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What causes etching of my glassware in the dishwasher?

It is caused by the strong phosphate sequesterants (e.g., trisodium phosphate) in dishwashing detergent. It may also be triggered by the combination of extremely hot water, soft water and too much detergent.

The high water temperature can cause the detergent phosphate compounds to break down into an even more aggressive form. If hardness is available, it will consume the most aggressive of these sequestering chemicals. Otherwise, however, the detergent agents can actually extract elements directly from the glassware composition. The solution to etching is to use less detergent and water temperatures less than 140°F when you have soft water. Water softening is such an enhancement that the dishes will get cleaned just as well with less detergent and 120°–140°F water in softened water.

For more information about the quality of your water, or for your FREE water test, call Aquality Solutions 1-866-4WATER1.

This article was originally published in Illinois Country Living a magazine circulated by the Eastern Illini Electric Cooperative.

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