How to Clean Hard Water Stains on Dishes in the Dishwasher

Use vinegar to rid your dishes of hard water stains.

Hard water stains are common on dishes. The stains form while you are washing dishes by hand as well as running them through the dishwasher. The problem typically arises when you allow the dishes to air dry rather than hand drying them. This causes mineral content to settle onto the dishes and dry as cloudy film. Adding a cleaning element to the dishwasher cycle quickly removes the hard water stains.

Things You'll Need

• Dishwasher detergent
• White vinegar
• Dish towel

Instructions

1. Place all of the stained dishes in the dishwasher along with your regular dishwasher detergent.

2. Pour 2 cups of white vinegar into the bottom of your dishwasher and run a short wash cycle. The vinegar effectively breaks up the hard water stains.

3. Hand dry the dishes with a dish towel to prevent new hard water stains.

References

• Good Housekeeping; Eliminating Odor From the Dishwasher; Heloise
• Vinegar Book: Using Vinegar in My Dishwasher