Could you pour vinegar for your rinse agent in your dishwasher?

Pat Kauffman
by Pat Kauffman
Saw how to make DIY dishwasher soap and they said you could put vinegar in a mason jar and place on the top rack for a hard water rinse agent. If you already have a place to pour a rinse agent in your dishwasher already, could you pour and fill vinegar in that without any harm to your dishwasher?

  8 answers
  • B. Enne B. Enne on Apr 29, 2018

    I've done it numerous times, and nothing bad happened.

  • Gk Gk on Apr 29, 2018

    I use vinegar too. It works fine.

    • See 1 previous
    • B. Enne B. Enne on Apr 30, 2018

      I haven't really noticed a difference. I always have a couple of plastic containers that always come out wet no matter what. I used to just open the door, that dries fast and well.

  • Kim Kim on Apr 29, 2018

    I don’t know about the dishwasher but I have a Front loading Washer that I fill the detergent reservoir with vinegar to clean the machine and kill any mold or mildew. Works great! I imagine it would work the same for your Dishwasher. I am also unsure of the rinse agent quality of vinegar but it does clean glass so I think you are on to something!

    😊

  • Nan W. Nan W. on Apr 29, 2018

    I am sold on the Cascade Complete 12x pod products. I had TERRIBLE lime problems and my glasses with so cloudy. After the first time using this product, problem solved. (They are not the cheapest dishwashing product on the market... but certainly worth it!) I've passed this tip on to many... they are blown away too!

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Apr 29, 2018

    I have hard water and even with the cascade complete that I also use, I still was getting some hard water deposit on the inside stainless steel on the dishwasher. I now fill the rinse agent reservoir with vinegar and it helps that part a lot. I did find that the cascade complete did take care of the cloudiness on the glass things washed.

  • Yes most definitely

  • Gk Gk on Apr 29, 2018

    I leave my dishes in the dishwasher overnight after washing. The dishes and silverware will get dry from the residual heat but any plastic items will stay wet. I take those out and air dry them in my kitchen strainer. Keep in mind that the vinegar is not as good as the store bought rinse agents. When I keep forgetting to buy the rinse aid I use vinegar or nothing.