Salt is the common-or-garden cure-all for just about everything under the sun. We use it in the kitchen, but also to de-ice the driveway or remove red wine stains from clothes. For the maintenance of your dishwasher too, salt is indispensable. Why do we need dishwasher salt? Let’s take a closer look at some of the facts.

Dishwasher salt for soft water

Every dishwasher holds a water softener for the simple reason you need soft water if you want your dishes to come out spotlessly clean. If the water contains a high concentration of calcium and magnesium, you are dealing with what is referred to as ‘hard’ water. Hard water is what produces those white calcium deposits, also known as limescale, on your dishes. A water softener will prevent this.

Dishwasher salt should be pure

At a minimum, dishwasher salt should contain 99.5 percent pure NaCl. So you are best off going for a highly refined dishwasher salt of the best possible quality to make sure your appliance remains in good working order and enjoys a longer service life. Doing so helps you prevent limescale and white deposits on your glasses, plates, cups and other crockery. Other than this, what are also important are grain size – coarse salt is the best option – and the hardness of the grains, as the latter make for an even generation of brine which acts to benefit the operation of your dishwasher.

Tip: Store your dishwasher salt in a dry place close to your dishwasher. Check every so often to make sure the reservoir still contains enough salt.