When you notice that your dishes do not come out neatly, it might result from a low level of salt in your dishwasher.
On the other hand, this also occurs when you use expired dishwasher salt.
The dishwasher salt is a coarse-grained salt that helps soften the water and prevent the dishwasher softener unit from clogging.
Unlike dishwasher detergents, the dishwasher salt does not expire. Like other salts, the dishwasher salt is a natural compound that can last for eternity. The dishwasher saltwater later forms bonds with the calcium and magnesium ions and eventually eliminates it from the water and thereby turning your hard water soft, and for this reason, your dishes end up cleaner.
How Long Should Dishwasher Salt Last?
It is only normal for 1kg of dishwasher salt to last for about 40-50 days if used every two days.
Some dishwashers use more or less of this amount of water softener salt depending on certain factors like the size of the dishwasher, the company that it is produced, and whether the area you live in is a hard water area.
Sometimes, your dishwasher salt does not last for as long as it is supposed to be because your dishwasher might be developing a fault.
When some people realize that their dishwater is beginning to use more salt than usual, they begin to reduce the amount of salt they put each time and, in some cases, they even stop putting salt and end up using the dishwasher with the hard water that way.
However, you should note that each time the dishwater asks for salt, it is to water softener salt, and if you don’t put in adequate salt, it will impact the performance of your dishwasher.
Another important factor to note is that using the dishwasher salt in a naturally soft water area is unnecessary if you reside in a naturally soft water area.
This salt was made for people who live in areas with a hard water supply and acts as a hard water softener.
The case might be different if you use a company’s dishwasher; then, you need more dishwasher salt to keep it working.
Also, the size of the dishwasher matters; the largest dishwashers require an enormous amount of dishwasher salts and vice versa.
How Long Does Salt Last in Dishwasher?
How long your dishwasher softener salt last in the dishwasher depends on what the dishwasher is used for.
If you use the dishwasher just for your personal needs, let’s say every two days, then one kg of dishwasher salt can last for about 50 days.
So, the basic concept is that the higher the dishwasher frequency, the faster the dishwasher would consume the dishwasher salt.
Not only is it about the amount of time you make use of your dishwasher, but a lot also depends on the capacity of your dishwasher.
For example, if your dishwasher is one with multiple racks and shelves, then it is only normal for it to consume more dishwasher salt, even if you are washing a few dishes.
From this, you should be able to draft out that 1kg of dishwasher salt would last for about 50 days for a medium-sized dishwasher, but for a larger dishwasher that is used for a longer time, the dishwasher salt is sure to increase.
How Often Do I Put Salt in The Dishwasher?
How often you put salt in your dishwasher depends on the hardness of the water in your area. It is advisable to top up your salt level in hard water areas every 30-40 days.
You might not even need to add soft water to your dishwasher in soft water areas because the water in your area is already good enough for the task.
Most dishwashers come with a dishwasher refill aid which helps you know when to check your salt level and then refill.
We all know that dishwasher salt is not spoken of often, but you need to achieve the soft water needed to produce clean dishes.
For people who do not know about the state of the water in their area, not to worry; you can just contact water suppliers in your area.
More dishwater salt helps you find out your area’s water state. In general, you should know that the harder the water you would need to add to your dishwasher and vice versa.
You should note that sometimes when your dishes are cloudy, it doesn’t necessarily mean your dishwasher has a salt issue, it might just be a result of the light current or some other factors.
You should ensure that you properly check your dishwasher to confirm the problem before taking action.
How Do You Know If Your Dishwasher Needs Refilling?
If you use a modern dishwasher, this shouldn’t be much of an issue as most modern dishwashers have a salt refilling light on display with a light that turns on when the salt level is low.
So whenever you see this light on, it shows that the salt needs refilling.
In other cases, you can refill your salt level when you realize that your plates are coming out cloudy ad not as clean as usual from the dishwasher.
For people who have dishwashers that don’t notice them with a green light, you can determine if your salt panel needs refiling when the dishwasher starts being plagued by limescale.
However, when refilling your dishwasher, you should not know that you can only use your dishwasher salt to refill and no other salt like sea salt and table salt.
The reason is that dishwasher salts contain zero anti-caking agents that allow the dishwasher salt’s sodium ions to successfully swap with the calcium and magnesium ions that can be found in hard waters.
Some unique dishwasher salt brands that you can comfortably use in your dishwashers without any complications in the long run include;
- Finish dishwashers salt
- Tesco’s own-brand dishwasher salt.
You should note that you can’t just put any type of salt in your dishwasher so it wouldn’t get damaged so ensure that you get the suitable salt so your dishwasher would last longer.
Conclusion
From this article, you should’ve gained a lot of knowledge on maintaining your dishwashers by regularly changing the dishwasher salts.
Unfortunately, most people do not consider this a necessary procedure.
Still, when they keep using hard water for their dishes, it makes the dishes come out cloudier than usual and damages the dishwasher in the long run.
