The Difference Between Clouding and Etching
Clouding
Glassware gets cloudy when mineral deposits caused by hard water used in the cleaning process never fully wash off the glass. These deposits will eventually build up and begin to cloud the glass.
Etching
Etching happens when hard water or alkaline salts from your detergents, creating pitting or micro scratches in the glass. This causes light to refract when it hits these defects, causing a visible reduction in clarity.
What Causes Glassware to Cloud or Etch?
Hard Water
Hard water will cause glasses to get cloudy or etch because they have a super high mineral content. This high mineral content has two problems.
For starters, hard water makes detergent work less effectively, and it also makes it so that water has a hard time shedding off the glasses when rinsed.
These two factors mean that the glasses don’t get fully cleaned, and when they are rinsed, soap and hard water minerals get left behind.
Solutions:
- Use More Detergent – Using more detergent is necessary because hard water makes detergent less effective. The only problem with this is that hard water also makes the water more difficult to take off in the rinse cycle, potentially leaving behind detergent that will cause clouding. Because of this, you need to experiment with different amounts to find the right balance.
- Use a Rinse Aid – A rinse aid is something that you add to the wash cycle; it increases the ease at which water sheds off of your glasses during the rinse cycle. Using this as well as more detergent may be the magic combination to stop clouding and etching.
Soft Water
If the water you’re using when washing dishes is too soft, meaning that it has a very low mineral content, it can cause the detergents in the water to etch the glasses.
Solutions:
- Use Less Detergent – Soft water means that detergent works more effectively, so using less can help prevent clouding and etching.
- Try a Different Detergent – Detergents are built differently, and some will work better with soft water than others. Try a few different brands and see if you can find one that works with softer water.
Water That Is Too Hot
Most detergents are meant to work properly at temperatures between 130 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
If your water is too hot, your detergents can’t work properly, and they will leave minerals from the water and soap from the detergents behind.
Solutions:
- Turn Down Your Hot Water Heater – Turning down your hot water heater to a temperature below 140 degrees will mean that the water used during your dishwasher cycle will be at the appropriate temperature.
- Use a Warm Water Setting on Your Dishwasher – If your dishwasher has the option of turning to a cycle that uses cooler water, it may help prevent hard water spots.
Water That Is Too Cold
Very cold water, just like hot water, means that the detergent you are using cannot work properly. Cold water can cause minerals and soaps to be left behind during the rinsing process.
Solutions:
- Turn Up Your Hot Water Heater – If your hot water heater is set to heat water at a temperature lower than 130 degrees Fahrenheit, then your dishwasher will never be supplied water that is hot enough to allow it to work properly. This can be remedied by turning up the thermostat on your hot water heater.
- Turn On Your Faucet Before Turning On Your Dishwasher – If your hot water heater is set to the right temperature but is placed very far away from the dishwasher, sometimes it will take a while before the hot water can reach the dishwasher. You can solve this problem by running the kitchen faucet until the water is hot before turning on your dishwasher. This will ensure that hot water is already in the line and ready.
Excessive Pre-Cleaning
Excessively pre-cleaning your dishes before they go into the dishwasher is a major problem that many households do unknowingly.
Believe it or not, your dishwasher needs the fats and oils from your dirty dishes to work properly. Detergents are powerful and are designed around the idea that they are supposed to clean!
If you’re putting in dishes that have already been washed, then these harsh chemicals and alkaline salts spin around freely in the wash cycle and can cause your glassware to etch.
Solution:
Stop Pre-Cleaning Your Dishes – When you are clearing the table at the end of your meal, scrape the big pieces off the plate and into your trashcan. Then place that dish directly into the dishwasher. Don’t run it under the sink or try to clean it up; that’s the dishwasher’s job. If there are no big chunks, then your dishwasher can handle the rest.
Inferior Detergents
There are many different brands of detergents, and some work better than others. Some will also work better with different types of water and at different temperatures.
If you try all of these solutions, but nothing seems to work, then it may be worth trying to change the dishwashing detergents you’re using.
