Dishwasher salt dispenser.

Someone asked “what’s a dishwasher?” and it reminded me of when I first bought mine. I was telling my DH’s very elderly grandmother, who had spent many years living in India in the days of the Raj, that I was getting a dishwasher and she thought I meant I was going to employ someone to wash up!

I find it helps to wear a pair of rubber gloves when unscrewing the lid and also not doing it up too tight when finished. I wonder if there is a tool available that makes it easier to reach?
The other thing is if you have a cleaner or someone who comes regularly perhaps they could top it up each week before the red light goes on.

I have to use salt in my hard water area or glasses go misty. But don't buy it from anywhere else but Lidl or Aldi. Much cheaper there.

The little red light tells me to put in salt, but it doesn't know I'm in a soft water area. I've had the machine 12 years now and it has never complained. And I hope I'm not tempting providence by saying that.
I do have a bag of dishwasher salt but I bought it to use on my back doorstep in frosty weather.

I believe there is very little in it humptydumpty but a dishwasher just about beats handwashing dishes etc as far as carbon footprint is concerned, so I believe.

Actually Gabriella I believe you are wrong: a dishwasher is the only appliance, I understand, that is more ecologically friendly than washing by hand. Obviously this only applies if the dishwasher is full when used. Personally I'm very envious of those lucky people with them, not least because of that.

MawBroon, that was funny, lol

My MIL used to say that her twin tub could do the washing in half the time of my automatic. But it was half of HER time compared to twice the machine's time.

I love my dishwasher, especially on Christmas day.

Felice ,I did have a chuckle to myself when you mentioned you daughter grumbling ,my grand-daughter does all my "can't do jobs "when she drops into see me.She walks in the door with "what do you want sorting out today".?She's a godsend to me as I can't do heights or very low jobs.

Brilliant idea Gabriella,

I didn't even know there was a salt dispenser!

We have very soft water, so I suppose it doesn't matter.

grannybuy yes the salt dispenser is always full of water - the salt just displaces it as you pour.

Honestly MawBroon sometimes life is too short to hurt yourself
Thank you for your concern, JustaGodmother, but I have not hurt myself on my dishwasher yet.
Actually standing at the sink washing up by hand, if that is what anybody is recommending , would IMO be more strain on my right arm and shoulder.
But while we are on the subject GabriellaG what is your environmental stance on washing machines?
Still pounding the laundry with rocks on the sun kissed banks of the Thames?

I also use 3 in 1 tablets but on the advice of an appliance engineer I still use both salt and rinse aid. This is a hard water area so maybe that's why.

Be good if manufacturers could clarify I use three in one tablets but every now and then my machine asks for rinseaid and salt! It's quite annoying and confusing.

We also use the 3 in 1 tablets and have lovely sparkling dishes.

I live in a very hard water area and have used Aldi's (I think they're 7 in 1 - but they are very cheap and effective) exclusively since I got my latest Bosch dishwasher 9 years ago. It works beautifully.

Honestly MawBroon sometimes life is too short to hurt yourself

I disagree. My dishes are as clean if not cleaner than anything that comes out of a dishwasher and, as I only use the smallest possible amount of eco-friendly liquid, sense tells you that is far less damaging to the environment than all the washing aids and electricity used in a dishwasher, plus I save time.

Studies have proved that using a dishwasher is far less detrimental to the environment Gabriella and the contents are much cleaner.

Paying out for salt, rinse-aid and tablets + scraping pots and platest + loading (and having to reload if someone hasn't done it correctly) + the over-long wash cycle + waiting/ drying time + unloading and putting away + the back-bending that some people find difficult + cloudy glasses if not done correctly and bits still on some plates etc... +electricity. Why put yourself through all the above?
I can efficiently wash and rinse everything perfectly, glasses separately (and no back bending) in 1/8th the time and at virtually a tiny to no cost to me OR the environment.

Had my dishwasher since 1993!! working fine not put salt in for years. I was advised to keep my machine as later models broke down within a few years. A friend gave her old one to her sister it is still working her's has broken

We also live in an area that has very hard water. We have a Bosch dishwasher and there is a whole section in the manual about finding out the hardness of your water and then setting the machine so that the red light comes on when it needs more salt. I would imagine if someone in a soft water area is using the 3 in 1 tabs and the light is still coming on that maybe they haven't set it right.
I don't have any issues with bending down but even I find putting the salt in quite hard. I always do mine just before I am going to use the dishwasher as my manual says to do it that way

I've used 3 in 1 for years and have only just needed to replace my 12 year old dishwasher

Hard water here so I do use both 3in1 tablets & usually salt & rinse aid.
I find if I wear rubber gloves I can get better purchase on the salt top but it is fiddly & in a really silly place. I wish the rinse aid had a larger capacity too. It hardly takes any of the liquid. Mine's a Bosch too.

Just a tip I find useful when I find things hard to unscrew. Get someone to take off the top and then rub a little petroleum jelly or Vaseline around the rim before screwing the lid back on. It works every time for me. Worth a try anyway.

Your all so right, getting on your hands and knees with a dodgy knee is the first challenge, then twisting to find the dispenser with a spinal issue is challenge 2 finally, removing the screw lid with arthritic hands is the final straw! My daughter in Australia and in fact it’s not recommended never use salt?