A problem with soft water? Soft water etching.

There is one issue with soft water that you should be aware of if you have or are getting a water softener. It is called soft water etching. Occasionally, soft water will act with phosphate sequestering agents in your dishwasher detergent and etch glassware that you run through the machine.

This is really not a problem. What is happening is since there are no longer hard minerals (calcium and magnesium) in your water, your detergent no longer needs to combat minerals while trying to wash your dishes. The phosphates have no minerals to sequester and they can actually react with glass. There are easy solutions to this problem:

• Cut way back on detergent. I only use 1/4 the recommended amount and the dishes come out clean. Cutting back on detergent usage is one reason to get a water softener in the first place.
• Lower the water temperature to below 140 F. You may need to lower your water heater temperature (which should only be 120 F or lower if you want to prevent scalding) and some fancy brands of dishwashers have heater controls that you will need to lower. I have noticed that heat drying tends to increase this problem, so air dry instead.
• If the first two solutions don't work, get a detergent specially made to combat this problem. Quixtar (formerly Amway) has a great Soft Water Dishwasher Detergent that is low in phosphates.

If you have any questions about your water, email me at tedmullen@hotmail.com .