Why is dishwasher salt important?

In dishwasher maintenance, one aspect is often overlooked - topping up the dishwasher salt. When you're using your appliance on a daily basis you may be forgiven for neglecting this task but be warned, it is vital in ensuring pristine cleaning and a healthy appliance.

Dishwasher salts soften the water running through the appliance. This means the detergent will work more effectively and you get less streaking on your glasses and dishes. Hard water can also cause limescale which blocks the washer jets and leaves deposits on the heating elements. This reduces the machine's ability to clean, shortens the life of the appliance and costs you more in electricity.

When to top up your dishwasher salt

Older appliances require you to regularly check the salt levels however new dishwashers often have an LED indicator which alerts you to an empty reservoir.

The Hotpoint FDL570G freestanding dishwasher has such a feature, in addition to its seven programmes. This appliance allows you to tailor your wash cycle to gain the best results every time. It caters for 12 place settings so will easily cater for a family of four. 

If you're looking to integrate into a built in kitchen, an integrated Hotpoint dishwasher such as the LFT114 also has the LED salt indicator.

Your location will impact the softness of your water and therefore the amount of dishwasher salt required. To find out how soft your water is, contact your local water company.