Best dishwasher rinse aid: 5 solutions to keep your glasses sparkling and your spoons shiny

Buy the best dishwasher rinse aid for a spick and span appliance and glasses you can see your face in

The best dishwasher rinse aids
(Image credit: Bosch)

Why buy dishwasher rinse aid if you’ve already bought the dishwasher tablets and salt, right? Well, adding rinse aid to your appliance is the finishing touch you need when it comes to washing up. Its purpose is to step in at the end of the cycle to make sure dishes are dry and shiny, without any watermarks, limescale or salt spots. It works by accelerating the drying process, preventing water from sticking to surfaces and instead, creating a shiny finish.

Convinced? Read on to find the five best buys – and don't miss our guide to the best dishwashers if you want to match your appliance quality to that of your rinse aid!

What is the best dishwasher rinse aid you can buy?

Why you can trust Real Homes Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

We think the best dishwasher rinse aid you can buy is Finish Shine & Dry Rinse Aid, which is brilliant for shine (clue's in the name); it's highly rated by users (including us). We also rate Fairy Rinse Aid, as it’s designed to be used on all leading dishwasher brands and lasts up to 150 washes, giving glasses and cutlery a clean, shiny finish and keeping your appliance clean inside, too. 

See our selection of all the best products below to give your plates, dishes, crockery, cookware and cutlery the deep clean and high shine finish it deserves.

Finish dishwasher rinse aid at Amazon

(Image credit: Finish)

1. Finish Rinse Aid 800ml – Pack of 2

Best dishwasher rinse aid

Specifications

Best for: Shine
Size: 500ml

Reasons to buy

+
Quick Dry formula
+
Actively dries dishes for a brilliant shine

For shine you can really see and dry dishes ready to use, add Finish Shine & Dry Rinse Aid even on top of your multi-benefit tabs. 

Why we like it:

Shine

This dishwasher rinse aid has got history: it's known for the shine it'll give your dishes and glassware – and it really does.

Prevents water stains

This rinse aid leaves glasses and dishes sparkling with no residue, no water stains and no streaks. 

Economical 

This dishwasher rinse aid comes as a pack of two 800ml bottles.

fairy rinse aid

(Image credit: Amazon)

2. Fairy Rinse Aid – Pack of 2

Best dishwasher rinse aid for shine

Specifications

Best for: Giving glasses a shiny finish
Size: 475ml

Reasons to buy

+
Lasts up to 150 washes based on an average dose of 3ml
+
Leaves glasses spotless
+
Value for money

Reasons to avoid

-
Some may not like the strong fragrance
-
Other users complain it leaves an aftertaste on cutlery

The Fairy Rinse Aid is streak-free, smells lovely and lasts ages too. It also leaves your machine shiny and sparkling, and is tested for use on all leading brands.

Why we like it:

Good quality

Fairy carefully selects its ingredients to create outstanding performance while consistently testing them to make sure you are getting the quality you associate with this leading brand. 

Lasts ages 

This rinse aid lasts up to 150 washes so you are getting plenty for your money with this pick. Plus, for this price, you get two in a pack.

Streak-free 

The Fairy Rinse Aid dries well and doesn't leave any streaks so you won't have to spend ages polishing your glasses when they come out of the dishwasher.  

Morrisons rinse aid

(Image credit: Morrisons)

3. Morrisons Rinse Aid

Best supermarket own brand dishwasher rinse aid

Specifications

Best for: Helping the drying process along with streak-free results
Size: 400ml

Reasons to buy

+
Gives glasses extra sparkle
+
Helps the drying process
+
Leaves dishes streak-free

Reasons to avoid

-
Some people may prefer a big brand rather than supermarket own
-
Some buyers complain it’s too weak

When you need to save a bit of money by cutting back on leading brands, this Morrisons rinse aid one does the same job as the leading brands, for less.

Why we like it:

Affordable 

This Morrison's rinse aid is the cheapest of our pick and it does just as good a job as the bigger brands – some reviewers commented they, in fact, saw no difference when they changed from a well-known brand. 

Smells good 

Who doesn't love a lemony fresh smell when they open the dishwasher? However, it's not too strong and won't leave a taste on your dishes. 

Pro Kleen rinse aid

(Image credit: Pro Kleen)

4. Pro-Kleen Rinse Aid

Best dishwasher rinse aid for hard water

Specifications

Best for: Keeping delicate glasses spotless and shiny
Size: 5L + 500ml

Reasons to buy

+
Spot and film protection
+
Lemon fresh scent
+
Tested for use on all leading dishwashers

Reasons to avoid

-
Quite bulky to store
-
Expensive to buy

Pro-Kleen Rinse Aid will clean and protect glasses, plates and cutlery thanks to its blend of low foam and additives that speed up the drying process.

Why we like it:

Convenient larger bottle 

To save you always topping up your rinse aid stock, this comes in a much larger five litre bottle which you then decant into a smaller 500ml one with flip top lid for easy pouring.

Great on glasses

This rinse aid has been specifically formulated to leave glassware with a diamond shine – no limescale, no water spots, no streaks. 

Nice scent 

But don't worry it's not too strong and won't linger on your dishes, just freshens up your dishwasher and gets rid of any unpleasant smells that might be going on in there. 

Ecover rinse aid

(Image credit: Ecover)

5. Ecover Auto Dishwasher Rinse Aid

Best eco-friendly dishwasher rinse aid

Specifications

Best for: Cleaning with a conscience, scent
Size: 500ml

Reasons to buy

+
Leaves dishes and glassware sparkling clean
+
Doesn’t use harmful chemicals
+
Suitable for septic tanks

Reasons to avoid

-
It can leave streaks 

Achieving a natural shine without the harsh chemicals, the Ecover rinse aid is ideal for the more eco-conscious cleaner, but its low odour is what wins for us.

Why we like it:

Eco-friendly 

As the name suggests all Ecover products are made to be super effective but have a minimum effect on the environment. This rinse aid still brings out your dishes sparkling but without all the unnecessary chemicals. 

Naturally shiny dishes 

Despite the lack of strong chemicals, you still get amazing results with this rinse aid and you don't have to worry about any chemical residue on your dishes. The smell isn't too strong either, just a subtle, clean perfume. 

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Hayley Gilbert

Hayley is an interiors journalist with 24 years experience who has contributed to a huge range of consumer magazines, trade titles, newspapers and blogs. She has seen so many trends come and go - and come back round again - and has spent the last few years doing up her house in Hampshire. She loves the industrial look and is still a fan of grey in all its many forms. Hayley specialises in writing about kitchens and appliances – although can cover all interiors subjects with ease. For Realhomes.com, Hayley writes about small appliances and health and beauty gadgets