Frequently Asked Questions About Dishwashers

Q: What is a dishwasher?

A: A dishwasher is a washing machine for cleaning utensils. Unlike manual dishwashing, which relies largely on physical scrubbing to clean, IFB Dishwasher cleans by spraying 30-70°C hot water at the utensils, helped by IFB’s own Dishwasher Detergent and dried with steam. It is just like a washing machine that you use to wash clothes.

Q: Can a dishwasher clean Indian masala stains and heavy utensils like kadhai?

A: A dishwasher can easily clean all types of masala, oil stains and greasy food residue. IFB Dishwashers have various programs that ensure that all utensils, from Western to Indian, are hygienically washed.

Q: If we have to pre-rinse the dishes before loading them, what’s the use of buying a dishwasher?

A: You don’t have to pre-rinse the dishes. All you have to do is scrape off the leftovers from the dishes and load them in the dishwasher. Your IFB Dishwasher will do the rest.

Q: Does a dishwasher have space for my kadhai, patila and other large utensils?

A: With two baskets and cutlery tray, you can easily load your kadhais, pots, pans, plates, spoons, ladle, servers and glassware in an IFB Dishwasher.

Q: Is a dishwasher suitable for stainless steel utensils used in Indian homes or aluminum and bronze dishes?

A: An IFB Dishwasher is suitable for utensils such as stainless steel, glassware, bone china, microwaveable and dishwasher-safe plastics. Utensils like plastic casseroles, wood, and metal ones made of aluminum, copper, silver, gold and bronze should not be used in a dishwasher.

Q: Do dishwashers completely fill with water when cleaning the dishes and how do they scrub the dishes?

A: In an IFB Dishwasher, 360° powerful spray arms and shower sprays 70° Celsius hot water with high pressure to remove all the stubborn masala and oil stains, giving utensils a clean, hygienic wash without the need for scrubbing. This hands-free washing doesn’t affect and dry your hands like manual dishwashing.

Q. Will it take a lot of time to wash dishes in a dishwasher?

A: Loading a dishwasher takes only 5 minutes, and you are free to do other work while the dishwasher washes the utensils for you. On the other hand, it takes between 30 minutes to 1 hour for washing utensils by hand.

Q: What is the program duration in IFB dishwashers?

A: IFB Dishwashers have a minimum time of 18 minutes in Jet Wash, 30 minutes for Quick Wash and a maximum of 183 minutes for Auto Intensive program.

Q: Where do I place the dishwasher? It won’t fit in my kitchen!

A: The dishwasher fits into any Indian kitchen, requiring only 60 cm wide space. You can also install it in your balcony. Dishwasher can be placed next to the kitchen platform, under the kitchen slab, utility area or balcony.

Q: Will my electricity bill go up?

A: A dishwasher is highly energy-efficient and uses only 1 unit of energy for each wash (power consumption depends on program selected, load and inlet water temp.

Q: Will my water bill go up?

A: An IFB Dishwasher is highly water-efficient and uses just 9 litres for a wash in Eco program.

Q: Is it hygienic to wash baby bottles in it?

A: Its 70°C temperature wash kills up to 99.9% germs and is suitable for hygienically cleaning baby bottles as well.

Q: Can I use my normal detergent/liquid soap/handwash detergents in the dishwasher?

A: Normal detergents are not meant be used in dishwasher as they can’t give desired results. Normal detergents cause very high foam and may lead to dishwasher malfunction. It is recommended to use IFB Essentials Autodish Dishwashing Detergent, Autodish Rinse Aid and Dishwashing Salt or Dishwasher Tablets, which are tested for Indian cooking conditions.

Q: Where can I buy dishwasher detergent, salt and rinse aid?

A: You can place an order on https://www.ifbappliances.com/ifb-essentials/dish-care.

Q. The water hardness is more than 800 ppm. Will the dishwasher work?

A: Dishwashers are meant to work below 800 ppm. A higher level of water hardness will leave white mineral/calcium spots on the utensils. You can install an external water softener with a dishwasher to get good results.

Q: If there is a power failure, will the dishwasher need to be reloaded?

