Facepalm

They do come with a manual. (Says the guy who has never read his dishwasher’s manual.)

My parents insist that it works the same either way despite me explaining that there is a pretty wash rinse. But because they put the powder or tablet in while the little compartment is still wet, the detergent occasionally doesn't release properly.

I can only imagine what his dryer vent like.

why I always read the manual like 2 or 3 times

And next we'll tell you what the little hatch labeled "rinse aid" is for.

In other news, major manufacturers are starting to ship appliances now without including any printed instructions. I can see that it's just as well; it's clear that nobody would read them anyway.

I wash by hand. Please convince me to use a dishwasher?

I can't wait until they discover rinse aid. If your dishes still look dirty no matter how many cycles you run the machine for, then you probably should have refilled the dispenser ages ago.

My wife refuses to load the dishwasher because to her she "doesn't do it right" or "don't want to fight with it"

So I get OP.

I've had to teach people how to mop a floor, and how you should sweep first, it's just deer in headlights when explaining it. People just don't go outta their lane to learn new things or fix things that don't work right.

I've been using the soap compartment for years, I only recently just started chucking the packet into the silverware holder because I've heard that might be better (the little compartment might open too late and be less effective). I'm not totally convinced OP was doing a worse job accidentally

I distinctly remember a scene in Sesame Street where Big Bird telling to always read the manual.

I've switched from using the little door to just chucking the tablet in the bottom. Works just as well, if not better.

It’s a shame that the dishwasher the landlord installed has a shitty soap compartment that sometimes failed to open during the wash. When I tried to take it apart to see what the issue was, I couldn’t get it back in. So now I just chuck the puck in.

My parents were really adamant about not leaving any food on plates, so it really doesn’t make a difference to me.

My mom told me an embarrassing story about how my dad once used regular old dish soap apparently it didnt end well and suds got everywhere. At least this person knew to use the tablets.

RTFM