A Miele dishwasher is a user-friendly, efficient, and reliable appliance to use in your home. However, as with all kitchen appliances, they have loads of symbols that represent different programmes, functions, and settings.
These symbols are important to understand in order to get the most out of your appliance, but if you’ve misplaced your user manual, it can be challenging to know exactly what’s going on with all the different images you’ll find on your dishwasher.
This guide will break down all of the different symbols you will find on your Miele dishwasher, from the control panel to the different containers on the appliance.
Control Panel Symbols
The control panel of your dishwasher is where you will control the appliance. There, you will see various buttons and indicator lights that correlate with different symbols. Here are the symbols you will see on the control panel and what they mean.
On/Off
Overview: The On/Off symbol is labeled with the standard “I” and “O,” with the “I” representing power and the “O” representing power off. This is a very straightforward and universally recognised symbol, making it easy to use. Pressing the button with this symbol will turn your dishwasher on or off.
Best Used For: Turning your appliance on or off.
Benefits/Drawbacks: This makes it easy to turn your appliance on and off.
Programme Selection
Overview: The Programme Selection symbol is a simple arrow pointing to the right.
Best Used For: You can use the button with this symbol to choose between the different dishwashing programmes available on your appliance.
Benefits/Drawbacks: You can choose between six different options, which will be shown on the display. The programme selection button makes it easy to scroll through your options until you find the right one.
Intense Zone
Overview: The Intense Zone symbol is a representation of the two baskets in your dishwasher. There are scattered lines streaming downwards into the bottom basket, representing a shower of water.
Best Used For: The Intense Zone function increases cleaning performance in the lower basket and can be used with any selected programme.
Benefits/Drawbacks: This function will provide a more intensive clean to the items in the lower basket of your dishwasher, meaning you’ll be able to clean even more heavily soiled pots and pans. However, this function might not be suitable for more delicate items like glasses, due to the intense water pressure used.
Express
Overview: The Express function symbol is represented by a circle with a small section highlighted black to show one small portion of time.
Best Used For: This function can be used to reduce the programme duration of any cycle.
Benefits/Drawbacks: This is a great function to use if you’re short on time, or need your dishes washed quickly to cook a meal, serve dinner guests, etc. However, applying this function might mean that your dishes are less thoroughly cleaned, so it’s best used on lightly soiled dishes.
Timer
Overview: The Timer symbol is a simple clock with two hands.
Best Used For: The Timer function can be used to delay the start of your programme.
Benefits/Drawbacks: A delayed start is a great function for when you want to take advantage of off-peak energy rates, or perhaps want your appliance to run at a specific time, such as when you’re out of the house. This is also a great option for those who might forget to start their dishwasher – you can set the timer for when you want it to run and forget about it.
Selection
Overview: These Selection buttons look like two arrows, one pointing up and one pointing down.
Best Used For: These buttons can be used to move through options in the programme menu, for changing values displayed on the screen, and for scrolling to other menu pages.
Benefits/Drawbacks: Since there are so many different programmes, functions, settings, and other options on your Miele dishwasher, these selection buttons make it easy to scroll through them all and view each option on the display panel before selecting your choice.
OK
Overview: The ‘OK’ button is represented by the two letters OK, which is easy to identify and understand.
Best Used For: This button can be used to select and confirm the menu option or value displayed on the display screen once you have scrolled through the choices. It can also be used to confirm messages that pop up on the display.
Benefits/Drawbacks: This button makes confirming your selection easy, and you will be unlikely to accidentally select the wrong option.
Back
Overview: The Back button looks like a line moving straight and then curving all the way backwards, with an arrow pointing back (towards the left).
Best Used For: This can be used to undo a confirmation (which was done using the OK button), to delete values that had been previously set, or to navigate back to a previous menu.
Benefits/Drawbacks: This button makes it extremely easy to undo any mistakes you might have made during the selection process. This makes the appliance very user-friendly and easy to work with.
Programme Symbols
The following symbol represent the five different programme options available on a Miele dishwasher. This section will break down what the symbols look like and how to use each programme correctly.
Eco
Overview: The Eco programme symbol is simply the word ‘ECO’ in all capital letters, making it simple and easy to identify.
Best Used For: This is the most energy-efficient programme available. It runs at 50 degrees and is best suited for washing normally soiled dishes.
Benefits/Drawbacks: This programme is more energy efficiency because it uses less water and heats the water to a lower temperature. For this reason, it’s not well-suited to heavily soiled items like greasy pots and pans. However, it can save energy and be better for the environment as well as your pocket.
Auto
Overview: The Auto programme symbol is two arrows pointing towards one another in a circle.
Best Used For: This programme will automatically detect the amount and soil-level of your dishes and adjust the temperature accordingly from 45 to 65 degrees.
Benefits/Drawbacks: This programme is ideal for daily use, but might not be well suited to more heavily soiled items like pots and pans, since the maximum temperature is 65 degrees, and these items might require a higher heat to be thoroughly cleaned.
Gentle
Overview: The Gentle programme is represented by a wine glass with a sparkle on the top.
Best Used For: This programme runs at 45 degrees and can be used to gently clean more delicate items like wine glasses and other dainty glassware.
Benefits/Drawbacks: This programme can only be used to wash lightly soiled items, as the water pressure and temperature are not high enough to offer a thorough clean on normally to more heavily soiled items.
