What Are The Best Dishwasher Water Softener Options?

If your dishwasher is leaving unsightly spots on your dishes, then perhaps a dishwasher water softener is the solution.

Most of us know how hard water can leave unsightly film inside showers and on bathroom fixtures and it can have a similar effect on your dishes. This problem can be rectified by adding a water softener to your dishwasher.

Many newer dishwashers are now manufactured with a built-in dishwasher water softener, but for older or lower priced machines that do not have this feature, there are other solutions.

A built-in dishwasher water softener is similar to a water softening unit that you might use to soften the water supply for an entire household, only on a smaller scale. Water enters the machine through the water softener, which is simply a resin-based unit located in the base of the dishwasher. Just like a large water softener, a dishwasher unit uses salt to soften the water.

All you have to do is top up the salt on a regular basis to keep the softener functioning at full capacity. Many modern dishwashers are electronic and will alert you when the salt needs to be topped up.

If your dishwasher does not have a built-in water softener, there are other ways to soften the water, to prevent spotty dishes and also to help protect the inner workings of the dishwasher from scale buildup. One simple solution that many people swear by is to add a half cup of baking soda to each wash load. The baking soda isn’t abrasive enough to cause scratches on the glasses and it has the added bonus of eliminating odors from the inside of the dishwasher. Some people also use this solution to prevent hard water issues with laundry, but it works great in the dishwasher too.

Some people say that putting a cup of vinegar in the dish load removes spots and buildup from glasses as well, and it also has antibacterial properties that help prevent odors. Another inexpensive form of dishwasher water softener is Borax, which is sold in the aisle where laundry detergents are found. Borax is a natural form of water softener, and you don’t need to use very much. Just a tablespoon per dish load is all it takes to soften the water and prevent spots from forming on your glasses.

However, if your household has extremely hard water, then spots on your glasses may be the least of your worries. Adding a water softening agent to the dishwasher only takes care of one problem. There is also the issue of scale buildup inside pipes and shower heads, inside the hot water heater and all over tubs, showers and faucets.

Installing a water softener to treat the water for the entire household can eliminate all of these issues and prevent more costly problems from occurring. That same material that leaves a milky film on everything also builds up in larger amounts inside appliances such as your coffee machine and hot water heater, forcing them to work harder and thus shortening their life spans.