Preventing glass etching in dishwasher with water softener

[MrStop]

Since installing my water softener earlier this year, I have notice a pearlescent film on my glasses. My glasses are now starting to etch. I have been using Cascade and Finish dishwasher tablets. I have now learned that softwater may be just as much a culprit as hard water in etching glasses. Does anyone have a good method of preventing etching in a dishwasher running on soft water?

 

[Reach4]

You want to get your water tested for silicon as well as pH. Silicon spots cannot be washed off and could be confused with etching. A softener will not remove silicon, and it will not adjust your pH for you.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Bannerman]

You need to drastically reduce the amount of detergent you are using. The usual 'recommended' detergent quantity is intended to compensate for some hardness. Since your water is now soft, the detergent does not need to compensate for any hardness. Your dw user manual may specify the correct amount of detergent to use with soft water.

With our dw's 2 detergent compartments, I only 1/2 fill one compartment only. While we had purchased hard tablets, I had cut them in half, only using a half tablet per load. As many of the newer pouches contain liquids, they will not cut without leaking so we now use either liquid detergent from a pour/squeeze bottle or a dry detergent.

Some dws permit adjustment of the liquid spotting rinse agent so that may be decreased also.

Similar reductions of laundry detergent and fabric softener are also necessary.

 

[ditttohead]

Agreed, silica is a real pain. No real good treatment method for it.

Etched glass has many causes, the most common being certain glass materials are highly prone to it. Try buying a few different clear glasses and see if certain brands work better then others. My clear glass dishes from France (restaurant grade) are 20 years old and look like new. We use them as our daily dishware. Some of our glasses look like they were sandblasted after only a couple months of use.

 

[MrStop]

I'm not sure if I have silica as it isn't in my cities' WQR. It sounds like it may not make sense to test if there is nothing I can do about it.

@Bannerman - I have just read about too much detergent being a problem with soft water. Sure enough, I checked the manual and it says to reduce the amount of detergent. As you say, it is hard to do with the newer liquid filled tablets/pacs. Guess I need to go back to a powder or find a solid tab I can cut.

@ditttohead - Interesting about the different grade of glasses. I checked mine, and some of the newer Ikea glasses (i.e. cheap) are probably the worse.