Choosing Best Dishwasher Detergent For Hard Water [April 2020]

Cascade Actionpacs, Finish All in one 32ct, Finish Quantum Max, Miele Care, Bubble Bandit, etc are the best detergents for hard water. For softening water in the dishwasher you can also use Lemi Shine Booster or Finish Hard Water Booster Powder with any detergent.

You are so lucky if your water is not hard because hard water has a lot of problems that we have to face every day.

We briefly differentiate between hard and soft water for your better understanding of the next discussion.

Also Read: Use Dishwasher With Liquid Soap Instead of Detergent

Hard and Soft water

Pure water is surely soft water and impure water is hard water. Natural water is soft by default but this water becomes hard due to several reasons.

When the water of rain falls on mountains or anywhere else it runs and catches a lot of impurities like calcium and magnesium salts are dissolved in it which makes it hard.

Hard water is mostly not good for health because it contains a lot of substances that cause diseases and stomach problems.

Moreover, hard water does not properly wash anything even your hands. When you wash hands with hard water it does not produce bubbles due to impurities.

It is better to use soft water especially for drinking and in the kitchen. If your water is hard you should use a water softener.

Effect of Hard Water on Dishwasher

Hard water contains Magnesium, Calcium and a lot of other impurities that are dissolved in it. In this way, hard water leaves spots on dishes as well as dishwasher and it also crusts the heating element of the dishwasher where the water falls.

The life period of your dishwasher is also reduced with hard water. Different dishwashers depending upon their quality, last for 8 to 12 years if you use them in hard water.

Solutions of Hard Water

Following are some solutions that can help you avoid the problems caused by hard water. You can adopt any of these and we hope you will get good results and help from our writing.

Dishwasher with Water Softener

If your water is hard and you have not purchased a dishwasher yet, then you can buy a dishwasher that has a built-in water softener.

Such a dishwasher will remove Calcium and Magnesium as well as other minerals from your water and prevent your utensils and dishwasher body from getting spots.

Use Water Softener

If you already have purchased a dishwasher, then you can use a separate water softener to soften your water before using it in your dishwasher.

Water Softener Detergent

You can buy a detergent that can soften your water while running cycle and can make your dishes sparkling preventing your dishwasher from stains as well.

It is also a great solution because you have to buy any dishwasher detergent and if you consider this point also, it will end your worry without taking any extra steps.

For the sake of convenience, we have mentioned some of the top detergents below that can remove the hardness of your water and give you excellent results.

These detergents have been chosen very carefully after reading a lot of reviews of the people who used them and got results.

Vinegar to Remove Stains from Dishwasher

If you have been using any detergent with hard water and your dishwasher has caught stains then you can remove these stains by using a cup of vinegar and running a wash cycle.

Also Read: Make Your Own Dishwasher Detergent at Home

What is The Best Dishwasher Detergent For Hard Water?

Some of the dishwasher detergents may not wash your dishes properly and leave them dirty and their shine vanishes because of hard water.

Hard water is a great problem faced by 85% population of the United States this time.

Some of the dishwashers have built-in water softeners that are a perfect solution to this problem. However, you can also solve this problem by choosing one of the best detergents for your dishwasher.

There are many detergents that can be used with hard water but we have reviewed some of the best only.

Also Read: Is Your Dishwasher Detergent Safe or not?

1.Finish Quantum 68 Tablets

If you are looking for a final solution to hard water then you have reached the right detergent that actually works in hard water.

Finish Quantum is the world’s no.1 solution to for all those people who are facing a great problem of hard water.

This detergent will work, no matter how much hard is your water and it will not make a single spot on dishwasher or dishes and your dishes will come out sparkling.

A large number of people who were worried of hard water had took help from this detergent only.

You know Finish detergents are best detergents in the market and it is one of those that has been probably designed for hard water.

It has sodium citrate that makes your water soft and cleans your dishes as you want.

Each tablet has three dissolving chambers that dissolve very quickly and completely so that you could take full advantage.

Each tablet is also filled with power actions to help in drying very quickly.

Finally, it is not a detergent but a solution to your problem. If you buy it once, you will buy only it in the future.

Note: This detergent smells like scent. Beware if you are allergic to scents.

2.Cascade Platinum Plus 70 Tablets

If you don’t love or like to buy Finish Detergent due to any reason or if you are allergic to scents and so you do not want to buy that detergent. Cascade Platinum Plus could be your second choice.

This detergent is also loved by a lot of people with hard water who have used it.

Moreover it has highest sales and highest rating than all other detergents of Cascade. It has sodium carbonate to deal with the hard water to avoid dishes and dishwasher from stains.

This detergent is a bit expensive but it worth the money as well. It is formulated with power booster.

After washing with this detergent, your dishes will have no food burns, no grease or anything else left behind and not only dishes but your dishwasher will also shine like brand new.

3.Finish Quantum Max 100 Tablets

As we recommend finish detergents are best of all other detergents, We already have written in detail about Finish dishwasher detergents.

