Watch: 6 surprising uses for dishwasher tablets
There are lots of online hacks that claim your dishwasher tablets can clean more than just dirty plates and crockery.
We wanted to try some of these out to see whether they can effectively clean ovens, clothes, walls, fridges and furniture.
- Dishwasher tablets will do a good job with some household cleaning tasks and can lift away some stains effectively.
- But they won't work with every kind of grime and conventional cleaning products will be better for some household tasks.
Watch our video above to see our tests in action and keep reading to find out if it's worth keeping a pack of cheap dishwasher tablets just for these cleaning tasks.
Looking for the most effective way to clean your dishes? Head straight to our dishwasher tablet reviews
1. Cleaning a burnt saucepan
Burnt food stuck to a saucepan can be a pain to remove, and scrubbing it could ruin the coating. One of the best hacks we discovered is using a dishwasher tablet to lift away the residue.
Simply fill your saucepan with water, pop a dishwasher tablet in, put it on a medium heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. This will loosen the burnt remnants so it's easy to wipe them off.
Make sure to check the manufacturer's instructions for your saucepan before you do this, though. This is particularly important if you have a non-stick saucepan as you don't want to damage the coating. And remember to rinse any pans you clean this way thoroughly afterwards.
See our pick of the best saucepans to find out which heat quickly and evenly
2. Cleaning an oven
Keeping your oven pristine is one of the trickiest kitchen cleaning tasks, so we wanted to see if a dishwasher tablet could help remove grease and grime.
Our tests had mixed results and the tablets were most effective at cleaning the shelves, rather than the oven doors or walls.
The best way to do this is by leaving the shelves to soak in a tub of hot water with a tablet for a few hours – but make sure to cushion them with towels or a mat to avoid scratching your bath.
Take a look at our oven cleaner reviews - Best Buys start from just £1.49
3. Cleaning clothes
We're not suggesting chucking a dishwasher tablet in your washing machine if you've run out of laundry detergent, but they are useful for tackling stubborn stains.
Leave your soiled clothing in hot water with a tablet overnight before putting it through the wash and it should come out spotless.
Make sure you only do this with white clothing, though, or you could end up bleaching the colour out.
We reveal the best washing powders and laundry detergents that blitzed everyday dirt and stains in our tests
4. Cleaning walls
From food splashes to crayon marks, there are lots of ways your walls can get dirty. Could a dishwasher tablet be the answer for removing unsightly marks?
Cleaning crayon marks from a wall using warm water with a dissolved tablet did work, but actually we think washing-up liquid is a better option.
Try re-painting high traffic areas in your home with durable paint – find out which was the best washable paint in our tests
5. Cleaning fridges and garden furniture
Similarly to cleaning walls, a dissolved dishwasher tablet will also suffice for cleaning the inside of your fridge and garden furniture.
However, we found it easier, cheaper and quicker to use washing-up liquid.
Deep clean your fridge with our handy step-by-step guide
6. Cleaning vases
If you love having fresh flowers around your home, you might find your glass or crystal vases become stained or cloudy. It can be tricky to reach the bottom to clean them thoroughly, so we tried a dishwasher tablet to see if it could help.
It would have been great if dropping a dishwasher tablet inside the vase could fix the stains, but unfortunately the results were pretty underwhelming when we tried it.
