If you are looking for the best water softener salt options here, it means you deal with hard water. It can be such a pain when you’re trying to get clean dishes. Your glasses can come out spotty, and you may even see a white crust or film on your dishwasher elements. Even worse, over time, hard water can negatively affect the performance of your dishwasher to the point where it just won’t work at all. Even worse is that hard water can have adverse effects on your health.
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Why Do You Need Water Softener Salt?
Water softeners, most high-quality dishwashers, and even some shower filters work with salt to remove the hardness minerals in your water. As maintenance goes, you cannot keep a softening system (no matter its size or nature) without regularly replacing the salts.
We searched all over for the best water softener salts on the market and came up with a list of eight of the best water softener salts for water softening systems, dishwashers, and even… bathtubs. You’ll see.
We’ve listed them below in ascending order based on the number of positive reviews, tech specs, features, and price. What we found is that these products’ popularity directly correlates with the quality of the salt. Keep reading to find out more!
Best Water Softener Salt Options (Updated List)
Before we begin, let’s see out first three champions! Read on to learn more about the best salts for water softeners or dishwashers!
Let’s see the best salts for water softeners and dishwashers you can get this year!
8. Diamond Crystals Solar Salt
| Type: | Solar Salt |
| Size/Qty.: | 40 lbs |
This is coarse screened, white crystalline sodium chloride. You can use it in regenerating water softener ion-exchange resin in both household and commercial water softeners. It works with other water softening units as well. In filtered brine form, you can also use this product for meat and poultry processing, quality grading sensitive vegetables, and curing olives and pickles.
Verdict
Coming in at the eighth place on the list is the Diamond Crystals Solar Salt. It’s an all-natural salt that contains over 96 percent pure salt. That’s right – no fillers. Since these salt crystals are so natural and pure, they are the perfect solution for brine tanks. Since they are naturally an opaque white color, they won’t look awkward in the tank. The best thing about this water softener salt is the price – you get an entire 40-pound bag of salt for an insanely low price (specific retail locations). That makes this one the best salt for water softeners if you’re on a budget. It’s cheap, and it works well. What more can you ask for?
7. Morton Pure AND Natural Water Softening Crystals
| Type: | Solar Salt |
| Size/Qty.: | 40 lbs |
Morton’s solar salt is an all natural choice for softening water. Composed of high purity sodium chloride (CAS 7647-14-5), it helps prevent hard water spots on dishes, household fixtures, and appliances, as well as hard water mineral build-up in water heaters and home plumbing.
Verdict
Morton is a familiar name in American households. They are a company known for its table salt products. You’ll always recognize a container of Morton salt when you see it because it has that familiar icon of a girl in a yellow rain jacket with an umbrella. In fact, this 40 lb. bag of water softening salt has that same logo, letting you know that it’s an authentic Morton product. Morton is a leader when it comes to salt products. This Pure and Natural salt is harvested naturally from saltwater. It’s the real deal, and best of all, it works in all water softeners.
6. Morton Salt Morton F124700000g Clean & Protect/Rust Defense Water Softener Pellets
| Type: | Anti-rust |
| Size/Qty.: | 40 lbs |
Specifically designed for use with high iron water, it delivers better-tasting water, fewer rust stains in your bathroom and kitchen, and reduced rust stains on laundry and appliances. According to the manufacturer, you should check the salt levels, keeping the tank at least 1/2 full, and fill your softener with two bags of this salt every two months.
Verdict
Here is another Morton product with that same girl in the yellow jacket. The previous salt was a 4-in-1 product, but this one is a 5-in-1 product. It improves water quality, softens hair and skin, allows more efficient dish cleaning, prevents buildup, and extends appliance life. The most crucial reason to but this salt is that it is a master at removing iron from water. In fact, Morton boasts that it removes 15 times more iron from water than other salts. It is the ultimate way to prevent rusting of appliances.
5. Sprite Mediterranean Blue De-Chlorinating Bath Salts
| Type: | General |
| Size/Qty.: | 2.5 lbs |
According to the manufacturer, this salt doesn’t contain any artificial colors or fragrances. These bath salts will not irritate sensitive skin. This bath salt from Sprite Bath Salts has a particular purpose. It’s for de-chlorinating bathwater. It’s not as versatile as other types of water softener salts – it’s not really a salt for water softener purposes – but if you just want to have a more relaxing bath or shower, this one is a great choice.
Verdict
One popular and attractive feature of this product is that it doesn’t have any artificial dyes or fragrances. It makes it great for people with allergies or sensitive skin. The lack of dyes and fragrances also makes it great for pets. You won’t be disappointed with this product if you just need a more relaxing bath.
