Detergent Usage Guide; To Prepare Dishes For Washing - GE GPF40BC Use And Care Manual

How to Choose and Use the Right Detergent
powder or liquid detergent specifically
Use only
made for use in dishwashers. Other types will cause
How much detergent should you use? That depends.
Is your water "hard" or "soft"? With hard water, you
need extra detergent to get dishes clean. With soft water,
you need less detergent.
Your water department can tell you how hard your
water is. So can your county extension agent or your
area's water softener company. Just call and ask them
how many "grains" of hardness there are in your water.
Too much detergent with soft water not only wastes
money, it can be harmful. It can cause a permanent
Detergent Dispensers
You'll find two detergent dispensers on the inside
door of your dishwasher. Two, because
some cycles use two washes.
"Detergent Usage Guide "below.
See
DIAL is at OFb" position before
adding detergent. Otherwise,
the detergent cup will not
and latch properly).
close

Detergent Usage Guide

SOFT WATER (0-3 grains hardness)
Main Cup
CYCLES
Half Full
POTSCRUBBER
NORMAL WASH
Half Full
LIGHT WASH
SHORT WASH
RINSE & HOLD
grains and up is extremely hard water. A water softener is recommended. Without it, lime
* 12
can build up in the water valve. The water valve may stick while open and cause flooding.
How to Prepare the Dishes for Washing
If this is your first dishwasher, or if you're replacing
a much older model, you may wonder how much
preparation your dishes need. Actually very little.
Scrape off bones, seeds, skins, toothpicks and
other hard solids. Remove excessive quantities
of oil or grease.
Open
cup
cup
(powder or liquid)
Open Cup
None
Use
no detergent
cloudiness of glassware, called "etching." An outside
layer of glass is etched away! Of course, this takes some
time. But why take a chance when it's easy to find out the
hardness of your water.
Keep your detergent fresh and dry. Under the sink
isn't a good place to store detergent because there is too
much moisture. Don't put powder detergent into the
dispenser until you're ready to wash dishes, either. (It
won't be fresh OR dry.)
If your powder detergent gets old or lumpy, throw it
away. Old detergent often won't dissolve. If you use a
liquid dishwasher detergent, these precautions are not
necessary because liquid detergents don't "lump" as
they age or come in contact with moisture.
Close the main cup.
NOTE: To open detergent cup afier it has been
closed, unlatch the door and rotate the Cycle <~ *
Indicator Dial a full turn to the OFFposltion.
When the closed cup contains soap it is
best that the door be in u partially open
position before rotating the Cycle
detergent and rinse aid agent spillage into the tub.
MEDIUM WATER (3-7 grains)
Main Cup Open Cup
Completely
Full
Half Full None
Use no detergent
NOTE: You may also want to consider removing
foods such as mustard, mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon
juice and other foods that can cause discoloration of
stainless steel if allowed to remain on dishes for a
long period of time.
The POTSCRUBBER cycle can wash heavily soiled
dishes and remove dried-on and baked-on soils from
pots, pans and casseroles. Items with burned-on
soils need extra preparation.
Grasp handle,
rotate and
close
tightly
HARD WATER (7- 12 grains*)
Main CupX Open Cup~
Completely
Full Full
Completely None
Full
Use
no detergent
Filled Open Cup holds 2 tablespoons.
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