How Soft Water Will Make You Love Dishwashing
Are you ready to take your dishwashing to the next level? If you love your flatware to sparkle and your glasses to gleam, we have good news for you. It just takes a few hours for a water expert to come to your home and transform your dishwashing experience.
Hard water makes dishwashing hard to bear. No matter how hard you work to eliminate the pesky white residue on your dishes, it never seems to go away. The problem is that the water you are trying to wash your dishes with is making the situation worse. On top of that, the minerals in your hard water interact with your soap in an unusual way, making it less effective.
If you are ready to upgrade the water in your home, it’s time to think about a residential water softener. Your water will run through a sophisticated system that trades the pesky minerals in your water for sodium ions, leaving your water delightfully soft. The water coming out of your tap will stop leaving spots behind and allow your soap to cut through grease and grime throughout your home.
Signs You Could Benefit From a Water Softener
A water softener will benefit your entire home, not just your kitchen sink. Even if your main frustration is your dishes, there are endless reasons you will love having a water softener installed in your home. It is easy to test for hard water if you believe it is causing your problems, but the following are telltale signs that your dishes are suffering as a result of a hard water problem.
- White Spots on Your Dishes. The minerals in hard water show up as a white film after the water dries. Water spots are especially obvious when dishes are left to drip dry, but even if you towel them off, you may still leave a film on your dishes.
- Cloudy or Dull Dishes. A dishwasher with hard water will etch dishes over time. Hard water minerals can become abrasive and cause permanent damage to your dishes. You’ve likely seen drinking glasses that look cloudy no matter how often you try to clean them. This is because the minerals in the water are actually causing micro scratches to the surface and causing irreversible damage to your glassware. It can cause your china to look dull and your flatware to lose its shine.
- Inefficient Dishwasher. If your dishwasher doesn’t work like it used to, you can probably blame your hard water. The problem is twofold.First, limescale can accumulate in your water lines, making it more challenging for water to pass through and do its job. The reduced capacity in your water lines means your dishwasher needs to work harder to keep up. At a certain point, it just won’t be able to produce adequate results.Secondly, your soap isn’t working as well. Your dishes look lackluster because you need more soap to do the same amount of work. Since you probably aren’t tossing in multiple dishwasher tabs, your dishes probably aren’t getting clean.
- Lack of Suds. When you hand wash dishes in hard water, you will notice your soap doesn’t suds like it should. Your soap is so busy fighting against the magnesium and calcium in your water that it isn’t able to do what it is supposed to. Hard water means you will have to use a lot of soap, or your dishes won’t get as clean as they should.
What Can You Do to Get Your Dishes Cleaner?
There are multiple ways that you can approach your problem with hard water. The right solution for you will depend on the severity of the situation, your budget, and your desire for a permanent solution.
- Vinegar. The easiest and most accessible option is to use vinegar. The acidity in vinegar is highly effective at cutting through limescale build-up. You can also use it as a preventative measure to stop it before it builds up. You can soak your dishes in hot water with a splash of vinegar before you wash them or just pour some into the bottom of your dishwasher. This is very easy and will help counteract the minerals that damage your dishes.
- Hard Water Products. There are products on the market that produce a similar result. You can find them at any grocery or hardware store. Adding them to your dishwasher can reduce the effects of the minerals on your dishes.
- Water Softener. The ultimate solution for hard water is installing a water softener system in your home. By fixing the problem at the source, you will see benefits far beyond your kitchen sink. All the water in your home will be free from minerals, and you can enjoy dishes without frustrating residue.
For people who thrive in a clean environment, the result of eliminating hard water is incredibly exciting. Dishwashing can be fun when you know your dishes are actually getting clean. Eliminating the water spots that have plagued you provides the ultimate level of satisfaction. And, to top it off, you can preserve the china, flatware, and glassware that you love.
Infographic
Dealing with hard water can make dishwashing a real chore. If you suspect hard water is the culprit, there are simple tests you can do to confirm. The following infographic outlines clear signs that your dishes are being affected by hard water.
Video
