Whirlpool, Hotpoint and Indesit dishwasher symbols
19 lights, programmes and buttons that Hotpoint and Whirlpool show in their own manual or support pages, each in our own drawing, with the maker’s own name for it next to ours. Tap a symbol for what it does, what to do, where makes differ and every source.
Check your manual — models differ. Two Whirlpool, Hotpoint and Indesit dishwashers can carry different programmes, options and lights, and the same drawing can mean different things on different brands; only your model’s manual says exactly what a light or button does on your machine.
Read this first
Whirlpool, Hotpoint and Indesit are one group. The sources here are a Hotpoint and a Whirlpool Daily Reference Guide, and where only one of the two shows a symbol the name below says which. Hotpoint’s salt light has two states: lit means the salt is almost empty, blinking means it is empty. Hotpoint’s DESCALE light is a stronger warning than a care reminder: if you ignore it, the machine allows a limited number of cycles and then blocks. On the Whirlpool, a 3-second press of TURBO turns on the key lock. No Indesit-branded dishwasher guide has been checked yet, so on those machines confirm the names in your manual.
The 19 symbols
Salt refill light (two arrows in an S)
Maker’s name: Salt reservoir empty indicator light (Hotpoint)
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: Control panel item 5 “Salt reservoir empty indicator light”; troubleshooting: salt indicator lit = “Salt reservoir is almost empty”, blinking = “Salt reservoir is empty … Using the appliance without salt may cause damage.”
- Hotpoint UK — Hotpoint’s Essential Guide to Dishwasher Symbols (support article, July 2024), checked 2026-09-29: “This icon depicting a letter S is the dishwasher salt symbol. If the light by this icon is lit, the salt is almost empty. If it is blinking, the dishwasher salt is empty, and it is time to refill.”
Rinse aid refill light (starburst)
Maker’s name: RINSE AID REFILL indicator light (Hotpoint)
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: “The rinse aid dispenser A should be filled when the RINSE AID REFILL indicator light … is lit”; max. 110 ml; “If the rinse aid level is set to ZERO … The LOW RINSE AID indicator light will not be lit if you run out of rinse aid.”
- Hotpoint UK — Hotpoint’s Essential Guide to Dishwasher Symbols (support article, July 2024), checked 2026-09-29: “This icon showing a star is the rinse aid symbol. If the indicator light is lit or blinking, the rinse aid reservoir is empty. After refilling, it may stay on for a short while.”
Water supply light (tap)
Maker’s name: Closed Water Tap indicator light (Hotpoint)
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: Control panel item 8 “Closed Water Tap indicator light”; “WATER TAP CLOSED – Alarm – Flashes when there is no inlet water or water tap is closed.”
Eco programme (Eco 50°)
Maker’s name: Eco 50°
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: “Eco 50° – Program is suitable to clean normally soiled tableware … the most efficient program in terms of its combined energy and water consumption, and … used to assess compliance with the EU Ecodesign legislation.” 3:30 h, 9.5 l, 0.76 kWh.
- Whirlpool — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, with Multizone, Turbo and NaturalDry (PDF), checked 2026-09-26: Programme 1 “Eco 50°”, 3:10 h, 9.5 l, 0.75 kWh; programme data measured according to EN 60436:2020.
- Hotpoint UK — Hotpoint’s Essential Guide to Dishwasher Symbols (support article, July 2024), checked 2026-09-29: “The 50°C Eco dishwasher symbol indicates the Eco programme. This cycle is the most efficient in terms of energy and water consumption.”
Auto programme (sensor, 45–65°)
Maker’s name: Auto Mixed, Auto Intensive, Auto Fast Wash (Hotpoint)
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: Auto Intensive 65°, Auto Mixed 55° and Auto Fast Wash 50° “Senses the level of soiling on the dishes and adjusts the program accordingly”; SENSING animation for around 20 minutes, then the cycle duration is updated.
- Hotpoint UK — Hotpoint’s Essential Guide to Dishwasher Symbols (support article, July 2024), checked 2026-09-29: “The icon showing 65°, A, and an image of a pot is a dishwasher symbol meaning the Auto Intensive programme … An innovative sensor automatically detects how dirty the load is and adjusts the programme to best suit the load.”
Intensive programme (pot or pan)
Maker’s name: Intensive 65° (Whirlpool)
Shown in:
- Whirlpool — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, with Multizone, Turbo and NaturalDry (PDF), checked 2026-09-26: Programme 3 “Intensive 65°”, 2:50 h, 16.0 l, 1.60 kWh: “recommended for heavily soiled crockery, especially suitable for pans and saucepans (not to be used for delicate items).”
Glass or delicate programme (wine glass)
Maker’s name: Crystals 45° (Whirlpool)
Shown in:
- Whirlpool — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, with Multizone, Turbo and NaturalDry (PDF), checked 2026-09-26: Programme 5 “Crystals 45°”: “Program for delicate items, which are more sensitive to high temperatures, for example glasses and cups.”
- Hotpoint UK — Hotpoint’s Essential Guide to Dishwasher Symbols (support article, July 2024), checked 2026-09-29: “This icon showing two glasses and a 45° dishwasher symbol is for the Delicates programme. This is best used for delicate items, like wine glasses and products which cannot withstand high temperatures.”
Half load (½ or half a rack)
Maker’s name: HALF LOAD (Hotpoint); MULTIZONE (Whirlpool)
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: “HALF LOAD – If there are not many dishes to be washed, HALF LOAD is used to save water, electricity or time, depending on the selected program. Remember to reduce the amount of detergent.”
