Has it sometimes happened to you that, when you take your glasses out of the dishwasher, instead of being crystal clear, you find that they have a thin whitish layer?
The OCU has an explanation for this and points out, in a statement, that, above all, it is not something harmful to health, and that its cause would not be found in the operation of the dishwasher, but rather in three key factors: the level of lime in the water, the type of detergent and the quality of the glass.
First of all, it is important to identify the hardness of the water, the harder it is, it means that it will have more traces of limestone which, as a consequence, will leave more traces on the cutlery or cups, in addition to the glasses, so they will not be completely translucent after washing.
The hardness of the water depends on the geographical area of residence and, even in the same province, it can be different. The OCU points out that, in any case, the water distributor in each area is the one who knows precisely how soft, moderately hard, hard or very hard the water is, and advises that users contact them if necessary.
To counteract the effects of lime in the water, the OCU recommends adjusting the salt levels with the descaler that these appliances have.
Likewise, using regenerating salt for the dishwasher if the water is hard or very hard can also reduce its hardness. Of course, controlling and adjusting the quantities as you see how good the dishes look, since excess salt can end up being counterproductive in washing.
In this sense, the OCU points out that the washing program is also a factor that must be taken into account, as it determines that the detergents can act and dissolve completely. Likewise, the washing temperature must be controlled and not exceed 55ºC, since the higher the temperature, the more lime appears.
Precisely, the product for the dishwasher is another aspect that influences whether the glasses are completely clean or, on the contrary, with this whitish layer. This is why it is important to choose a detergent with adequate performance – in gel, capsules, powder or tablets – especially if the water is hard.
Haze after washing glasses in the dishwasher could also be due to the quality of the glass. If it is of very low quality, there is no solution to avoid the whitish effect and corrosion. Furthermore, time, exposure to high temperatures and the use of detergent inevitably cause this type of material to deteriorate.
