Do I need to add salt to my dishwasher if I use tablets?

Using your dishwasher inefficiently can be costly, as it's a fairly expensive appliance that requires specialized cleaning products for every cycle. Some housewives, in an effort to save money, even stop adding salt to their dishwasher when using a tablet, arguing that salt granules are no longer needed. While this approach can certainly save the family budget, won't it lead to a breakdown of your dishwasher, the repair of which would clearly be more expensive than a couple of packs of special salt?

Is additional salt required or not?

There's simply no definitive answer to this question. This is because adding salt to a dishwasher is essential for restoring the resin in the ion exchanger—the device that softens hard tap water during washing. It is the ion exchanger that actively consumes salt in situations where poor-quality hard water comes from the water supply; the worse the water, the higher the salt consumption.

Salt granule flow settings are typically adjusted several times a year as the seasons change and the water becomes harder or softer.

An important detail is that there are regions in Russia with very soft, high-quality tap water, so there's no need to use salt at all in the dishwasher. Housewives who are so fortunate with their water supply don't even need to buy 3-in-1 tablets containing special regenerating salt, as there's simply nothing to regenerate. In such cases, you can get by with inexpensive detergent and rinse aid, ignoring the salt entirely.

If the water in your area is moderately hard, you can use 3-in-1 tablets without adding special salt granules to the machine's salt compartment. If the water hardness is mild, tablets containing regenerating salt will suffice. If your home has poor-quality hard water, which is why your plumbing fixtures and kettle are constantly coated with limescale, you'll need to set the salt flow to maximum and constantly ensure the salt tank is full. In such a situation, there is no point in imaginary savings, because if you overdo it, the ion exchanger may fail, which may require complex repairs or a complete replacement of the element.

Therefore, you can indeed skip adding salt when using 3-in-1 tablets, but only if your municipal water supply provides high-quality tap water. Otherwise, salt granules are vital for your "home helper."

What is a cheap substitute for dishwasher salt?

Many dishwasher owners try to save money on operating costs, even when salt is absolutely essential. In this situation, they try using:

• regular table salt;
• sea ​​salt;
• tableted salt.

The first is one of the worst possible options, as it contains compounds that can damage the ion exchanger. Another drawback is its coarse grind, which will cause it to cake in the salt bin and dissolve poorly.

Sea salt is very similar to table salt in composition, but it contains even more impurities and various minerals that are harmless to the human body but can damage a dishwasher. This salt is renowned for its minimal purification and processing, so the ion exchanger can lose approximately 90 percent of its functionality after using just 1 kilogram of sea salt.

With tableted salt, things are not so simple, because it can be very different. There is regenerating salt in tablets, not granules, which can and should be used for dishwashers. There's also tableted table salt, without the additive E536, sold in large bags and allowing users to save significantly on dishwasher detergents. It's not as harmful as regular table salt or sea salt, but it's still not as beneficial as special regenerating salt, so use it at your own risk.

Most salt tablets are so large that they need to be broken into three or even four pieces before use in the dishwasher, so the savings from using this product are obvious.

Ultimately, it is indeed possible to operate the dishwasher without salt, using only 3-in-1 tablets, but this is only possible with high-quality tap water.

   

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