It kind of defeats the "automatic" part of the automatic cycle, but you won't do if too often.

Wait until after the main wash drains and then open the door and pour in a shot glass (1oz) or so of LCB, then resume the cycle. 

This way you get the bleaching action, you don't have to worry about it interfering with the detergent's enzymes and in the process you get some disinfection action from the bleach.

Another thing you can do is place stained plastic ware out in the sun on a sunny day.  I sometimes set a few pieces on the picnic table if the wind isn't too bad, we're talking Kansas here.  The UV rays will naturally bleach out the red stains.

Palmolove Eco has chlorine in it.  My mother and I both use it in our KUDI23's

I had been using Cascade Complete pacs without issue but then the last batch I got was really foamy, much like the pictures and complaints here.

It's very annoying...P&G wants people to be brand loyal, but they seem to have forgotten the reason people are brand loyal is because they are expecting the product to work and smell the same way each time.

If you want a surprise you might as well buy whatever is on sale.

The ONLY pacs/tabs I can use in my KUDI23 are Miele and Finish powerball with the hard red ball in the middle.  EVERY other kind foams up too much with our water softener.  The finish tabs don't etch as bad as the powder years ago but still will do it over time.  I'd be hesitant in one of the new minimal water dishwashers because the detergent would be more concentrated with the smaller amount of water used. 

It's been my impression over the years that chlorine bleach should not be used in Bosch dishwashers, due to the potential for corrosion of stainless steel from free chlorine. However my Bosch SHU43C user manual doesn't mention anything other than use a detergent designed for automatic dishwashers (no hand wash detergents).

Even so, I've never used chlorine in my Bosch and probably never will.

Bosch recommends using Finish Tabs, either Powerball or Quantum. The linked page says the Quantum product includes a bleach (oxygen). However, the Finish Powerball Max-in-One tabs I've been using contain sodium percarbonate, which is an oxygen bleach.

From Wikipedia:

"As an oxidizing agent, sodium percarbonate is an ingredient in a number of home and laundry cleaning products, including non-chlorine bleach products such as Oxyper, OxiClean, Tide laundry detergent,^[1] and Vanish.^[4]

"Many commercial products mix a percentage of sodium percarbonate with sodium carbonate. The average percentage of an "Oxy" product in the supermarket is 65% sodium percarbonate and 35% sodium carbonate. The "ultra boosters" seen on infomercials may contain as much as 80% sodium percarbonate. However, sodium percarbonate is less expensive in its pure form^{[citation needed]} and can be adjusted to any percentage the user desires."

One note: the air gap for the drain line has a cap at the top of the sink. Periodically I check that cap; quite often it has some food debris that is flushed and gets caught in the cap. Simple enough to clear that out. If it gets too clogged the DW won't drain properly. And debris in there is not a sign of DW failure... the "large object filter" at the bottom of the dishwasher is designed to send medium to smaller particles down the drain. The problem is really the design of the air gap, I've modified it slightly to make it less prone to catch debris that the DW filer is designed to pass on through to the drain line, but it still happens. Oh well. It's no biggie to check it before each cycle. I might have to modify it again.

PS-Just checked on the chlorine/Bosch question again. Bosch does prohibit the use of chlorine bleach with its Axxis clothes washers. But it does not prohibit its use in its dishwashers.  In fact, at least one Bosch page recommends using a chlorine bleach containing DW detergent if tea stains persist. So there.

Glad that worked well for you.  My mother's been using it for years.  I just bought some a couple of weeks ago to have on hand since I use chlorine based powdered detergent primarily.  I just finished off my Cascade fryer boil out...didn't really care for it.  Cascade gel with the power of Clorox has chlorine in it...the powdered version DOES NOT...it's oxygen bleach (which is misleading since it has the Clorox label on it).  I really like this that I bought on ebay.

That's why we still use those types of detergents...Mother and I both have 1994 model KUDI 23's and my Maytag is old school too from 1997.

Deborah,

Bosch specifically warns NOT to use chlorine bleach in its AXXIS  front loader washer.

drive.google.com/file/d/0B8OAhHo...

On page 13, see the following:

"DO NOT use chlorine bleach in this washing machine."

While the manual doesn't explain why, I have read in past forum posts here or elsewhere, that it's because the chlorine bleach could damage the washer's heating element.

Also, chlorine bleach can and has caused pitting corrosion of stainless steel. There's an interesting thread somewhere on the internet I read some years ago, in a craft brew site, of an instance where sterilizing stainless steel brewing containers with chlorine bleach resulted in such pitting corrosion to the point where the vessels no longer could hold pressure due to pinhole leaks.

What makes stainless steel rust-resistant is a protective chromium oxide layer that forms on exposure to air. This layer is what protects the steel from rusting. The problem with chlorine bleach is that it can remove or compromise the chromium oxide layer and allow corrosion of the steel to occur.

In the case of the brewing vessels, I recall that the theory was that the bleach solution was not thoroughly rinsed out, and allowed to remain. As the solution evaporated, droplets of it became more and more concentrated, to the point where the concentrated bleach attacked the protective chromium oxide layer and resulted in the pinhole leaks.

You may also note that the Bosch Axxis washer does not have a compartment for bleach.

Nor do any of my Miele clothes washers.

Instead, oxygen bleach and high temperatures can be used to remove stains.

Also, on page 17 of the Bosch Axxis manual linked above:

WARNING

DO NOT use chlorine bleach in this washing machine.

CAUTION

Decolorants may contain sulphur or chlorine.

These substances can cause parts of the washing machine to corrode. Do not decolorize items of laundry in the washing machine.

My 22 year old Asko says not to use chlorine.   I've been using it the entire time I've owned it and have had zero problems.  The heating element isn't even discolored.  Miele also doesn't recommend but again I've been using it...but not on the 190F cycle.

Great post, Alexander. It explains quite well the problem with chlorine and how to avoid it.

I was rummaging around my fish pond supplies the other day, and came across a tub of sodium thiosulfate. I used to mix up a concentration of that, and then use a metered siphon to add it to the make up water that runs into the pond from the tap every morning on a timer. However since a few years ago, the local water service changed from elemental chlorine to chloramine, the actual chlorine levels plummeted and I've been able to get by without any thiosulfate usage since.

Just as an aside... salt water can corrode stainless steel, from the chloride ion in salt, which is sodium chloride. The steels with more nickel, like 18-8 or 304, are more resistant to salt water corrosion. 18-8 mean 18% chromium, 8% nickel. Even more resistant to salt water is 316, which is 16% chromium, 10% nickel, and 2% molybdenum. The molybdenum gives it more salt resistance.

There are many different types of stainless steel. In broad categories, they might be ferritic (usually magnetic), martensitic (harder, like for knives), precipitation hardening, or austenitic (generally non magnetic unless worked). The 304 and 316 types are austenitic. Most stainless steel knives (for cutting) are martensitic. Most stainless cutlery is austenitic, with the better quality being 304 or 316. It's a complex subject and even two knives made from the same type steel may have different characteristics depending on how they are manufactured.