Epsom, Dishwasher, Table salt

JonoTopMan

I've recently been advised by my chiropodist to use Epson salts. But £6kg isn't cheap. 
Question: can we just use ordinary cheap table salt instead and maybe in our dishwashers too?

DullGreyGuy

Table Salt has anti-clumping agents in it which isn't good for your dishwasher. 

Table Salt is sodium chloride (plus additives) whereas Epsom Salts is Magnesium Sulphate and so other than having the word salt in the name they are totally different things 

Salt in chemistry covers a massive array of substances https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_(chemistry) 

prettyandfluffy

No, there are specific minerals in Epsom salts.  Look in any pharmacy or the health and beauty section of a supermarket, you should be able to get it for about £1.99.  Table salt will work out much more expensive than dishwasher salt; if you have storage space, a sack of water softener salt is the cheapest thing to use in your dishwasher.

Rodders53

25kg plastic sack of Epsom Salts Pharmacy grade under £20 delivered from eBay and Amazon.
10kg tub would be more manageable but not a lot cheaper.

£3 a kg bag in most supermarkets. Trolley.co.uk tells me.

Bull 25kg dishwasher and water softener salt granules are more expensive than Epsom Salts but ES is not for use in dishwashers.