What can replace dishwasher salt?

how to replace dishwasher salt The price of dishwasher detergents shocks some users, in particular the price of special regenerating salt. Therefore, many are trying to find a cheap replacement for it. What can be used instead of salt, how to do it correctly and is it necessary to replace it with analogues at all? We will answer all these questions.

Replacement options

Dishwasher salt, what is it? The answer that immediately comes to mind is a substance based on the sodium-chlorine compound. Therefore, the first option that users offer to replace special salt is regular table salt. In addition to table salt, some try to use the following as substitutes:

sea salt;
tableted salt;
3 in 1 tablets.

Table and sea salt

salt Table salt, also called table salt or rock salt, can have different compositions. Everything will depend on the conditions and methods of extracting raw materials. And this is clear from the appearance of the substance. Some salt is fine, others are coarse, some are very white, others have a grayish tint, and sometimes even gray grains of sand. But 96-97% of any table salt consists of sodium and chlorine. In addition, it may contain: potassium, calcium, magnesium, clay, iron boron, manganese, iodine and other substances, as well as food additives, for example E536.

This composition of table salt suggests that its use in the dishwasher may not be safe. Various impurities will settle in the ion exchanger, which will lead to its rapid wear and breakdown.

Important! If you need to replace special salt, then you need to choose salt of the highest class of processing without any additives, and not iodized. For example, this type of salt includes “Extra” salt.

sea salt Dishwasher users are divided into supporters of using “Extra” salt and opponents of replacing special salt. Supporters say that nothing happens to the car, and that 1 kg of such salt is enough for exactly the same amount as 1 kg of special salt. Opponents do not see any point in replacing salt at all, since it lasts for a long time. And for a year of using the car, this is not a lot of money and it’s not worth taking risks in this case.

Sea salt is similar in composition to food salt, but it contains even more different impurities, more than 80 minerals. It undergoes minimal processing and cleaning, so this salt is definitely not suitable for the dishwasher.

Tablet salt

As for tableted salt, it comes in different forms. This can be a special regenerating salt, but it is produced not in granules, but in tablets. But there is also tableted table salt, for example “Mozyr Salt Universal”. Tablets are made based on extra table salt “Polesie”, which does not contain the additive E536. The price for 25 kg of such salt is $3-4, and it will last for about 2 years, which is a significant saving.

3-in-1 tablets

And finally, 3-in-1 tablets for dishwashers, this cannot at all be called an option for replacing salt for a dishwasher, since this is a full-fledged set of products necessary for it. The tablet consists of several layers, each of which has a certain time to dissolve in water: 3-in-1 dishwasher tablets

the first and second layers are detergent and salt, they dissolve during the heating of water;
the next layer is neutral - it dissolves during the first rinse;
The last layer is rinse aid, which dissolves during the last rinse of the dishes.

The 3-in-1 product can be used instead of all products at once, and there is no need to pour salt into the compartment. However, dishwasher users note that with a long dishwashing cycle, the tablet dissolves normally, but with short cycles, the powder does not always dissolve, which leads to it getting into the rinse water.

For your information! You should not crush 3-in-1 tablets into powder, this will lead to the fact that the rinse aid will dissolve during the dishwashing process and will be of no use.

How the special salt for PMM “works”

Dishwasher-salt Why is salt so needed in the dishwasher, why do some people want to replace it, while others, on the contrary, do not want to risk it? The fact is that the dishwasher has a special ion exchanger, which is responsible for softening the water entering the machine, because the softer the water, the better the dishes will be washed. The ion exchanger reservoir contains resin with sodium ions, due to which calcium and magnesium impurities in the water are deposited on the resin.

Dishwasher salt is needed to restore sodium ions in the resin; in other words, it restores (regenerates) the resin’s ability to attract magnesium and calcium ions from water. Salt is poured into a special compartment in the dishwasher, located under the lower container for dishes on the bottom. Depending on the hardness of the water, it is enough for several washing cycles, for some it is 2 months, and for others it is 4. If there is not enough salt in the dishwasher, the red indicator on the panel will light up.

Conclusion: it is impossible not to use salt in the dishwasher, otherwise the ion exchanger will fail, it cannot be repaired, only a complete replacement of the unit will help.

To summarize: is it worth looking for a salt replacement?

So, dishwasher salt is a necessary product, overview of special salts showed that they are not cheap. But for some, $9-10 a year doesn’t make a difference, while others are trying to save money. So, if you can save, then you need to do it wisely. The best substitute is tableted table salt.

Firstly, the salt dissolves evenly in the tablet, and the required concentration is achieved.
Secondly, a 25-kilogram bag will last a long time; you will always have salt at hand.
Thirdly, it is convenient to lay it.

If it is not possible to buy tableted salt, then you can use fine salt; it should be well purified, white and not contain food additives. Before use, it is recommended to wet the salt so that lumps do not form.

Very important! If you replace special salt for the dishwasher with table salt or something else, then the warranty does not apply to such a machine in the event of a breakdown. Therefore, you need to start experimenting after the end of the warranty period.

As for 3-in-1 tablets, you can use them, but they will not help save your budget. In this case, it is important to choose the right tablets, because most of them are effective only when water hardness is less than 21 dH, so carefully read the information on the packaging. For very hard water, it is better to use salt, detergent and rinse aid.

Thus, decide for yourself whether to replace special salt with table salt or not.And most importantly, take into account the hardness of the water in your region.