An assortment of everyday items can be used to soften hard water and remove lime scale.
Hard water contains a moderately high concentration of dissolved minerals. As the water evaporates, it leaves these minerals behind, creating unsightly stains. These spots, often known as lime scale, cling to glasses and flatware, causing dishes to look dirty and dull even when they have just been washed. To put the sparkle back in your tableware, simply add a mildly caustic material and run the dishwasher as usual. Weak corrosives such as lemon juice can break up hard water deposits and wash them away, leaving the dishes and the dishwasher looking like new.
Acids
Acidic compounds are excellent water softeners. To brighten dull dishes and remove stains from pots, pans and bakeware, add ½ cup of ordinary white vinegar or full-strength lemon juice to the dishwasher's rinse cycle. For serious stain removal, pour a packet of unsweetened lemonade-flavored soft drink mix into the dishwasher's soap dispenser, then run the machine without detergents or additional cleaning agents. When the cycle is complete, the dishwasher and everything in it should be spotless.
Bases
Alkaline products, or bases, are also capable of dissolving hard water deposits, although they tend to perform better when used with detergents. To enhance the cleaning power of ordinary dishwashing soap, before starting the wash cycle, sprinkle ¼ cup of baking soda or Borax evenly over the bottom of the dishwasher. These gentle, non-toxic chemicals soften hard water, leaving dishes spotless and streak-free.
Bleach
Glassware that has been repeatedly exposed to hard water tends to develop an unattractive, opaque film. To remove this residue, load the top rack of the dishwasher with dingy dishes and place a large bowl with 2 cups of chlorine bleach on the bottom rack. Run the wash cycle, but don't allow the dishes to dry. Remove the bleach, rinse the bowl and repeat the process using vinegar rather than bleach. By the end of the second wash, the milky coating should be gone.
Abrasives
Should the dishwasher fail to remove hard water deposits from glassware, eliminate stubborn spots by covering them in non-gel toothpaste, scrubbing gently with a damp toothbrush and wiping away the paste. To treat severe stains, place the affected items in the sink. Mix 1 cup of table salt into 2 quarts of white vinegar and pour the solution over the dishes. Allow the glassware to soak for at least eight hours, rinse and wipe dry.
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