There is an ever growing number of people in the Us that prefers to use the dishwasher to wash their dirty dishes rather than washing by hands.
And this is mainly because of the convenience and water saving features that the dishwasher offers.
But however, there are those that are still new to using a dishwasher and one common question that people often ask in regard to washing dishes with the dishwasher is whether you will need to use dishwasher salt in your washing.
In this article we shall talk about dishwashers in the United States of America and if they require dishwasher salt or not. Also, we shall talk about some dishwasher salt alternatives.
Table of Contents
Do dishwashers in the us need salt?
Most dishwashers in the us will require dishwasher salt to operate which will allow you to enjoy spot free clean dishes.
The way a dishwasher work is that it makes use of a combination of hot water, detergent, and mechanical action to clean dirty dishes.
Whether you will need a dishwasher that requires dishwasher salt or not will depend on the type of water that you have in your home.
If you have hard water the dishwasher salt can help to soften the water so that you don’t have hard water stains especially on glasses.
There are dishwashers that come with a dishwasher salt compartments where you can add the dishwasher salt but whether this will be necessary will depend on the type of water in your area.
Also, if you have a water softener install already in your home you may not need to use the dishwasher salt in your dishwasher.
It is important to check the owner’s manual for specific information on using salt in your dishwasher, as it can vary depending on the model of the dishwasher.
Do all dishwashers have a place for salt?
Most modern dishwashers have a separate compartment for salt which is normally located at the bottom of the dishwasher close to the dishwasher filter.
You should check from time to time to see if your dishwasher is low on salt. There are some dishwashers that come with an indicator that lets you know your salt is running low and needs to be refilled.
To fill salt in your dishwasher is quite simple. You need to unscrew the salt compartment and then pour in the salt. You must remember to check the packaging to know how much salt you need to pour in.
Using dishwasher salt is a good way to ensure that your dishes and glassware come out sparkling clean with any limescale deposits on them and it also helps to prevent your dishwasher from breaking down all the time.
Dishwasher salt is still necessary to use even if you are living in an area with soft water. And it is required to protect your dishwasher from limescale deposits.
What can be used instead of dishwasher salt?
If for any reason you run out of salt in your dishwasher and you want an alternative that can be used in the interim, then your safest alternative to dishwasher salt is white vinegar.
Using white vinegar in your dishwasher will give you just the same result as when you use the dishwasher salt but to use white vinegar, you don’t need to put it in the salt compartment.
Instead, you can simply add the white vinegar in same place where you will usually place your dishwasher tablet.
However white vinegar is just an alternative that can be used in the short term, you should only use the recommended salt in your dishwasher to get the best results with your dishes.
Why do we need to put salt in dishwasher?
If you live in an area with hard water, it will not allow your dishwasher detergent to get dissolved easily and it will not allow your dishes to come out sparkling clean as supposed to.
Hard water contains more lime which leaves white residues on glassware and spots on dishes from the dishwasher.
Adding salt in the dishwasher will help to take care of the problem of hard water stains and also improve the cleaning results of the dishwasher.
This is why it is crucial to always check and monitor the levels of salt in your dishwasher. Most dishwashers have a salt level indicator that lets you know when your salt level needs to be refilled.
What is the difference between dishwasher salt and kitchen salt?
The main difference between the dishwasher salt and the table salt is the coarse nature of the dishwasher salt while the table salt is normally smooth and finely ground.
However, both salt is made up of sodium chloride, but dishwasher salt if mainly made up of 100% sodium chloride while table salt has other ingredients like magnesium that is added to it.
You should in no way use or add the table salt into the dishwasher salt compartments.
Table salt can block and even cause some serious damages to your dishwasher. But because dishwasher salt is more coarse and of larger granules it makes it dissolves slower in water helping to soften hard water.
Warning:
Do not use any other type of salt like table salt, sea salt, Epsom salt, and kosher salt in your dishwasher to replace the dishwasher salt.
This can cause even worsen the water hardness, clog the drains, and damage your dishwasher appliance.
Conclusion:
It is important when washing dishes with the dishwasher that you get all the recommended cleaning agents and you also get the right dishwasher detergents that contains natural ingredients, that are safe for the environment and dishes.
The dishwasher salt is one of these important cleaning agent that helps gives you spotless clean glassware and dishes.
