Sound Advice
By Don Lindich
Week 11, 2018
Q. Your answer to the “wetness” with Bosch dishwashers is not entirely correct. Plastics like Tupperware will almost always have some residual water droplets due to the surface of the product. It is also imperative to use a drying agent like Jet-Dry rinse aid to ensure the best results. Did you know about the importance of rinse aid?
-J.L., Minneapolis, MN
A. I consider rinse aid to be as essential as detergent, which is why I did not include it in my answer. The dishwasher instructions are clear that rinse aid is absolutely necessary, and my Bosch dishwasher even has a warning light that indicates when it needs to be added. If anyone out there has drying problems and is not using rinse aid, that should be your first step.
Actually, I have not had any problems with water drops sticking to plastics. I only have issues with water pooling in the crevices of the washed items, which I feel would not be there if the dishwasher dried with a heating element. Other than that, I am extremely happy with my Bosch dishwasher.
In a prior column I suggested raising the hot water heater temperature to help the drying process. The reader wrote back and said it solved his drying problem, but J.R. of San Jose, CA sent this helpful warning about raising the water temperature too much. “Most plumbing codes state a maximum of 120 degrees. This is a balance between Legionnaires’ disease and people being scalded. Older people may not feel how hot the water is, and get scalded.” Thank you, J.R., and everyone please be careful when raising the hot water temperature!
Reader S.V. of Pittsburgh, PA said, “I try to run my Bosch dishwasher at night so it has time to stand, cool down and condense. I hardly ever need to empty it immediately, so it works.” I have noticed myself that starting the dishwasher before bedtime always leads to dry dishes in the morning, so perhaps this simple advice is the best of all.
Sbode Bluetooth Sport Earphones for only $23.99: These earphones are an excellent value and left me quite impressed. Their wonderful sound is clear and natural without a hint of hiss or noise, and is much better than you would expect for the budget price. The bass does not go especially deep, but there is enough bass present that the earphones do not sound thin. A semi-hard case and charging cable are included.
The Sbode Bluetooth Sport Earphones are also very comfortable and stay in place easily. The eartips are soft and pliant, and the substantial body of the earphones and flexible yet firm earhooks balance them perfectly on your ears. The earhooks have a soft finish, which contributes to the overall comfort. A large and easy-to-activate button calls up Siri for iPhone users, and phone call clarity from the microphone is excellent as well.
The Sbode Bluetooth Sport Earphones earphones include Qualcomm CV6.0 noise cancellation, but the literature is unclear as to whether it is for phone calls, for suppressing outside sounds, or both. I tried them on the stationary bike at the gym and can’t say they seemed any quieter than any other earphones I have tried. No matter how they do it, once the music starts playing the noise of the outside world is kept at bay.
For under $24 you can’t go wrong. Sbode has a Facebook page with weekly giveaways and a store on Amazon where you can see their products.