We’ve compiled the most common questions about salt and the IonCleanse by AMD footbath here.

Why do I need to add salt?

The IonCleanse machine ionises the water in your footbath tub by conducting electricity between the plates. Salt can help with this process, depending on what is already in the water (such as chemicals or minerals, etc.). The machine is designed to tell you if it needs extra salt added, so you usually only need to add salt if your machine tells you to. Depending on your water supply and location, you may or may not need to add salt during your cleanse. 

Most footbath users in Western Australia do not need to add salt to their footbaths, unless their plates have degraded (see below). Some users in Melbourne, Victoria on the other hand, need to add a quarter teaspoon of salt before they even turn the machine on. 

What type of salt should I use?

When you first receive your IonCleanse machine, it will have a container of Sea Salt included. Once this has finished, you can use any good quality salt you would normally use for cooking. The most common types are Sea Salt, Pink Salt or Himalayan Salt. It does not matter if the salt is iodised, but you cannot use Epsom Salts as it will not produce the necessary conductivity.

When do I add salt and how much?

In most cases, the answer to this is, “Add salt when your machine tells you to”. When you first start your cleanse, wait 30 seconds and then check the screen to see if it tells you to add salt. If it doesn’t tell you, and your amps are reading between 1.8 to 2.2 then you’re all good. If it is telling you to add salt, then add a shake or half of the supplied scoop, swish the water around gently, and wait another 15 or so seconds. This gives the water a chance to distribute the salt and for conductivity to occur. You may need to repeat this a few times until the machine is no longer asking you to add salt, and your amps are in the correct range. 

The salt readings will differ when there are feet in the water, to no feet in the water. So always check the salt levels with your feet in! If you’re on one of the Facebook groups (see links below) then you may also see that some people tend to release more salt through their feet than others, which means salt levels can also be affected by who is doing a cleanse.

Once your initial readings are normal, you usually do not need to check the screen throughout the cleanse. An exception to this is once your plates are starting to ‘wear’, and require more salt to get enough of a current running. In this case you will need to add small amounts of salt as above, until the machine is once again reading ‘normal’.

If your machine is constantly asking you to add salt when it never used to, this usually means that the plates are worn down and need replacing. Less surface area of the plates means less area for conductivity and therefore ionisation, so your cleanses will not be as effective once your plates are corroded.

Help – I’ve got a High Salt reading!

Sometimes your machine will display a reading to say the salt level is too high. As long as it is not beeping and still continues to run, and your amps are at 1.8 or higher, you can continue cleansing.

If your machine beeps while telling you it has too much salt, then you need to turn off the machine, empty the tub and refill it with fresh water. Make sure to put your feet in the tub before you turn the machine on and then wait 30 seconds or so. Do not add salt to the water unless the machine tells you to, and then only add a small amount at a time. Swish the water gently to distribute the salt and wait 10-15 seconds before adding any extra salt. If it still says Too High, then please get in touch with us.

Salt and Volts

Your IonCleanse displays a measurement for Volts and Amps. Amps are generally best when kept between 1.8 and 2.2 , while Volts should be above 9.5. When you add salt to your footbath, your amps will rise, but your volts will tend to drop. If your volts go below 10, your amps will start to do weird things, so if you’ve been adding lots of salt to get your amps up but are getting strange readings, then it’s best to throw the water out and start again.

Follow the tips above and wait 30 seconds (swishing gently) before adding extra salt. It is helpful if you can take screenshots or a video of the readings, in case we have to troubleshoot with you.

Tips from Facebook

If you’re on Facebook, make sure to join the IonCleanse Facebook group to get support for owners, answers for those still in the research phase, and troubleshooting help. You can read testimonials and chat with real people who have used an IonCleanse by AMD ® footbath. There’s also a separate group for those who are using the IonCleanse ® for Autism.