Water quality is determined by a variety of factors like where you live and the season. Hard water happens when a larger percentage of minerals are in pure water (H2o). You're probably wondering, what's my water quality?
Water quality can be measured in grains per gallon from your local water company. An easy trick that gives you an indication on water quality is to pay attention when you are washing your hands. Is it difficult to create suds or is the soap difficult to remove from your hands? If it's difficult to create suds, you more-than-likely have hard water. Glassware is another key indicator. If there are white spots on your glasses then you should be using some type of softener in your dishwasher when you are washing dishes.
There are several different ways to soften the water in your dishwasher. The best way is to purchase a dishwasher that can receive salt (softener) in a container located at the inside bottom of your dishwasher. If your current dishwasher does not have the container, add a jet dry or rinse aid. My professional opinion is to purchase Finish (Powerup). This is a tablet that has a softener in the middle of the detergent. Ultimately this will not get rid of the hard water, but it will keep your dishes and glasses from coming out of the dishwasher with spots. Finish also aids in drying very well.
Most efficient dishwashers today do not have a heating element in the bottom of the dishwasher, they heat the water up to a temperature that creates steam. The steam, with the assistance of your softener, will dry the dishes without using any energy. How does this happen? The steam will want to naturally attract itself to a cooler substance, thus pulling the moisture away from the hot dishes and landing on the surrounding stainless inner walls of the dishwasher. Once that occurs the steam will naturally condensate to its original form... water! Softener aids in the drying process by changing the molecular activity of water so the water will simply run off your dishes, which will aid in the drying process without using any energy at all!