Quick Power Wash
Overview: The Quick Power Wash symbol is a clock above a wavy line which represents the top rack of your dishwasher.
Best Used For: This programme runs at 65 degrees for a short period of time. It’s ideal for lightly to normally soiled dishes that you need to have washed and ready relatively quickly.
Benefits/Drawbacks: The Quick Power Wash programme can be used to quickly wash a load of dishes, but won’t be able to clean heavily soiled items without a pre-rinse.
Intensive
Overview: The Intensive programme symbol looks like a pot inside a frying pan.
Best Used For: This programme is the one you should select to wash your more heavily soiled items such as greasy pots and pans. It runs at a maximum temperature of 75 degrees which is the hottest programme.
Benefits/Drawbacks: This programme will be able to wash even the dirtiest dishes, but it’s not very energy efficient due to the high temperatures and large volume of water used throughout the cycle.
Further Programmes/Settings
Overview: The symbol of two squares (one in front of the other) represents the ‘Further Programmes/Settings’ icon.
Best Used For: If you choose this symbol when selecting a programme, you will be presented with a selection of further options with different cycles and settings.
Benefits/Drawbacks:
Here are the options you will be presented with.
Quick Wash:
This is a programme with a very short duration used to remove fresh food residue from your dishes, or to wash lightly soiled glasses and plastics that can’t handle high temperatures.
Extra Quiet:
This is a very quiet programme with a longer duration. It’s suitable for mixed loads of normally soiled crockery, pots, and pans.
SolarSave:
This eco-friendly programme does not heat the water at all. However, to use it, the water intake temperature needs to be at least 45 degrees.
Maintenance Programme:
You can run a maintenance programme without any dishes inside the appliance to give the machine a thorough clean.
Programme Phase Symbols
The following symbols will be shown on your display during a dishwashing programme, and represent which phase of the programme is in progress at that moment. This will help you to keep an eye on how far along your programme is and how long it still needs to run for.
Pre-Wash/Soak
Overview: The Pre-Wash/Soak symbol is represented by scattered lines spraying onto a plate.
Best Used For: This phase is used to get rid of fresh food residue (not yet dried) from your dishes.
Benefits/Drawbacks: Running this phase first makes it easier to get rid of food particles before washing and allows for a more thorough wash once the food has all been removed and drained.
Main Wash
Overview: The Main Wash phase symbol is five simple lines moving downwards in a spray to represent a full spray of water.
Best Used For: This phase is when your dishes are washed thoroughly with a high temperature, detergent, and strong water pressure to get rid of dirt and bacteria.
Benefits/Drawbacks: This is the main and most important phase in the washing cycle and will ensure clean dishes at the end of the programme.
Interim Rinse
Overview: The Interim Rinse symbol looks similar to the Main Wash symbol, except that the lines are dotted to indicate a lighter shower of water for the rinsing phase.
Best Used For: In this phase, your dishes are washed in the middle of the main wash before getting another round of detergent.
Benefits/Drawbacks: The interim rinse offers increased cleaning performance and ensures that all bits of food are removed from your dishes before getting their final wash.
Final Rinse
Overview: The Final Rinse symbol looks like a star made up of dotted lines – this symbol is also typically associated with Rinse Aid.
Best Used For: In the final rinse, the appliance will rinse the last of the detergent from the dishes and distribute rinse aid to ensure a shiny, dry, and streak-free finish.
Benefits/Drawbacks: This phase helps to ensure that no soap or chemicals are left on your dishes, and leaves them extra clean and fresh.
Drying
Overview: The Drying symbol is represented by a straight horizontal line with three vertical wavy lines above it that represent steam.
Best Used For: This phase will dry your dishes.
Benefits/Drawbacks: When your dishes are through the drying phase, they will come out of the appliance ready to pack away into the cupboard. The dishes will be completely dry and free of streaks.
Finish
Overview: The Finish symbol is an arrow in the shape of a circle pointing from one end to the other.
Best Used For: This symbol indicates the end of the programme.
Benefits/Drawbacks: You can use this symbol to identify when your dishes are cleaned and dry and ready to be removed from the dishwasher so that you can refill it with another load.
Container Symbols
You will need to fill your dishwasher with various cleaning agents in order to get your dishes clean and sparkling. The appliance has various containers into which these cleaning agents can be inserted. Here’s what the symbols on each container represent.
Detergent
Overview: The Detergent symbol looks exactly like the symbol for the Main Wash phase of your programme. This looks like five simple lines moving downwards in a spray to represent a full shower of water.
Best Used For: You will need to fill up the container with this symbol with your dishwashing detergent – either powder, liquid, or a tab.
Benefits/Drawbacks: Filling your dishwasher with detergent is essential for your dishes to be cleaned properly.
Rinse Aid
Overview: The Rinse Aid symbol looks exactly like the symbol for the Final Rinse phase of your programme. This looks like a star made up of dotted lines.
Best Used For: You will need to fill up the container with this symbol with Rinse Aid.
Benefits/Drawbacks: Rinse Aid helps to ensure that your dishes are thoroughly rinsed and dried, and come out shiny and streak free after their wash.
Salt
Overview: The symbol on the Salt container looks like an ‘S’ but with two arrows.
Best Used For: You will need to fill up the container with this symbol on it with dishwasher salt.
Benefits/Drawbacks: Dishwasher salt helps to soften hard water and prevent limescale build-up in your appliance and on your dishes.