Dishwasher Salt

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Fri Feb 09, 2024 3:57 pm

There has not been any DW salt in Tesco for quite a few months and I was shopping around to find some and ended up paying and exorbitant £3.75 for 2 KG in B&M Stores which is the only place that stocked any. Apparently, this has been caused by Reckitts bumping the price up so high that the supermarkets have dropped them as suppliers. I was wondering if water softener salt could be used as I can get a 10KG bag for £11 in Screwfix. I could not find a definitive answer anywhere. Anyone can clarify please?

DWD

keithu · Post by **keithu** » Fri Feb 09, 2024 5:14 pm

The salt in a dishwasher is only used to regenerate the built-in water softener, so I would have thought it would be fine.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Fri Feb 09, 2024 5:19 pm

Thanks for that Keith, I thought that salt is salt and the only variation would be the granule size. My internet search was not that conclusive but you have affirmed what I thought.

Thanks

DWD

wine~o · Post by **wine~o** » Fri Feb 09, 2024 5:27 pm

No. It's not the same.

Do you actually need dishwasher salt anyway ?

Contact your water provider and ask what the level of hardness is in your area, (maybe available on their website) anything up to 3.7mmol or clarke scale 26/27 then all you need is dishwasher tabs or detergent with DW salt included.

For instance water in my area is roughly 26 on the clarke scale 3.6 mmol, and when used with fairy platinum dishwasher tabs no isuues at all. I only buy them when on offer though and stock up...

Softening must be switched off on your machine though.

fin · Post by **fin** » Fri Feb 09, 2024 6:07 pm

never bother with it up here like. dunno if its just here or all of the waaaay up north areas.

Gadget · Post by **Gadget** » Fri Feb 09, 2024 10:28 pm

fin wrote: ↑Fri Feb 09, 2024 6:07 pm never bother with it up here like. dunno if its just here or all of the waaaay up north areas.

Not needed in this area.

peter c · Post by **peter c** » Sat Feb 10, 2024 6:49 am

Here in Suffolk the water is very hard. The guy who delivers our water softener salt also delivers the granules all in 25 kilo bags. I have used the granules in my dishwashers for over 20 years with no harmful effects! The salt now supplied comes from Turkey!
HTH
Peter C

peter c · Post by **peter c** » Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:20 am

Sorry meant to say use granules NOT tablets. Tablets take longer to dissolve!

Peter C

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Sat Feb 10, 2024 12:06 pm

My dishwasher is a 30 year old Bosch, I am waiting for it to die to get a new one but it is still doing the job. I checked Essex Water and the Clarke reading is 18 average in my area so with what Wino said above I will probably not bother when my DW salt stock runs out. I use the Fairy Platimum tabs which I find better than the Finish Powerball ones I used for years. I too buy them when they are on special offer.

DWD

oz0707 · Post by **oz0707** » Sun Feb 11, 2024 7:42 pm

Dont use mine often tbf like to wash as i cook and also have a soapy cloth handy to wipe surfaces when cooking. I had this place piped up for a softener when built but never bit the bullet and bought one. Apparently showers are supposed to feel really nice and soap suds go mad. I dont think my area is mega hard water just average.

wine~o · Post by **wine~o** » Mon Feb 12, 2024 5:56 pm

dewaltdisney wrote: ↑Sat Feb 10, 2024 12:06 pm I use the Fairy Platimum tabs which I find better than the Finish Powerball ones

Concur, When I used to use "Finish Powerball" the arms (spinny things) on the dishwasherc were constantly clogging with limescale. Since switching to fairy platinum no such issues.