As a kitchen appliance, dishwashers are designed to make your life easier by taking care of the hard work of washing and drying dishes. But did you know that using the wrong type of salt in your dishwasher can actually cause damage to your machine and put you at risk for serious injury?
Dishwasher salt is a specially formulated product designed to be used in dishwashers. It has a fine grain that helps soften hard water, which can reduce scaling on dishes and help prevent clogging. However, there are dangers associated with using the wrong type of salt in your dishwasher.
Using regular table salt or other types of salts could potentially corrode or damage the interior components of your machine. The high concentration of sodium chloride (NaCl) found in these types of salts can create an electrolyte imbalance which can cause corrosion as it reacts with metal parts inside the washer. Additionally, this reaction will produce chlorine gas, which is hazardous if inhaled and can lead to respiratory issues if not properly ventilated.
It’s also important to note that using too much dishwasher salt could create an excess amount of foaming suds inside the washer, which could overflow onto your floor or even cause mechanical problems in your machine due to airlock issues. This overuse could also damage dishes and glassware as they may become coated with excess mineral deposits from all the foam produced by too much salt.
To avoid any potential dangers associated with using dishwasher salt, always refer to your specific model’s instructions for how much should be used per cycle and what type should be used (most often either sodium citrate or potassium carbonate). Also make sure you store extra bagged salt away from moisture sources like sinks or bathtubs as it has a tendency to absorb moisture from its surroundings (which will render it useless). Finally, avoid mixing different types/brands together as this could have unexpected reactions with chemicals present in each brand’s formula.
With proper use and caution when handling any type of household cleaning chemicals like dishwasher salts, you can keep yourself safe while ensuring maximum performance from all appliances in order to get maximum cleanliness out of everything you wash!