The Knowhow
The minerals in hard water are not your dishwasher’s friends. Over time, they can build up into deposits, just like limescale in a kettle, and reduce the effectiveness of your machine. Using dishwasher salt "softens" the water, which reduces the mineral level and helps stop those build-ups. This has the added effect of increasing the life of your dishwasher, keeping your pots, pans and plates perfect for longer.
In order to set the optimum level of dishwasher salt, you need to know exactly how hard your water is. Your machine’s user manual will have a guide that shows you how to adjust the salt setting accordingly - the level of salt needed in the machine is generally higher the harder the water.
The best way to find out your local water hardness is from your water supplier. There are a number of these throughout the UK, and we’ve listed their websites below to help you out. It’s worth rechecking your water hardness every so often, as it can vary.
| For Affinity Water (formerly Veolia Water) click here |
| For Anglian Water, click here |
| For Sembcorp Bournmouth Water, click here |
| For Bristol Water, click here |
| For Cambridge Water, click here |
| For Cholderton and District Water, click here |
| For Dee Valley Water, click here |
| For Dwr Cymru - Welsh Water, click here |
| For Essex and Suffolk Water, click here |
| For Northumbrian Water, click here |
| For Portsmouth Water, click here |
| For information from the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland, click here |
| For Severn Trent Water, click here |
| For South East Water, click here |
| For South Staffs Water, click here |
| For South West Water, click here |
| For Southern Water, click here |
| For Sutton and East Surrey Water, click here |
| For Thames Water, click here |
| For United Utilities Water, click here |
| For Wessex Water, click here |
| For Yorkshire Water, click here |