4. Impresa Dishwasher Salt/Water Softener Salt
| Type: | General Dishwasher/Softener Salt |
| Size/Qty.: | 4.4 lbs |
Residue and limescale are no match for Impresa Dishwasher Salt. Keep in mind that you can only use this 100% pure, very coarse grain salt with Miele, Bosch & Whirlpool products. The company can’t guarantee the quality of the outcome in a different type of dishwasher. You’ll also need to make sure the dishwasher has a compartment for water softener salt.
Verdict
This Impresa Dishwasher salt is an awe-inspiring product. It’s a coarse grain of salt which is better to use than fine salt. It’s also one of the purest salts on the market, which means it doesn’t have annoying and useless additives. It also makes it non-GMO and vegan, so everyone can use it no matter what their eating lifestyle is. One thing that many reviewers have said about this salt is that it’s a pro at leaving dishes residue-free, watermark-free, and spot-free.
3. Diamond Crystal 50 lb. Water Softener Salt
| Type: | Salt Pellets |
| Size/Qty.: | 50 lbs |
The Diamond Crystal Bright & Soft water softener pellets can remove hard minerals from water, including barium, calcium, iron, and magnesium. Suitable for use with most water softeners, the pellets’ formula is sodium chloride. The innovative 2-handle bag eases lifting and transportation.
Verdict
Diamond Crystal is a company that makes salt and sugar products. This particular salt product is one of the best salt pellets for water softeners, as well as reversing problems from hard water. One of the main things that it’s good at is removing unwanted minerals from drinking water. It would make it a great choice in water salts. The salt has a high purity level, so it’s very concentrated. It means you can use less of it than others. It comes from a solution mine in Michigan. It’s high-quality, and it works really well. Plus, Diamond Crystals is a famous American company with lots of positive reviews. You can trust that their products will meet expectations.
2. Finish Dishwasher Salt
| Type: | General |
| Size/Qty.: | 1 lbs |
We’ve made it to the second-best water softener salt. Finish is a company that makes some of the best dishwasher pods or tablets on the market. When you consider the quality of their dishwasher pods and tablets, it’s no surprise that their water softener salt ranks in the top two salts on the list. Keep in mind it is compatible with all Bosch 800 Plus and ADA (SGE) dishwashers.
Verdict
The Finish water softener salt is the perfect size and coarseness that you need to treat your dishwasher water. It dissolves quickly and delivers a performance that is almost unmatched by others. Finish is the perfect solution to water spots and limescale buildup. It might cost a few extra bucks than others, but it’s worth it.
1. Miele Care Collection Dishwasher Reactivation Salt
| Type: | General |
| Size/Qty.: | 3.3 lbs |
We’ve made it to the overall best water softener salt on the list. The Miele Care Collection salt is an exciting product, although it incites a love-hate relationship. We absolutely love the fact that this water softener salt works unbelievably well. We hate that it’s only working with Miele dishwashers. It doesn’t mean that you can’t necessarily use it in a different type of dishwasher. It just means that the results can’t be similar in other dishwashers. Many dishwashers have a built-in water softener to optimize cleaning results. To function perfectly, this softening unit requires special salt. This product reduces hard water residue in the dishwasher, dissolving during the wash cycle and helping prevent scaling.
Verdict
The quality of the Miele Care Collection salt is so excellent that there is a good chance it will work just fine in any dishwasher machine with a water softener compartment. While the Miele Care Collection salt is a little pricey, remember that you get what you pay for: a higher price gets you a better quality.
Conclusion
Hard water is no fun, but there is an easy solution. Water softener salts can solve your problems, so you don’t have to worry about costly equipment repair or replacement.
We’ve presented the eight best water softener salts above with the Miele Care salt coming in the number one spot. All of these salts are amazing, even the ones in the last places on the list. Choosing one is a matter of personal preference while deciding how badly hard water interferes with your lifestyle.
Some of them are for specific purposes, while others are more general use. However, one thing is for sure – having some type of water softener is better than having none at all. Good luck in choosing the one that’s best for you.
Water Softener Salts: FAQs
What is the best type of salt to use for a water softener?
We recommend you use high-purity salts and salt pellets for water softeners. The Diamond Crystal Bright & Soft water softener pellets or the Morton F124700000g Clean & Protect water softener salt are very good options. Make sure you read your water softener’s manual and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Does it matter what salt you use in a water softener?
Yes, because no-name sold at home improvement stores or supermarkets can contain high levels of water-insoluble elements or impurities.
Are salt pellets or crystals for water softeners better?
It all depends on the water softener/dishwasher you use. However, salt pellets can help with the reduction of bridging, work well with all-in-one softener systems’ tanks, and prove efficient for homes with moderate to high volume water usage.
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