I left the lid off the salt compartment and ran the dishwasher - everything is coated in a white film, any way to get rid of it please? Cutlery is all white and plates feel powdery! agh!!!

google your question, there are several articles.
The cause of the problem could be a combination of salt or limescale. If you can wipe off the white coating with a finger, it is probably salt residue. If you cannot wipe the coating off but you can remove it with a small amount of vinegar, it is probably limescale

copy and paste link
https://www.hunker.com/13420878/how-to-stop-white-residue-on-dishes-from-a-dishwasher

Either the lid seal is damaged or lid isn't in properly, or the softener valve is letting by and would require a new softner

Hi,

The scum, film and white residueproblems have started since the reductionof phosphates in dishwasher detergents.

Here is a tip that will help you to solve the problem of films, residue, and scum in your dishwasher.

DishwasherResidue and Film on Dishes

heatman101

Hi there,

The salt goes in the salt compartment in the base of the dishwasher. Open the door and pull the lower basket out. You should then be able to see a cap near the front-left corner of the base of the dishwasher. Unscrew this cap (anti-clockwise) and fill the compartment with salt all the way to the top - or with as much salt as you have in the packet - then screw the cap back on firmly, but do not over-tighten it. The salt compartment will (or should!) be full of water and some will spill out as you fill it with salt. This is totally normal and not indicative of any problem.

Do not use any type of salt which is not sold specifically for dishwashers. The dishwasher can be used without salt but it is not advised and may result in a white film being left on your cutlery, glassware and/or dishes.

It may also be possible to provide a user manual in PDF format which you can download, but I would need to know the model number. If you don't know the model number Most Neff/Bosch dishwashers have the model number laser-etched into the stainless-steel at the top of the inner-door or the rim of the washing compartment. Please click on the link below for a guide to locating the model number of your dishwasher. (Neff is a Bosch owned brand)

http://www.bosch-home.co.uk/type-plate-details.html?aftersales=dishwashing&aftersales=dishwashers~16468

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you would like the manual or need further assistance.

Regards,
BElectric

If anything other than salt can enter the salt portal, the decalcification system might get broken. I once, by accident, filled the cleaning agent into the salt compartment. The whole decalcification system had to be exchanged. The technician said, that nothing else but salt should enter the salt compartment and even leaving the lid open while using the machine can compromise its functionality.

Try cleaning the machine by adding white vinegar to the wash water (before the water-fill procedure finishes). Put your stained dishes and cutlery in with the wash to remove the hard water deposits. The combination of salt and rinse aid may have helped cause this problem. Hope this helps!

where is this salt chamber?

Hard water has this "crust" which are minerals floating around that ionically attach to everything. Some machines from Miele have a water softener inside the machine. Special dishwasher softener Salt is added that cleans minerals off Xeolite beads. When cleaned they attract mineral ions. If you don't use the salt then the beads fill up on minerals until they can't hold any more minerals. The salt is used in the regeneration cycle. It washes the mineral ions off the xeloite replacing them with salt ions. As new water enters the machine mineral ions slowly knock off the salt ions and attach themselves to the beads again. This whole process keeps the crust off the dishes and the walls of the machine.
Use a dishwasher cleaner that removes scale. And if you don't have a salt light on your Miele you can instead purchase soap tablets that contain water softener built in. Miele dishwasher tablets have it. You can order them online or call Miele.

Hello, we are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this problem with the Dishwasher. We would recommend having a certified technician out to diagnose the problem. If you would like further assistance you can send your name, phone number, address, model/serial numbers and the date on which you purchased the Dishwasher to [email protected]. Thank you.

try checking that your salt container lid is on properly