The Surprising Way To Use Fabric Softener On Your Cups

Fabric softener is one of those versatile products that can be used throughout the home. While its most common purpose is to make your sheets and sweaters extra soft in the washer, fabric softener can also be used in unexpected ways. For instance, it can make a stinky garbage disposal smell better and clean the floor. But that's just scratching the top of the surface. You can also use fabric softener to remove hard water stains from your dishware.

Hard water stains are one of those persistent kitchen nuisances that make your chores much harder than they need to be. Rather than removing sparkling clean dishes from the dishwasher, if you have hard water, your glasses may end up covered in chalky white stains. Instead of battling them in the sink with vinegar and a scrub brush, you can use fabric softener to clean them. It will solve your problem in a pinch, helping you cross one more thing off of your to-do list.

If you've ever finished a load in the dishwasher and noticed hard water spots all over your cups, fabric softener could rescue your dishes. Go to your laundry room and take out your workhorse of a laundry product. All you need to do is pour a drop or two of fabric softener onto a sponge and use it to clean the glass as you normally would. If you only have fabric softener sheets, you can add a drop of dish soap to them and use them as a sponge to wash the cups. The conditioning product should cut right through the mineral deposits, erasing the spots before your eyes.

If you have stubborn deposits and the stains don't disappear with a simple wipe, coat the cups with the softener and let the product sit for 10 minutes. This will allow the formula to penetrate the stains, helping to dissolve them. After the time is up, the stain should easily sponge off. Since softener isn't food-safe, quickly wash your cups with dish soap and wipe them dry with a cloth so the stains don't reappear. 

How can a product that softens your clothes also remove unsightly spots from your cups? It turns out that the secret is in the sauce. The way that the softener is formulated helps give it a multitude of uses. It is created using lipids, which deposit a fatty layer over your clothes, making them feel softer. The conditioning power of the lipids also helps soften the mineral deposits on the cups, which allows you to scrub them off easier. Much like how fabric softener can help make hard water laundry feel less crunchy, it can do the same for hard water buildup on glassware because the same principles are at work.

Hard water stains are created by groundwater that filtered through rocks and ended up in your water supply, depositing high numbers of magnesium and calcium in your running water. These minerals are left behind when water evaporates, creating a chalky, stubborn residue. That's why removing them with just regular soap or cleaning products is so hard. You need a conditioner-like fabric softener to wear them down before wiping the dishware clean.