Help! Soda crystals in dishwasher.

[Ratty2E]

Serves me right for rushing about. I have just filled the salt dispenser in the dishwasher with soda crystals by mistake. I can't empty it out as far as I know so does anyone know if it will do any harm or be OK. Obviously I'm going to have to thoroughly rinse everything I get from the dishwasher for a while if I can't get it out.

[tinkerbell23]

Can you hoover it out? Just a guess.... Xxxxx

[Ratty2E]

No, because the place you put the salt is full of water. Don't need to knacker the hoover too lol

[rockyracoon]

I clean my dishwasher with soda crystals. Just run the cycle, then do another one after to rinse if you're worried.

[tinkerbell23]

Awwww LOL okay....(well saying i still live with mum) pmsl..xx

[rockyracoon]

Just d you put it in the salt bit? Dunno now, ring manufacturer.

[rockyracoon]

That should say read.

[heathfield]

Salt is used to soften the water. Soda crystals do the same thing. No problem. Just run a normal cycle, and everything will be fine.

[gingejbee]

No, salt is not used to soften the water - it is used to regenerate the resin in the built-in water softener: not the same thing at all. You may have "spoilt" the resin and it may not work in the way it's supposed to ie. do the softening of the incoming water.

[Ratty2E]

Well it's done now gingejbee and if it's spoilt it's spolit. Thanks all for your help and I will try not to be so brain dead in future but no promises.

[deggers316]

excuse me salt does soften water
we use around 1/2 a ton a week in our processing machines that use lots of water for washing and rinsing (i'm talking half a million pound machines here)

[gingejbee]

Add salt to hard water and you get salty hard water. Sodium chloride cannot soften hard water. See my previous answer.

[buildersmate]

Spot on, Gingejbee.

[deggers316]

i'd better inform the swedish company that built and installed our machine then

[slaney]

@deggers316 - I think what gingejbee and buildersmate were saying was that salt on its own does not soften water, but does so when used with an ion-exchange resin (as found in a dishwasher). Sodium ions in the salt are exchanged for calcium ions in the hard water.
http://en.wikipedia.o...ki/Ion-exchange_resin

[deggers316]

yes ok,similar to this one we have (3) but larger
http://www.pure-aqua....rs-sf-100s-steel.html

[buildersmate]

Having a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous thing when it leads to wrong advice.

[Clarissa9]

I am old enough to remember when detergents and dishwashers did not exist. We did our washing up with soda water. I do not think it will hurt. Just run it through.

[woofgang]

Clarissa,its not the dishwasher itself or the crockery, its the softener resin which might be damaged.

[JayFromSA]

So what happened!? I just did the same thing! Was your dishwasher damaged at all?