03 Jun 2026
Customer dishwasher hack cheat sheet:
- Lift tea stains from mugs and teapots
- Give oven racks an overnight soak
- Tackle build-up on shower heads and hoses
- Freshen up a kettle
- Always wear gloves when handling Dishwasher Tablets directly
- Rinse thoroughly afterwards
According to smol customers, our Dishwasher Tablet is quite the overachiever.
Of course, they’re made for tackling dirty dishes in your dishwasher. But our customers are an inventive bunch, and over the years, they’ve shared some rather unexpected ways they use theirs around the home too.
So we went through all the hacks we’ve been sent and rounded up four of the more straightforward ones.
NB: smol Dishwasher Tablets are formulated and assessed for use in dishwashers. The ideas below come from our customers rather than uses we've tested our tablets for. If you choose to give one a go, always wear gloves when handling a tablet directly and rinse thoroughly afterwards.
1. Rescue tea-stained mugs and teapots.
We’ve all got a mug in our cupboard that has “really lived.”!
One hack customers have shared with us is using a Dishwasher Tablet soak to help shift stubborn tea staining.
- Dilute a Dishwasher Tablet in warm water
- Leave your mug or teapot to soak in the solution
- Rinse thoroughly afterwards
Very satisfying to give your favourite mug a well-deserved makeover.
2. Give oven racks an overnight soak.
If your oven racks look like they've seen better days, our customers have answers…
- Wrap the oven racks in aluminium foil
- Place them in a bath, large sink or suitable container
- Cover with warm water
- Wearing gloves, place a Dishwasher Tablet on top of each foil-wrapped rack
- Leave overnight
- Rinse the racks thoroughly afterwards
- Pop the aluminum foil in the recycling.
Don’t forget to give your bath, sink or container a really good rinse once you're done too. Our Multi Purpose Spray or Bathroom Spray will clean things up in no time.
3. Tackle build-up on shower heads and hoses.
If your shower has slowed to more of a gentle drizzle smol customers have told us they soak the shower head with a Dishwasher Tablet as part of their cleaning routine.
- Add a Dishwasher Tablet to warm water
- Leave the shower head or hose to soak in the solution in a sink, or suitable plastic bag
- Rinse thoroughly several times afterwards
Enjoy the monsoon effect!
4. Freshen up a kettle.
Hard water leaving its mark on your kettle?
Another customer hack we've heard is using a diluted Dishwasher Tablet soak to clean inside a kettle:
- Dissolve a Dishwasher Tablet in warm water inside the kettle
- Leave it to soak
- Empty it completely
- Rinse the kettle thoroughly several times afterwards before using it again
And remember to wear gloves whenever you're handling the Dishwasher Tablet itself.
Don’t forget the dishes.
Of course, there is one place we have specifically designed our Dishwasher Tablets to work.
Your dishwasher.
They're made to tackle the food, grease and grime left behind on your dishes without having to unwary individual tablets or buy plastic packs.
If you’ve any Dishwasher Tablet hacks of your own, we love hearing them. Just remember though, our Dishwasher Tablets are formulated and assessed for use in your dishwasher, so alternative uses aren't ones we've tested for product performance.
Dishwasher Tablet cleaning FAQs.
Catherine Green, Cleaning Expert
Catherine has been on a mission to revolutionise the way we tackle chores since the dawn of smol and is an advocate for making more sustainable living accessible to all, with a strong focus in cleaning that’s heavy on dirt, lighter on the planet and gentle on the skin. Catherine has tested hundreds of hacks to make tackling chores easier, safer, and better for the planet and our homes.
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