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Household
Hints & HELP!
Hard
Water Filming
submitted
by Lorene Bartos, Extension Educator
This article appears in the August 22,
2004 Lincoln Journal Star Newspaper.
Do
you find a film or cloudiness on your glasses after they
have been in the dishwasher? This usually happens after
several washings. Hard water filming is a white film appearing
on glasses and flatware. Etching is a permanent film that
occurs in unusual circumstances when the surface of the
glass is pitted or eroded. In the beginning stages, etching
may be identified by an iridescent look—shades of blue,
purple, brown or pink may be seen when the glass is held
at an angle in the light. In advanced stages, the surface
of the glassware appears frosted or cloudy.
Possible
causes of filming may be:
(1) Hard water and not enough detergent. This combination
may leave hard water minerals that dry on the surface of
the glassware creating a film. Unremoved food soil may also
cause filming.
(2) Low water temperature. The water temperature
should be 140 degrees F. as it enters the dishwasher. Check
the water temperature by placing a candy or meat thermometer
in a glass and letting it fill with water from the hot water
faucet in the kitchen sink. Let the water run until the
temperature stops rising. If it is not 140 degrees F., adjust
the water heater. If the dishwasher is not near the hot
water heater, let the water run before starting the dishwasher
this clears the line of cold water.
(3) Not using a rinse additive. A rinse additive
such as JET-DRY improves the sheeting action of the water.
Use liquid JET-DRY in the rinse dispense. If the dishwasher
is not equipped with a dispenser, hang a basket of solid
JET-DRY in a back corner of the lower rack.
To remove filming, soak glasses approximately 15 minutes
in undiluted white vinegar. Rinse and dry. Or, wash the
glasses in a basin of water using a generous amount of dishwasher
detergent (wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from
the strong detergent solution).
Etching
may happen to certain types of glassware in any dishwasher
with the combination of soft water (especially mechanically
softened), an excessive amount of detergent, heat and prerinsing.
There is no way to remove the filmy appearance caused by
etching—the damage is permanent. Neither is there any way
to predict what glassware may be affected in this way as
there is no relationship to the cost or quality of the glass.
To
prevent etching:
1. Adjust the amount of detergent according to water hardness.
See chart below.
2.
Lower the water temperature so it enters the dishwasher
at approximately 140 degrees F. Do not use a water heating
option such as Temp Boost, Power Boost or Power Scrub.
3. Use the no heat Energy Saver dry cycle, if you have one.
4.
Do not manually prerinse dishes before loading in dishwasher.
Prerinsing prior to loading to remove all food soil increases
the alkaline concentration of the dishwasher detergent.
This chart shows the amount of detergent to use for each
wash according to water hardness (measured in grains per
gallon). Lincoln's water is 11.1 grains per gallon. One
tablespoon of detergent per wash is the minimum amount recommended.
0-3
Grains Hardness...........1 Tablespoon (fill dispenser cup
¼ full)
4-6 Grains Hardness...........2 Tablespoons (fill dispenser
cup ½ full)
7-9 Grains Hardness...........3 Tablespoons (fill dispenser
cup ¾ full)
10-12 Grains Hardness.........4 Tablespoons (fill dispenser
cup completely full)
When
water is over 12 grains hard, it will be necessary to use
the Low Energy wash cycle and fill both cups completely
full of detergent. If you have soft water, that is used
in the dishwasher, adjust detergent accordingly.
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