A: IFB Dishwashers are programmed with an Auto Restart feature. This means that they resume their wash cycle from where they left off upon resumption of power.

Q. Can I wash fewer utensils in the IFB Dishwasher?

A: Yes. IFB Dishwashers have a Flexi Half Load option for fewer dishes, which allows you to load utensils in lower rack, middle rack or top cutlery tray.

Q: What are the colours available in IFB Dishwasher?

A: Dark Silver, Inox Grey White, Silver-Stainless Steel Finish options are available in IFB Dishwasher range.

Q: What is the warranty on IFB Dishwasher?

A: IFB Dishwashers come with 2 years comprehensive warranty.

Q: Why doesn’t plasticware dry in dishwasher?

A: Plastic items are more difficult to dry because they have a lower thermal mass than ceramic or metal items in the dish load, causing them to cool faster than the other items during the drying cycle.

Q: What happens if I do not use Rinse Aid?

A: Utensils do not dry and develop a lot of water stains/white marks on them.

Q: Can a dishwasher clean burnt/charred milk or tea pans?

A: Burnt or charred utensils need extra effort. Just scrub off the area on the dishes before loading in the dishwasher.

Q: I am unable to load all the utensils in one go. Can I overload the dishwasher?

A: No. Please do not overload your dishwasher as it may block the movement of spray arms and restrict water flow to the utensils. This will reduce washing efficiency of the dishwasher and may cause damage to spray arms. You can run two to three wash cycles in a day depending on number of meals.

Q: Can I just put all utensils in the dishwasher randomly and start?

A: No. Load the IFB Dishwasher as per given instructions for best wash results.

Q: Do I need to clean the IFB Dishwasher or is there any maintenance involved?

A: Yes. Once a week, take out the filter and clean under tap water.

Q: How do I prevent odour in dishwasher?

A: Dishwasher is self cleaning appliance; it doesn’t need to be cleaned like a sink. However, once a week or when required, clean the filter. You can also keep the dishwasher door partially open after use for the moisture to vanish.

Q: What happens if I use normal kitchen salt in the dishwasher?

A: Kitchen salt contains other impurities that may spoil the internal water softener. This will result in white patches/film on vessels after wash.

Q: What is the purpose of the Tablet button on IFB Dishwasher?

A: When you activate Tablet button, dishwasher deactivates the Salt and Rinse Aid consumption. Even if the Salt and Rinse Aid are filled, they will not be used during the wash cycle.

Q: Can I use dishwasher for commercial purpose like hotel or restaurant?

A: Domestic dishwashers are designed for home use only. IFB also manufactures Industrial Dishwashers meant for commercial purposes where dishwashing load is higher.

Q: Why is foam on the bottom side of the dishwasher after completion of the program?

A: It is because detergent or rinse aid quality is not good, wrong rinse aid setting chosen or excessive detergent used in the dishwasher. If the supply to your dishwasher is of soft water, please reduce the detergent dosage and rinse aid settings.

Q: Why are water droplets present on dishes after using Quick Wash/Super Wash/Prewash?

A: Quick Wash/Super Wash/Prewash and other programs with less than 1 hour wash cycles do not have drying cycle.  It is normal to see water droplets after using such short programs.

Q: Is there any dishwasher that can wash dishes with normal handwashing detergent?

A: No. One has to use the special dishwasher detergent, rinse aid and salt meant for dishwashers only.

Q: Is there a dishwasher model which has space to accommodate all utensils in one go?

A: Dishwasher sizes are mostly standard across all brands. IFB Neptune VX 16 and IFB Neptune SX16 are the largest dishwashers in India with up to 16 Place settings.

Q: Why are my plastic vessels deformed after washing in a dishwasher?

A: Those are non-heat-resistant plastic vessels and not meant to be washed in dishwashers. It is best to load dishwasher-safe utensils in it.

Q: Do I need to soak tea/milk/rice bowls before loading in a dishwasher?

A: If they extra sticky, it is good to soak them in water for a while to prevent stickiness and then load in the dishwasher. If the food has hardened or dried in the utensil, you can use prewash to moisten the dried food and clean them before washing. This will give the same effect as soaking the utensils.