GE GSD980 How to Choose and Use the Right Detergent, Detergent Dispensers, Close the main cup

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 cart 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	Close the main cup.
	NOTE: To open detergent cup after it has been
	closed, unlatch the door and rotate the Cycle ~-
		&
		-
	Indicator Dial afull turn to the OFFposition,
	When the closed cup contains soap it is	>
		Grasp handle,
	best that the door be in a partially open	rotate and
	position bejore rotating the Cycle	close tightly

Indicator Dial. This will help reduce the amount of detergent and rinse aid agent spillage into the tub.

Detergent Usage Guide (powder or liquid)

	SO~ WATER (O-3 grains hardness)			MEDIUM WATER (3-7 grains)			HARD WATER (7- 12 grains*)
CYCLES	Main Cup	I	Open Cup	Main Cup		Open Cup	Main Cup~		Open Cup4
POTSCRUBBER	Half Full	+ Half Full		Completely	+ Half Full		Completely	+ Completely
NORMAL WASH				Full			Full		Full
LIGHT WASH	Half Full		None	Half Full		None	Completely		None
							Full
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, lime can build up in the water valve. The water valve may stick while open and cause flooding.

~Filled Main Cup holds 3 tablespoons; 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.

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. 7

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