Treating Hard Water

March 12, 2009 12:58 PM

What product is effective in doing dishes in hard water?
posted by page123 to home & garden (6 comments total)

Do you mean hand-washing in the sink, or using a dishwasher machine?
I've found regular dishsoap to be ok in the sink. In the dishwasher you can use regular dishwasher detergent; this may leave white spots on the dishes, and to counter this you can use a "rinsing agent" (a separate product, it's a liquid you pour into a separate reservoir in the dishwasher).

Or are you doing these things now and having problems? If so, what problems are you having?
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:54 PM on March 12

You could try "Calgon" water softener -- website http://www.homesolutionsnews.us/calgon/.
Comes as powder or liquid. Lots more on Wikipedia.
posted by lungtaworld at 2:07 PM on March 12

If you're using a dishwasher, I can't say enough good things about LemiShine. Some pix.
posted by leahwrenn at 3:40 PM on March 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

If you're handwashing, have you tried microfibre cloths instead of sponges?
posted by harriet vane at 2:51 AM on March 13

I am looking for something for hand-washing the dishes.
posted by page123 at 6:31 AM on March 17

seventh generation dishwashing soap suds like crazy.
posted by OrientalRugs at 3:59 PM on April 22