Salt in dishwasher?

applepad

Hope someone can help?

I live in West Yorkshire and in a soft water area.

I have been putting salt in my dishwasher and find that cutlery has rust spots on! I run an Eco/short programme each day and a more intensive one at the weekend when we have had a roast. Daily programme does not dry.

Have read that's it's the salt that's causing the rust.

My question is do I need to add the dishwasher salt? Being in a soft water area?

Thing is having a new kitchen and an intergrated dishwasher fitted soon, don't want to wreck the new one! Also want to get rid of rust spots, heated rubbing with Cif or the like should do it, but haven't got any, would bicarbonate and lemon work?

Plus salt is over £1 a bag and seem to go through alot.

Thanks

jackyann

In principle you don't need salt with soft water (as the salt is for the redundant softener!) and I imagine it is the excess salt that is damaging the cutlery.
I would begin by just cutting out the salt - I don't use any (I have a water softener). I don't use rinse aid either. If you are getting a new dishwasher, ask the manufacturer what their recommendations are.

dannahaz

It's not the salt that is rusting the cutlery, it's leaving it in the dishwasher, especially if you don't have a drying cycle.

Even with a drying cycle, manufacturers advise removing the cutlery as soon as the cycle has finished.

daska

^^ as dannahas says, you shouldn't leave stainless steel cutlery in the dishwasher, or leave it to soak in a bowl for that matter. Don't risk damaging your machine by not adding any salt - but have you checked if there are any specific settings for the water hardness on it (my Miele adjusts to suit)

sonastin

I live in a soft water area and to be honest, its never occured to me to put salt in the dishwasher. I do tend to use tablets so I'm not sure how much they compensate for the salt "requirement" but basic water chemistry suggested to me that it was an expense that could easily be cut. Come to think of it, I'm not even sure my local SM stocks dishwasher salt - other than in winter when they offer bags of it for clearing your paths!