There is another detergent of Finish that is also loved by us, so we have included it also in our review.

Finish Quantum Max is not only best for hard water but the main thing is that it is in tablet form that is the most reliable and demanded today.

It comes in gel form and removes stains and dirt efficiently without any need for pre-soaking and pre-rinsing.

Although it is not best than the Finish Quantum discussed above but it is also a good detergent that can deal with hard water.

One good thing of this detergent over Finish Quantum is that it does not give too much smell like scent.

Must Read: Plastic Dishwasher Tubs Safe or Not?

4.Finish All in One 85 Count

Again another detergent of Finish!

This detergent that is loved by thousands of people also has the great ability to fight even in hard water so we did not forget to include it.

This detergent is also discussed earlier in detail. Finish Powerball is one of the top detergents in the market.

Powerball detergent provides 3x concentrated cleaning power to remove any type of stains even tea and coffee.

Just insert 1 tablet at every load and let the dishwasher do the rest of all. Your dishes will shine even if your water is much hard.

No stains will be left on your dishes and you don’t need for pre-soaking or pre-rising. However many people have reported white films and some residue left over dishes.

5.Cascade ActionPacs Dishwasher Detergent For Hard Water

This dishwasher is not in tablet form but still, it is better than many others especially if your water is hard then this detergent of the cascade will help you a lot.

Cascade dishwashers are also recommended in the manuals of many dishwashers and of course, these detergents provide better cleaning.

Cascade detergents are best after Finish. You will get this detergent in gel form. Just insert it in the container of your dishwasher and forget that your water is hard.

This detergent also requires no pre-wash and pre-rising.

6.Grab Green Natural Dishwasher Detergent, Powder

This is the detergent that has something new as compared to all the other detergents. It is designed perhaps for the people who are allergic and tired of scenty detergents.

One bad thing about this detergent is that it is in powder form but it contains enough powder for 80 cycles.

It is very environment friendly and free of chemicals even it does not give a bit of smell. However it is good in cleaning with hard water because of sodium ingredients present in it.

In case of very hard water, you will have to use more than the normal quantity of this detergent for better cleaning results.

7.Miele Dishwasher Detergent 120 Tablets

This detergent is in the form of tablets that is designed by Miele especially for Miele dishwashers but you can use it with any dishwasher without having any problem.

These tabs are a bit expensive but they perform well in hard water. For the long life of your dishwasher and dishes you should not care for spending a bit more over these tabs.

The detergent is Phosphate free and environment friendly. These tabs dissolve perfectly in water and give you complete advantage.

If you are using a Miele dishwasher, then it will be a great combination also. Half of the tablet can also provide you awesome results if your water is soft. However, for hard water, one complete tab is recommended.

8.Bubble Bandit Dishwasher Detergent for Spotless Dishes

This detergent is in powder form and performs well in hard water, so we have included it in our review.

It is also a bit expensive as you can run only 60 wash cycles from one pack of this detergent.

However it does it’s job and you will not need any rinse aid and it will give you spotless and sparkling dishes and will keep your dishwasher like brand new from it’s interior.

It has phosphate in it so we cannot say due to some other substances also, that it is environment friendly.

Many people also have problem of white residue left on dishes. They recommend to run three cycles empty before putting your dishes inside.

In United States, where detergents with phosphate are not allowed to sell, you can buy this detergent from Amazon.

9.Lemi Shine Booster Dishwasher Detergent

This is something other than a detergent. Lemi Shine Booster is not a complete detergent but it works with your current detergent to remove the hardness of your water and preventing your dishwasher and dishes, provides you with a better cleaning result.

This detergent works to remove the hardness of water and it does not contain any harmful chemicals. No need to worry about its safety regarding children and pets.

It will remove stains, calcium, iron and other salts deposits from your dishes. This detergent can also remove those white films that are mostly left by your detergent.

This detergent is biodegradable and phosphate free and works with all detergents and in all dishwashers.

10.Finish Hard Water Booster Powder

This is also not a detergent, rather it is also a booster like the one discussed above. It also functions the same but it comes in powder form and not the liquid.

This booster also works with your current detergent and removes the hardness of your water to provide you clean and sparkling dishes.

You can pour a spoon of this powder along with your detergent and it will not let any spot left on your dishes or dishwasher.

It will not only clean dishes, remove spots and minerals but also leaves a sweet smell on your dishes after removing all bad smells.

Final Thoughts

As you have read review of all those detergents that you can use in case of hard water. We have listed their pros and cons as well so that you can understand every product in a better way.

You can make your own choice and select anyone of these detergents depending on what you like the most.

Our first recommendation is to use Finish Quantum if you are not allergic to scents because it is our top 1 choice after considering everything.

Secondly, we recommend you Cascade Platinum Plus as it is also the best detergent to be used in case of hard water.

You can also buy other detergents if you do not like both of these because we have reviewed almost all the best detergents that work in hard water.

If you are already using a detergent and loved that detergent also and you are facing only the problem of hard water then Lemi Shine Booster can solve your problem with its powerful effect.

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