Citric Acid Saves the Day

I have a great tip for people whose dishes and glassware have mineral deposits on them.

Florida gets its water from limestone aquifers. Limestone is made of a calcium compound, plus other things. Limestone dissolves in water, to some extent. For this reason, the water here leaves white mineral deposits on things like dishes, counters, and faucets.

The scale in Miami was noticeable but tolerable. Here, it’s much worse. Maybe it’s because we have a well. Maybe we need a tank to let some of the crud settle out.

I thought about having a water-softening system installed, but it seemed like an expensive solution to a minor problem. I looked around on the web to see what I could do.

I found a product. “Lemon” something or other. Too lazy to Google. You put a small amount in your dishwasher when you run it, and it dissolves scale.

Okay, I Googled it after all. It’s called Lemi Shine. Amazon charges about $20 for 36 ounces.

That’s expensive. I can get a huge box of Cascade for a few dollars, so why does the additive cost so much? Unacceptable.

I rooted around some more and found out what Lemi-Shine contains. It’s citric acid, which is a common food additive also known as “sour salt.” Well, now.

Guess what Amazon charges for 5 pounds of pure citric acid? Fourteen bucks. That’s 80 ounces. I can probably do even better on Ebay.

I got myself 5 pounds of citric acid, and I started using it. I throw a tablespoon in before I start the machine. Now my dishes are scale-free (or getting there). I saved a ton because I didn’t buy Lemi Shine, and I don’t have to worry about a water softening apparatus.

Here’s something else: you can put a citric acid solution in a spray bottle and use it on counters and so on. It works, and unlike vinegar, it doesn’t stink. Bonus! And you can flavor food with it.

I read that you need about two tablespoons of citric acid in a quart of water in order to descale surfaces. I’m going to mix some today.

I tried putting CLR in my dishwashwer. Bad idea. It turns dishwashing powder into little bricks that don’t dissolve.

My bag of citric acid ought to last me several months. I am quite happy about it. Give it a shot, if you can’t see through your drinking glasses. I’m sure it will work, and over time, it will also clear the scale out of your dishwasher.