Can i use regular dishwasher salt?

The web has collected a lot of conflicting information about the use of substitutes for dishwashers. Some users claim that buying expensive powders, salt and tablets is not economical and that you can freely prepare them at home. Other users agree with the manufacturer, discouraging others from using home-made products. We had a specific question: is it possible to pour ordinary salt into a dishwasher? We will try to answer it in this publication.

Will table salt harm technology?

Quite a tempting option for lovers of savings. A pack of salt costs 15 times cheaper than branded salt finish for dishwasher. And naturally I want to use ordinary table salt, but is it necessary to do this? Experts say, and experienced users on their bitter experience confirm that it is impossible to use crushed table salt (especially extra brands) in any case.

The fact is that in a pack of table salt, even wholemeal, quite a lot of suspension. The suspension in this case is finely divided salt particles that settle to the bottom of the PMM salt tank. What happens next?

1. The suspension crystallizes in the tank in a dense layer.
2. Over time, the reservoir becomes so clogged that the water stops passing through it or passes, but with great difficulty.

The reservoir may become so clogged that it will have to be pulled out of the machine in order to clean it.

3. The ion exchanger receives less or receives a small amount of salt and fails.
4. A huge amount of scale deposits in the car, from which the equipment breaks quickly.

The prospect, although remote 1.5-2 years, is still not bright. It’s better to buy salt Finish, so at least the dishwasher will remain intact. By the way, why does salt Finish not crystallize at the bottom of the tank and does not cause problems? The secret is that this salt is compressed into granules. Granular salt does not contain suspended matter, so it is evenly dissolved and washed into the system. Once in the machine’s ion exchanger, salt water promotes resin regeneration, which in turn prevents limescale from forming. This is how it works. There is no salt - there is no resin, and without resin, calcareous deposits will grow terribly.

Acceptable Replacement Options

There is a widespread belief that you can use 3 in 1 tablets instead of salt and powder. They say that they contain everything you need, including salt, so you don’t need to pour anything else into the tank if you buy tablets or capsules. This is actually a fatal fallacy. There is indeed salt in the composition of 3 in 1 tablets, but it is not enough to completely enrich the dishwashing mixture (water + detergent + salt). The result will be disastrous. After 3-4 years, the ion exchanger "will be covered."

Some craftsmen try to pour granular technical salt into the dishwasher. The danger of this action is that the technical salt contains impurities. They clog not only the salt tank, but the entire system through which water moves. It may turn out that in 1-2 years the machine will have to be completely disassembled, thoroughly cleaned and the filters changed, otherwise it just won’t work.

The only option is to use granular refined technical salt for professional dishwashers. Firstly, it is quite clean, and secondly, it is in granules, and the percentage of fine suspension in it is minimal. This is a worthy substitute, however, it costs a little cheaper than salt for household dishwashers. The savings will be no more than 10-15%. There is another option - to prepare granules yourself from table salt.

Cooking technical salt at home

How to replace store salt for dishwashers? Turn on the logic. Salt for the dishwasher must have two important qualities: firstly, the salt must be clean, and secondly, coarse with a minimum amount of suspension. Salt is pure, for it is even suitable for food. But this salt contains a lot of suspension. If this fine dust is somehow removed and granules are formed from salt, then we will get an excellent product for PMM. How to do it?

1. We take the smallest silicone molds for homemade lollipops (0.8-1 cm).
2. On a baking sheet pour the salt of a high degree of purification.
3. Wet the salt evenly with water from a spray bottle until a thick porridge forms.
4. Tightly fill the molds with salt porridge, making sure that there are no small particles of salt left at the edges.
5. We put a mold with salt near a strong heat source.

Be careful, the heat should not damage the mold.

6. When the salt is completely dry, you will get large granules, from which you need to sweep small crystals of salt with a dry brush.
7. We remove the granules in a bag and try to handle them carefully so that they do not crumble.

Such granules can be used perfectly in a dishwasher. They will be no worse than the advertised salt Finish, and their cost will be equal to the cost of molds and a pack of ordinary table salt. What is the difference between such a salt and a special salt for PMM? It turns out nothing, which means that it can be used without fear every day.

Summarize. No special salt for PMM can be replaced with 3-in-1 tablets, nor with common salt from a pack, or with technical salt! You can make salt for PMM at home, and if you do everything right, then you really can save money and not harm the equipment. Good luck