Dishwashers can leave your dishes looking shiny and new wash after wash. But they can’t do this with just water alone! Alongside water, you’re going to need detergents and salt. But it’s that second all-important element that often leaves people confused. Are you really supposed to put salt in your dishwasher? Why do dishwashers need salt?

You wouldn’t be alone in finding this practice mystifying. But it can sometimes be difficult to find a clear answer when searching the web. Luckily, your search is about to come to an end. In this article, we’re going to find out why exactly salt is added to the dishwasher, and what it does in there!

Why Do Dishwashers Need You To Add Salt?

The reason why adding salt to the dishwasher can seem like an odd practice is that not everyone needs to do it. Adding salt to the dishwasher is intended to soften the water.

Hard water is filled with tiny pockets of lime. When we say “Lime”, we don’t mean the acidic fruit. Instead, we refer to small pockets of limestone that can be found in local water supplies. Lime is naturally occurring, and not harmful, but it can have a negative impact on the function of a dishwasher. Hard water makes it difficult for dishwasher detergents to dissolve. This, in turn, results in an unfinished clean!

If you were to wash your dishes in hard water, you would notice water spots on the surface of many of them. These result when the water evaporates, leaving behind deposits of limescale. Adding salt to the dishwasher helps to soften the water, minimising these deposits, and allowing your dishes to come out free of streaks and water spots.

If your water supply is hard, you will need to soften the water before using it in a dishwasher. Hard water is full of lime, which can damage dishes. Adding salt to the dishwasher helps to soften the water!

Whether or not you need to use dishwasher salt will depend on the hardness of your water supply. This will depend on where you live, and where you get your water from. However, if your water supply is significantly hard, then you will need to soften it. Significantly hard water can actually do direct damage to your dishes if left unchecked!

Can You Add Normal Salt To Your Dishwasher?

No. You cannot simply drop a load of table salt into your dishwasher to save money. You will need specialised dishwasher salts to do the job. Ordinary table salt is too fine, and actually runs the risk of clogging the dishwasher’s salt tank!

How Do You Add Salt To The Dishwasher?

Adding salt to the dishwasher is incredibly easy. Most modern dishwashers are actually fitted with salt dispenser drawers. All you need to do is drop the required amount of salt into the drawer, and it will slowly be dispensed over the course of the cycle!

How much salt you add will ultimately depend on the hardness of the water. It’s worth checking the packaging of the salt, to see if it has any guidelines for choosing the right dosage!

What Happens If You Don’t Put Salt In Your Dishwasher?

If you’re dealing with significantly hard water, then you’ll want to make sure you don’t miss out on adding salt to your dishwasher. It’s okay to occasionally miss out on salt every few cycles. However, If you were to consistently avoid adding salt, you would not only put your dishes at great risk but also the dishwasher itself.

If you were to go without dishwasher salt, you would be putting your dishwasher at great risk. Hard water can result in limescale deposits building up in your dishwasher pipes!

Leaving out salt from your dishwasher cycle could lead to dangerous limescale deposits building up. These could very easily cause a blockage in your pipes if left unchecked for long enough!

Do You Need To Add Dishwasher Salt Alongside Dishwasher Tablets?

The answer to this will ultimately depend on how hard the water is. Many dishwasher tablets actually come with some amount of salt infused in them. This makes them effective against slightly harder water. If you have slightly softer water, you won’t need to add much salt, if at all.

If you have significantly hard water, then you may need to add some dishwasher salt alongside your tablets. This will ensure that your dishes, and your dishwasher, are protected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do Dishwashers Need Salt?

Salt is added to a dishwasher in order to soften the water. Hard water is packed with lime which can gather up in the insides of your dishwasher. It can gather on your dishes and the dishwasher itself. Salt helps to soften the water and prevent limescale from building up. How much salt you need to add will depend entirely on how hard the water supply is.

What Happens If My Dishwasher Doesn’t Have A Salt Compartment?

Some older dishwashers may not have areas for you to drop the salt into place. If your dishwasher lacks a salt compartment, we would recommend using all-in-one dishwasher tablets. These have an extra amount of salt added to them so you don’t need to add any to the dishwasher yourself.

How Do I Unblock Dishwasher Salt?

First, you’ll need to unplug your dishwasher. After you’ve done that, you’ll need to remove the salt dispenser drawer. With a small brush, identify the blockage, and clear it away. If the blockage is stuck in place, you may need to add some dish soap to help clear it away.

How Often Should You Put Salt In A Dishwasher?

How often you add salt to your dishwasher will depend on how hard the water is. Harder water will need more salt added to it in order to soften it. No matter what, we recommend that you add salt to your dishwasher at least once a month. This will protect your dishwasher and keep it working just right.