! Those two original videos helped me and my partner save a lot of time, energy, and money 😁
Your dishwasher videos should be played at schools. You have taught me details that are so precious!
He's good, a master of his domain.