All about choosing and using salt for dishwashers

Nobody wants their brand new expensive dishwasher to break, so the happy owners of this technique take their detergents and cleaning products seriously. Among them is salt for the dishwasher, which you will be told about when buying the machine: how important it is, how to use it correctly, and that it cannot be replaced with anything. But, nodding understandingly, already then many begin to think about whether this salt is really necessary and irreplaceable? Maybe you can do without her somehow? Well, let's try to figure this out.

The role of the tool in the operation of the apparatus

To understand why a dishwasher needs this product, you can look into a kettle that has not been washed for a while. See the lime flakes? But if such are formed in the cleaning system of the dishwasher, then the equipment can be immediately sent for decommissioning!

• Why does not scale form?

The main water purification system in such machines is an ion exchanger in which chlorine ions trap metal ions from the water when it passes through the system and prevent them from settling. But after removing metals from the system, chlorine ions cannot be restored on their own, so their supplies need to be regularly replenished, which is what the special salt for the dishwasher is designed to do. Moreover, the harder the water in your area, the more carefully you need to monitor the presence of salt in the tray, if you do not want the equipment to be out of order.

• Is it possible to do without it?

But what if the water in your area is not very hard? Suddenly, you can avoid the extra cost of salt for the dishwasher? Unfortunately not. Even in water of moderate and low hardness, metal impurities are present, and although the formation of scale will be less rapid, your conniving attitude to caring for the equipment will necessarily come back in a few years. The tool will not be able to harm the car in any way, and prevention, whatever one may say, is always cheaper than repairing or completely replacing equipment.

• What if I use 3-in-1 tablets?

Yes, 3-in-1 tablets already contain detergent, rinse aid, and salt, and in some instructions you can find information that their use eliminates the need for additional use of the product. But the classification of hardness in European countries-manufacturers of machines does not coincide with ours, and often what we consider to be water of medium hardness, they will be considered very hard water, unusable. Therefore, it is still better to add salt to the dishwasher, even if you use tablets, just in smaller quantities.

Tip

If you live in a region with very soft water, then tablets may be enough, but masters often advise falling asleep a little money even in this case: this way you can support the operation of the ion exchanger and prevent it from clogging.

How to determine the hardness of water? If a special strip was not attached to your car, then you can look at the indicators for your region on the Internet or arrange a laundry soap test: the more it foams and rinses out longer, the milder the water. You can also evaluate whether you need extra salt by the result after washing: if the dishes are matte or whitish stains remain on it, no matter how much you rinse, then you obviously need to add funds.

The composition of salt and whether it can be replaced with something

Why spend money on special salt if you can fill up ordinary salt? The same Finish or Calgonit will cost 100-170 rubles for 1.5-2 kg, and the usual one can be bought for 20-30 rubles for 1 kg. The savings are obvious! But since manufacturers unanimously insist that the salt for the dishwasher can not be replaced with anything, then, probably, they have a completely different composition. And that's not true! Sodium chloride makes up about 99% of the composition both there and there, so you can replace special means with ordinary salt, although the latter still has a number of advantages.

• Salt for the dishwasher is compressed into small granules, which dissolve more slowly and do not stick together. So, you can pour special salt right away for 1-2 months, and you will have to bother with the tableware before each launch, otherwise it will turn into a big lump.
• If you want to solve the problem of frequent refueling by pouring large rock or sea salt into the tray, then this is a bad idea. In them, not only a mass of impurities, but also grains of sand and stones come across.
• Also, the composition of the special salt often contains antibacterial additives, like Somat or Finish. Then you have to decide whether this bonus is worth the money.

In terms of replacement, Extra salt is the safest option. As a part of a minimum of impurities, it has a high degree of purification, and it will definitely cope with scum no worse than the same Finish or Calgonit.

Tip

Ordinary salt is not advised to be used until the end of the warranty period, since a breakdown of the machine will cease to be a warranty case, but it is almost impossible to determine whether you poured regular or special salt, so waiting is not necessary.

Where to pour salt in the dishwasher?

It is difficult to get confused here: salt needs to be poured into a special tray located at the bottom of the machine. There are not granulated, but special salts in tablets are poured. Just important not to confuse them with 3-in-1 tablets! They are placed in a special compartment on the inside of the door. And if you decide to replace branded salt with ordinary, then where to pour it? All in the same tray below. We recommend using a funnel so that nothing will fall apart.

How much salt should I pour?

Think how much to pour? For average performance, 750 grams will be enough, but it largely depends on the hardness of the water. A rigid one will spend much more money, and you can immediately fill up a full tray, which usually will be approximately 1 kg. How much salt to pour if the water is soft? About 500 grams will be enough, however, how long this amount is enough also depends on the frequency of use of the device: on average, it is about 2 months.

If you decide to replace the special salt with ordinary salt, then it is better to fill in 20 grams immediately before starting: so the likelihood of sticking and clumping will be less.

Which salt for dishwasher is better to choose?

By and large, it does not matter which company produces salt, since the compositions of different brands are very similar. Maybe you generally use the usual cookbook: the tool should suit you and your typewriter, and this can only be determined by experience. But the safety of the equipment depends more on you than on the choice of product, because the most important thing is to remember to fill in the regenerating salt and constantly check if the tray is empty. And remember: preventing damage is much easier than fixing it later!