GE Monogram ZBD3500 manual How to Choose and Use the Right Detergent, Detergent Dispensers

Main Cup

Open

Cup

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

(continued)

How to Choose and Use the Right Detergent

Use only powder or liquid detergent specifically made for use in dishwashers. Other types will cause oversudsing.

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

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.

Detergent Dispensers

You’ll find two detergent dispensers on the inside door of your dishwasher. Two, because some cycles use two washes.

See ‘‘Detergent Usage Guide’’ below. (Be sure the CYCLE INDICATOR DIAL is at OFF position before adding detergent. Otherwise,

the detergent cup will not close and latch properly.)

Close the main cup.

NOTE: To open detergent cup after it has been closed, simply turn the detergent cup handle counter-clockwise until it releases. A snapping sound may be heard. This is normal when the detergent cup opens.

Grasp handle and turn counter-clockwise

Detergent Usage Guide (powder or liquid)

	SOFT WATER			MEDIUM WATER			HARD WATER
	(0-3 grains hardness)			(3-7 grains)			(7-12 grains*)
CYCLES	Main Cup		Open Cup	Main Cup		Open Cup	Main Cup‡		Open Cup‡
NORMAL				Completely			Completely		Completely
		+			+			+
POTS PANS	Half Full		Half Full	Full		Half Full	Full		Full
CHINA CRYSTAL	Half Full		None			None	Completely Full		None
RINSE HOLD	Use no detergent			Use no detergent			Use no detergent
*12 grains and up is extremely hard water. A water softener is recommended. Without it,							‡ Filled Main Cup holds 3 tablespoons;
lime can build up in the water valve. The water valve may stick while open and cause flooding.							filled Open Cup holds 2 tablespoons.

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.

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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 POTS PANS 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.