Why does plastic not dry in the dishwasher?

The dishwasher is done and you just have to put the clean dishes in your cupboards. It could be so easy. But your dishwasher doesn't dry properly and all the dishes are soaking wet when you take them out of the dishwasher under £400, so you have to dry every single item before you put them away. This is not only annoying, but also time-consuming. That's why we'll explain why and give you some useful tips on how to solve the problem of the dishwasher not drying.

Different sources of error

There are different reasons why a dishwasher does not dry the dishes properly. It does not always have to be something broken and an expensive repair necessary with the problem dishwasher does not dry. Often there are also quite banal reasons when the dishes come out of the machine wet. Sometimes, of course, there are serious sources of error that are not so easy to fix. You can find out the possible reasons if you use our guide on the subject of dishwasher does not dry to investigate the causes.

Use of Multitabs

If you use Multitabs, this could be the solution to the problem. If you have been using Multitabs for a long time and the problem has only just appeared, it could still be due to this. Namely, if you have just bought a new dishwasher or have not yet switched to Multitabs for a long time. Changing the brand of dishwasher tabs can also be a reason.

New dishwasher does not dry

Your newly purchased dishwasher doesn't dry properly, then it doesn't necessarily have to be broken. It may actually be due to the use of multitabs, even if you didn't have the problem with your old machine. With older dishwashers, the technology was different. Old machines often have a visible heating coil inside the machine. Thus, the old models consume quite a lot of electricity. Modern machines work more power-saving with a continuous flow heater. The disadvantage of this technology is that the drying results are worse. In principle, this is not a bad thing, because the rinse aid - or rather the chemical processes it triggers - compensates for this disadvantage.

But if you don't use an extra rinse aid, but instead use Multitabs, your new dishwasher may not dry properly. Sure, Multitabs also contain rinse aid, but only a little. In addition, the tabs work differently than normal rinse aid. The tab dissolves in the water of your dishwasher. After each pumping, a residual amount of water remains at the bottom of your machine. This residual water contains all the ingredients from the Multitab, but only a very small amount of rinse aid. This is not enough to compensate for the disadvantage of the new machines in the drying process.

Dishwasher does not dry after switching to Multitabs

Your dishwasher does not dry after you have switched to Multitabs. Then you probably have a newer machine that works with a continuous flow heater and therefore you also experience the problem we have just described. The dryer capacity is not sufficient and cannot be sufficiently compensated by the rinse aid, because the Multitabs contain too little of it.

The problem did not occur immediately when you switched to the Multitabs. Then it is possible that there was still rinse aid in your machine. This was used up first and only then did the problem occur.

Solution: Switch to single products

If your dishwasher does not dry because you are using Multitabs, you can solve the problem easily. Switch to single products. Fill the salt compartment of your machine with dishwasher salt and the rinse aid compartment with rinse aid. Then you use normal dishwasher powder as a cleaner or simple tabs, which consist exclusively of pressed cleaning powder. However, the powder is better to dose. Now your machine should dry properly. The advantage of this variant is, by the way, that you save money and the environment.

Dishwasher rinse aid dosage incorrectly set

If you use separate rinse aid and your dishwasher does not dry, it is also possible that the consumption is set incorrectly and your dishwasher is using too little of it. Try to increase the dosage. But be careful not to set it too high. Too much rinse aid is also not optimal. This can cause streaks to form on your dishes or a bad odor to develop. So it's better to increase the dosage in small steps.

Wrong rinse program

Sometimes the solution for the problem dishwasher does not dry is also quite banal. Just try a different rinse program. As a rule, the short programs dry worse than the full programs.

Dishwasher is defective

Worst case: Your dishwasher does not dry because it is defective. If in doubt, have a technician come and check what's broken. Common problems are:

Defective thermostat

Some dishwashers have a thermostat built in, which measures the internal temperature and controls the washing program depending on the temperature inside the machine. If your machine is one of them, it is possible that this thermostat is defective and that is why your dishwasher does not dry. In such a case, the thermostat of your machine must be replaced so that the problem of dishwasher drying is not fixed.

Burnt out heating element

It could also be that the electrical heating element of your dishwasher is burnt out and is to blame for the dishwasher not drying. In this case, this component in your dishwasher needs to be replaced.

Clogged or defective valves at the water pocket inlet

If the dishwasher doesn't dry problem occurs on a modern machine where the drying process causes the moist air to condense, the fault may also be a clogged or defective valve. These machines have shallow water tanks or water pockets. They are located on the sides of the machine and cover large areas there. After clear rinsing, these tanks are filled with cold water. The idea behind this is to create cold surfaces in the otherwise hot dishwasher where the resulting water vapor can condense. The condensate then runs to the bottom of the machine and can be pumped off from there. Now, if a valve on the inlet of a water pocket is clogged or defective, it cannot be properly filled with cold water. As a result, not enough cold surface is created in your machine, the water vapor cannot condense properly and your dishwasher does not dry properly. You can fix this error by cleaning or replacing the valve.

Defective drying fan

If you have a more expensive dishwasher, it is likely that it has an additional fan that dries the cleaned dishes with heated air. This fan may also be defective and will need to be replaced.

Another tip about the dishwasher does not dry

We hope that you were able or still able to fix your problem quickly and easily. Finally, we have a tip for you, if you are looking for a temporary solution until you have solved the problem or if you have many plastic parts in the dishwasher. Plastic parts always come out of the dishwasher wet anyway, because plastic has worse drying properties than porcelain, metal or glass. Open your dishwasher briefly immediately after the end of the program and let the steam escape. Then place a spread dish towel on the dishes in the upper rack and close the machine. While your dishwasher cools down, the towel absorbs the residual moisture and you no longer need to dry by hand. This also works for plastic dishes.