The convenience of a dishwasher simplifies kitchen chores, while easily sanitising crockery, pans and utensils. However, a dishwasher can begin to show signs of fading in a household with hard water. Homeowners begin to notice that crockery comes out of the wash cycle with a white build up. Glasses, which used to come out of the dishwasher clear and sparkling, are now covered in a filmy layer. Stains begin to appear on the interior from the build up of hard water minerals. Although these minerals do not pose any real health risks, they do decrease the effectiveness of the appliance and increase costs of running it.

Calcium and magnesium, the two main minerals in hard water, do not only form their deposits on dishes and the inner walls of the dishwasher. These mineral deposits also build up within the water lines and the heating elements, which affects the service life of the appliance. The accumulation of lime scale is responsible for many appliance repairs and increased household bills. Hard water also affects the amount of dishwasher detergent used for each wash cycle, requiring more detergent for a thorough clean. (more…)