What's the additive (in powder format) in the dish liquid detergent
that reduces the water surface tension to alleviate the water marks?
Thanks.

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Clarification of Question by mar19-ga on 30 Aug 2004 15:49 PDT

thelonemonk-ga,

Would you recommend a solid(powder format) warewashing product that
would help alleviate the water mark problem? We clean and polish glass
with another powder product, so the water mark is more than likely
caused by minerals and powder deposits. Thanks.

I'm not sure exactly what the chemical is in powder form but I do know
from my carpet cleaning days that the class of chemicals that reduces
waters surface tension are called:
Surfactants. See : 
http://www.greatvistachemicals.com/surfactants_and_oleochemicals/
http://www.chemistry.co.nz/surfactants.htm
http://surfactants.net/s-appl.htm
http://www.dow.com/surfactants/ lists some specific surfactants
chemicals the Dow produces
http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/Brands/Fluka___Riedel_Home/Bioscience/BioChemika_Ultra/Detergents_Surfactants.html
Searching method: ://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=surfactants&spell=1
I'm sure by browsing around you should be able to find a surfacant in
powder form. IF I was a paid person here I would look more.....
Blaaam

I'm no scientist but to the best of my knowledge, once again based
upon my carpet cleaning experience, its the minerals present in water
that cause water marks. I tend to think that water surface tension and
water marks have little if anything to do with one another.

Actually, breaking surface tension of the water with surfactants helps
tremendously in cleaning the glasses as well as helping the water, and
the minerals or other deposits, "sheet" off.  In other words,
surfactants allow the water to become "wetter" and cause it to not
adhere as readily to the glass thereby transporting potential harmful
minerals and deposits off of the glasses or dishes.  This is only part
of the solution to spotting.  In restaurants or other
commercial/institutional kitchens a drying agent is used in the final
rinse.  Usually the drying agent is made up of some type of alcohol
which when combined with the heat from the dishmachine rinse cycle (a
minimum of 180F for high-temp machines, or 145F + for chemical
sanitizing [low-temp]dishmachines)allows water to "flash" off thereby
allowing dishes to dry quickly and spotting to remain at a minimum. 
In home dishwashers use of a product like Jet-Dry does the same thing.
 Our company is a manufacturer of liquid and solid warewashing
(dishwashing)products, and as such, we are always looking at ways to
improve on the removal of soils before they can adhere to the wares.