Is there anything as aggravating as washing your dishes, only to realize that water spots still remain on them? Water spots are problematic for a variety of reasons, but the biggest reason is that they cast a less-than-flattering view on your own cleanliness. While you can scrub your dishes as hard as the person next door, your dishes remain spotty and unclean looking.
The Anatomy Of Water Spots
The next time you pull your dishes out of the dishwasher, or finish washing them by hand, take a moment to really look at the water spots that have been giving you so much trouble. Let’s look at the two forms of water spots that you will likely be dealing with.
1. Surface Water Spots – This is the most common type of water spot that you will deal with. Typically, surface water spots are caused by hard water in your home. Hard water is comprised of excess mineral build-up which is then transferred to your dishes. The minerals in your water accumulate on the dish that you are scrubbing, thus leaving the water spot that has had you so anxious.
2. Etched Water Spots – Etched water spots are the most problematic kind of water spots that you potentially have to deal with. Etched water spots damage your dishes by working to eat away the surface paint on the objects. These spots will end up existing as a miniature crater on your dish. Etched water spots are also known by their more scientific name: sulfuric corrosion. We won’t be talking too much about this kind of water spot as the remedy to them requires a more heavy-handed approach.
Now that we have a more rounded understanding of water spots, we can shift our focus toward properly removing them from our dishes for good. Let’s dig right into our suggested clean-up techniques.
Dealing With Water Spots
Alright, now that we’ve taken a moment in order to properly analyze the kind of problem we are dealing with, we can shift our focus toward addressing proper solutions. Fortunately, there are a ton of different solutions that you can try out in order to deal with your water spot problem. We’ve highlighted the most accessible ways to remove water spots from your dishes and from your kitchen altogether. If one solution does not work to properly fix your water spot problem, move on to the next solution.
1) Address Your Detergent Level – If you are running a dishwasher in your kitchen and you are still coming across water spots, it might be time to analyze just how much detergent you are using. The best way to cut down on water spots is to cut down on your detergent level. Excess detergent can lead to soapy remnants which tend to mirror the appearance of water spots.
2) Bring Up The Heat – Additionally, if your dishwasher continues to plague you with water spots then you can consider increasing the temperature of your water. Hotter water can help to reduce potential mineral deposits. In order to raise the temperature of your dishwasher, look for a ‘Hi-Temp’ setting somewhere on the face of the machine. Failing that, avoid taking hot showers or while your dishwasher is running. You can use whatever excess heat you can find.
3) Buy A Water Softener – As we’ve pointed out before, water spots are due to mineral deposits caused by hard water. If you want to end the water spot problem you are dealing with forever, consider calling into a water company so that you can install a water softener in your home. Water softeners are installed inline with your water main and they work to help strip your water of the excess minerals that have been plaguing your dishes.
4) Consider A Rinsing Solution – Our final suggestion is much more affordable than buying a water softener, but it requires some work on your end. You can consider adding a special ‘Rinse Aid’ to your dishwashing cycle. Companies like Cascade offer their own special Rinse finishes. If you want to try and make your own rinse aid at home, that works too. You just need white vinegar or citric acid to work as your primary component while dealing with the water spots.
Water spots on your dishes can be annoying, but they aren’t the end of the world. When you struggle with water spots on your dishes, consider some of the solutions that we have highlighted above. With a little bit of luck and some work, your water spots should become a thing of the past.