- Whirlpool — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, with Multizone, Turbo and NaturalDry (PDF), checked 2026-09-26: MULTIZONE: “If there are not many dishes to be washed, a half loading may be used”; press repeatedly to wash only the lower, upper or cutlery rack, shown by a symbol on the display.
Extra dry option (heat waves)
Maker’s name: EXTRA DRY (Hotpoint)
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: “EXTRA DRY – The higher temperature during the final rinse and the extended drying phase allows for improved drying. The EXTRA DRY option results in the lengthening of the wash cycle.”
Hygiene or sanitise option (plus or shield)
Maker’s name: Sanitizing 65° (Hotpoint)
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: “Sanitizing 65° – Normally or heavily soiled crockery, with additional antibacterial wash. Can be used to perform maintenance of the dishwasher.”
Machine care light (the dishwasher itself)
Maker’s name: DESCALE alarm and Self-Clean (Hotpoint)
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: DESCALE alarm: limescale detected; use a descaling product with Self-Clean; if no action is taken the appliance allows a limited number of cycles and is then “BLOCKED … with only the Self-Clean program available.”
Quick or rapid programme (stopwatch)
Maker’s name: Rapid 45° (Hotpoint)
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: “Rapid 45° – Program is recommended for limited amount of lightly-soiled dishes with no dried food residues. Does not include the drying phase.” 0:30–0:40 h.
- Hotpoint UK — Hotpoint’s Essential Guide to Dishwasher Symbols (support article, July 2024), checked 2026-09-29: “The dishwasher symbol of a clock with three horizontal lines indicates the Rapid programme. This cycle runs at 45°C and is most suitable for lightly soiled tableware with no tough baked on residue or staining.”
Pre-rinse or soak programme (drops over a plate)
Maker’s name: Soak (Hotpoint); Prewash (Whirlpool)
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: “Soak – Used to refresh crockery planned to be washed later. No detergent is to be used with this program.” 0:12 h, 4.5 l, 0.10 kWh; “Manual pre-rinsing of tableware items leads to increased water and energy consumption and is not recommended.”
- Whirlpool — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, with Multizone, Turbo and NaturalDry (PDF), checked 2026-09-26: Programme 9 “Prewash”: “Use to refresh crockery planned to be washed later. No detergent to be used with this program.” 0:12 h, 4.5 l.
Speed option (double arrow)
Maker’s name: TURBO (Whirlpool)
Shown in:
- Whirlpool — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, with Multizone, Turbo and NaturalDry (PDF), checked 2026-09-26: “TURBO – This option can be used to reduce the duration of the main programs while maintaining the same washing and drying performance levels”; a 3-second press of TURBO activates KEYLOCK; NaturalDry does not open the door when TURBO is on.
Tablet or all-in-one option (tablet)
Maker’s name: TABLET (Whirlpool)
Shown in:
- Whirlpool — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, with Multizone, Turbo and NaturalDry (PDF), checked 2026-09-26: “TABLET – This setting allows you to optimize the performance of the program according to the type of detergent used … if you use combined detergents in tablet form (rinse aid, salt and detergent in 1 dose). If you use powder or liquid detergent, this option should be off.”
Automatic door opening (door ajar)
Maker’s name: ActiveDry (Hotpoint)
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: “ActiveDry – It is a convection drying system which automatically opens the door during/after the drying phase … The door opens at a temperature that is safe to your kitchen furniture”; protection foil supplied; can be deactivated in the settings menu.
Light on the floor (beam or dot)
Maker’s name: LIGHT ON THE FLOOR (Hotpoint)
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: “LIGHT ON THE FLOOR – A LED light projected on the floor indicates that the dishwasher is working. The light goes off at the end of a cycle. This feature is active by default, but it is possible to deactivate it in the SETTINGS MENU.”
Child lock or key lock (key)
Maker’s name: KEYLOCK (Whirlpool)
Shown in:
- Whirlpool — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, with Multizone, Turbo and NaturalDry (PDF), checked 2026-09-26: “A long press (for 3 seconds) of TURBO button, will activate the KEYLOCK function. The KEYLOCK function will block the control panel except the ON/OFF button.” Key lock indicator light on the panel.
Delay start (clock or hourglass)
Maker’s name: DELAY (Hotpoint)
Shown in:
- Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023), checked 2026-09-26: “DELAY – The start of the program may be delayed for a period of time between 0:30 and 24 hours … Once this time has elapsed, the indicator light switches off and the program begins automatically.”
- Hotpoint UK — Hotpoint’s Essential Guide to Dishwasher Symbols (support article, July 2024), checked 2026-09-29: “This dishwasher symbol shows a h beside a clock. This indicates the DELAY function, which enables you to delay the start of the programme for between 30 minutes and 24 hours.”
Not listed for Whirlpool, Hotpoint and Indesit
Every dishwasher symbol on this site is shown for this brand.
Other brands
Sources
A symbol is listed here only when one of these Whirlpool, Hotpoint and Indesit documents shows it. Each was fetched and read on the date shown; the maker’s names and quotations are the maker’s wording, everything else is ours.
- Hotpoint: Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023) Checked 2026-09-26.
- Hotpoint: Hotpoint UK — Hotpoint’s Essential Guide to Dishwasher Symbols (support article, July 2024) Checked 2026-09-29.
- Whirlpool: Whirlpool — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, with Multizone, Turbo and NaturalDry (PDF) Checked 2026-09-26.