However, there was some good news. As we didn’t need the full -20C protection we economised and tried a few different concentrations to see how they fared in the freezer. A mix of 50/50 with water was still squirting after 12 hours at -18C, so it would seem Halfords is understating its performance. Not to mention that clothes can sometimes feel quite tough and rough after being washed in a machine that has been cleaned with a dishwasher tablet. To rectify this problem, you may need to go out and buy some fabric softener to re-soften the clothes – the end result is just more cost for you. 4. The ingredients in dishwasher tablets are not designed for washing machines We tried it at the suggested level for protection down to -22C and it was fine and fluid after several hours in the freezer, but at that mix ratio it would make little more than half a litre. In fact, the instructions only suggest diluting it by up to a factor of 3:1, which means one bottle would only make a litre of fluid. Since the average washer reservoir is three to four litres, that’s going to be expensive.

small measuring jug (if you want to be really precise) or a short glass tumbler (if you want to measure by eye)While you may be able to get rid of this by running another hot wash, this is a needless waste of time and energy.

The cleaner has a pleasing citrus scent that’s not quite as overpowering as most conventional cleaners. You can use it in all types of washing machines—front loaders, top loaders, HE (high-efficiency), and non-HE. It’s also perfectly safe for septic systems.

But you shouldn’t really clean the sides and floor of the oven with these tablets because you need to use a specialised product, or an actual tested method, to do it. If you do use a dishwasher tablet to clean these areas, you risk damaging them. Some tablets also feature gel inserts and powerballs that do a range of extra functions such as degreasing and cleaning the dishwasher itself.