Choosing Dishwasher Salt

Today, a modern dishwasher is an indispensable household helper, saving not only time but also energy. However, precisely because of its usefulness, owning a dishwasher is considered an expensive luxury, especially now, as prices for both the appliance itself and the salt and capsules required for it rise. To save on salt, housewives sometimes use regular table salt, which is sometimes 5-10 times cheaper than special industrial salt. Whether this is safe, and which salt is best for your dishwasher—we'll tell you right now.

Is it permissible to add regular salt to the dishwasher?

As is often the case, there are as many opinions as there are people about adding regular table salt to the dishwasher. Some housewives believe that since special salt costs $2 or $3 for just 1.5 kilograms, while the same amount of regular salt can be purchased for $0.50, it's worth choosing the cheaper option to save money. Professionals occasionally agree with this assertion, noting that the two salts have virtually identical compositions, so they perform their tasks equally well.

If you plan to seek service under warranty, do not use table salt, as this will void the manufacturer's warranty.

To fully understand the concept, it's first important to understand the functions of salt in a dishwasher. A salt container in a dishwasher is necessary when the owner uses low-quality hard tap water. In many Russian cities, the water is indeed extremely hard, so using such liquid without softening can quickly damage expensive equipment. To prevent this, salt is added to the reservoir, softening the water and preventing scale buildup on the heating element and tank. Finally, granulated salt is used to restore the ion-exchange resins of the cation filters in dishwasher softener systems.

Some users believe that regular table salt is indeed perfectly adequate for maintaining household appliances, but only if you use "extra" grade salt. This is high-quality salt sold in small granules that undergo rigorous purification processes to remove various microelements. Allegedly, you only need to ensure the salt is free of foreign impurities and that all the granules are crystal white, and then you can add this salt to the hopper.

Never add iodized salt to your dishwasher, as trace elements such as iodine and iron will settle on the appliance's components and cause them to malfunction.

However, service center specialists and appliance manufacturers strongly advise against using table salt. This is because special salt is supplied in large, pressed granules that dissolve evenly in water and are washed into the water supply, while regular fine salt dissolves much more quickly. This is also due to the fact that table salt undergoes fewer purification stages, so it retains various suspended particles, which will settle in the bin as a thick layer. Over the years, this layer will only increase, impeding the flow of water, reducing the amount of salt received by the ion exchanger, and increasing the buildup of scale on critical dishwasher components. Therefore, temporary use of table salt in your dishwasher is permissible, but at your own risk.

The best salt for price and quality

If regular table salt is best avoided, what's the best dishwasher salt, given the wide variety of brands available? We've compiled a list of seven products recommended not only by major dishwasher manufacturers and service center technicians, but also by regular home appliance users.

1. Finish Special Dishwasher Salt, 1.5 kg. This is arguably the most popular dishwasher salt in Russia. This is even confirmed by its top rating on Yandex.Market—a whopping 4.9 points based on 674 reviews. This salt is 99.99% pure granulated salt, completely free of any iron or carbonate impurities that can damage key dishwasher components. It's available starting at $2.87 per pack.
2. Synergetic High Purity Dishwasher Salt, 1.5 kg. It deservedly takes second place in our top list, matching the top-ranked product's rating of 4.9, but based on only 39 reviews. This salt is 100 percent natural and contains no dyes, preservatives, or other technical additives, making it completely safe for household appliances. Customers especially praise the low price per pack of salt – only $2.20.
3. Clean & Fresh Purified Dishwasher Salt, 1.8 kg, rounds out the top three. Its 4.8 rating on Yandex, based on 182 reviews, speaks for itself. It has large crystals, a sodium chloride content of at least 99.7%, and an insoluble residue of less than 0.3% in water. A larger pack will set you back just $2.64.
4. Jundo Silver-Ionized Dishwasher Salt, 3 kg, also has a 4.8 rating on Yandex, but it has almost a hundred fewer reviews—75. Customers note the excellent durability of this salt, as well as its amazing price for a large pack. These salt granules are currently available starting at $2.98 per pack.
5. SWASH Granulated Salt, 3 kg, is another economical option for dishwashers, earning a high rating of 4.8. 35 positive reviews confirm that these perfectly clean granules dissolve slowly in water, so a large pack lasts a long time. And the low price of $3.19 makes this salt an even more attractive choice for homemakers.
6. Somat Special Dishwasher Salt, 1.5 kg, is one of Finish's main competitors in Russia. It also has a high rating on Yandex, with a rating of 4.7 based on 324 reviews. This high-quality salt reliably protects appliances from limescale and significantly softens water. Some users note that salt consumption is slightly higher than recommended, but this is offset by the moderate price of $2.67 per pack.
7. Celesta Dishwasher Salt, 2 kg, is the last salt to make our top list of the best dishwasher salts. 222 people rated this product an average of 4.7 stars on Yandex.Market, and for good reason. It features very large crystals that dissolve slowly in water, is completely free of impurities, and is also incredibly affordable for such a large pack—just $1.77 each.

Each salt on this list has received numerous positive reviews from truly satisfied customers, so you can choose any of the seven options without worrying about the product's quality. However, if you have to choose just one, we'd recommend either Finish, which has a decades-long reputation for impeccable quality in its dishwasher salt granules, or Celesta, which offers the best price-quality ratio on the market.

   

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