Plumbing Picks is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Quick answer from a licensed plumber: For routine resin cleaning on any softener, Pro Products Res Care: an NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 certified liquid dosed by resin volume. For iron well water, Pro Products Rust Out. For Morton or EcoPure softeners, use their own 16 oz bottles every 4 months, which the makers say also extend the softener warranty. Pour into the brine well and regenerate right away.
Our pick for most softeners: Pro Products Res Care water softener cleaner. Check Res Care on Amazon
Salt keeps a softener working on hardness, but it does not clean the resin. Pro Products says iron, manganese, silt and metal buildup stay in the resin bed and cut the softener’s efficiency and flow. A softener cleaner, poured into the brine well before a regeneration, washes that out. This page compares four cleaners Amazon.com sold when we checked, using the makers’ directions.
Still choosing a softener? See our water softener picks, or our well water softener picks if you are on a well with iron. For salt, see our softener salt guide.
Water Softener Cleaners Compared
| Cleaner | Form | How to dose (maker or listing) | How often (maker) | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro Products Res Care | Liquid | 4 oz per cu ft of resin, then regenerate | Every regeneration or as needed | NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 |
| Pro Products Rust Out | Powder | 1-1/2 cups in 1/2 gal water (first dose) | 1/2 cup per 40 lb of salt on iron water | For high-iron well water |
| Morton MWSC | Liquid, 16 oz | Whole bottle, then regenerate | Every 4 months | Extends Morton softener warranty |
| EcoPure EPCL | Liquid, 16 oz | Whole bottle, hold Recharge 3 s, wait 2 h | Every 4 months | Extends EcoPure softener warranty |
From the Pro Products, Morton and EcoPure pages and the Amazon listings. Each linked cleaner was sold by Amazon.com and in stock on October 7, 2026.
How to Clean a Water Softener
- Check the salt. EcoPure’s guide says to wait until the salt level is low. If there is no brine well, Morton and Pro Products say to pour the cleaner into the salt tank when the salt is low.
- Find the brine well. It is the tube inside the salt tank with its own cover; EcoPure’s steps start by removing that cover.
- Pour the dose. A whole bottle for Morton and EcoPure; 4 oz per cubic foot of resin for Res Care; 1-1/2 cups dissolved in half a gallon of cold water for a first Rust Out treatment.
- Regenerate right away. Morton says to manually regenerate immediately; EcoPure says to hold Recharge for 3 seconds and wait 2 hours before using water.
- Rinse the lines. Pro Products says that if you notice a taste or odor at the tap, regenerate again and run cold water until it is gone. Plumber’s note: run a cold soft-water tap for a few minutes after any cleaning before anyone drinks from it.
Plumber’s note: if the softener stops softening between cleanings, test the water. Our hardness test kit guide shows how to check the soft water at the tap.
Pro Products Res Care Water Softener Cleaner
Liquid · removes iron, manganese, silt and metal particles from the resin bed, per Pro Products · NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 certified for drinking water additives · pour into the brine well · cleaning dose 4 oz (1/2 cup) per cubic foot of resin, then a manual regeneration (Pro Products) · can be dosed at each regeneration or with Pro Products’ Easy Feeder · works with any softener and made in the USA, per the listing
Pro Products calls Res Care a professional resin cleaner used by water treatment contractors. It says salt handles hardness but does not remove the iron, manganese, silt and metal buildup inside the resin bed, and that Res Care cleans what salt leaves behind. It is certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 for drinking water additives, which none of the other three picks here claim.
Pro Products gives the dose: 4 ounces (1/2 cup) per cubic foot of resin, poured down the brine well, then a manual regeneration, and it notes that most residential softeners hold about 1 cubic foot of resin. Pro Products also sells it for use at every regeneration, alone or with its Easy Feeder. Plumber’s note: check your softener’s resin volume on its label or manual before you dose; our resin by tank size guide helps if the label is gone.
- NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 certified, per Pro Products
- Dose scales with resin volume
- Can run at every regeneration
- Works with any softener, per the listing
- Dose has to be measured by resin size
- Small 4 oz bottles in this pack
- For heavy iron, Pro Products points to Rust Out first
Verdict: The cleaner to buy for routine resin maintenance on any softener.
Pro Products Rust Out Water Softener Cleaner and Iron Remover
Powder · for heavy iron and rust buildup on the resin bed · formulated for high-iron well water, per Pro Products · first application: 1-1/2 cups dissolved in 1/2 gallon of cold water, poured into the brine well · regular use: 1/2 cup per 40 lb of salt, layered · cabinet models: periodic cleaning only · also lifts rust stains from toilets, sinks and tubs · do not use with bleach or peroxide (laundry note) · 4.75 lb bottles, 4-pack
Rust Out is Pro Products’ answer for iron. Pro Products says it is formulated for well water where iron levels are high, and the Amazon listing says it changes rust and iron into a clear solution that rinses away when the softener regenerates. Pro Products goes further on its directions: all softeners on iron-bearing water require Rust Out as preventative maintenance.
The first application is 1-1/2 cups dissolved in half a gallon of cold water, poured into the brine well, or into the salt tank when the salt is low if there is no brine well. For regular use, Pro Products says to layer 1/2 cup with every 40 pounds of salt, and on cabinet models to use it for periodic cleaning only. It suggests Rust Out to restore a heavily fouled softener, then Res Care to maintain it. This listing is a 4-pack of 4.75-pound bottles, which is a lot of cleaner for one house.
- Made for heavy iron fouling, per Pro Products
- Turns iron into a solution that rinses out, per the listing
- Also lifts rust stains in toilets, sinks and tubs
- Clear first-dose directions
- Large 4-pack of 4.75 lb bottles
- Powder has to be dissolved first
- No NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 claim on the page we read
Verdict: The pick for a softener on iron well water, or one already stained orange inside.
Morton MWSC Water Softener Cleanser
16 oz bottle, ready to use · pour the whole bottle into the brine well, then regenerate right away · use every 4 months, per Morton · for all major softener brands · Morton says it extends the warranty of Morton softeners
Morton’s cleanser is a measured bottle: pour all 16 ounces into the brine well, or into the salt tank when the salt is low if there is no brine well, and manually regenerate right away. Morton says to use it every 4 months and that it suits all major brands of softeners.
If you own a Morton softener, it has a second job. Morton says the cleanser extends the warranty of Morton water softeners, and the Amazon listing says using it 3 times a year may help extend coverage from 1 year to as long as 5 years of parts and labor. Check the terms for your model and register the softener before you count on that.
- No measuring: one bottle per treatment
- Every-4-months schedule, per Morton
- Extends Morton softener warranty, per Morton
- Works with other brands, per Morton
- Fixed dose regardless of softener size
- No NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 claim on the page we read
- Warranty extension applies to Morton softeners only
Verdict: The easy pick for a Morton softener owner who wants to keep the extended warranty.
EcoPure EPCL Universal Water Softener Cleaner
16 oz bottle · pour into the brine well, hold Recharge for 3 seconds, wait 2 hours before using water · every 4 months, per the maker · universal, per the listing · EcoPure EP31/EP42 1-year parts warranty extendable to 5 years with regular cleaner purchases and registration
EcoPure’s cleaner works the same way as Morton’s: pour the whole 16-ounce bottle into the brine well, press and hold the recharge button for 3 seconds, and wait 2 hours before using water. The maker’s guide calls softener cleanser an acid-based cleaning solution and recommends a bottle every 4 months.
Like Morton’s, it ties into a warranty. The maker says EcoPure EP31 and EP42 softeners come with a 1-year parts warranty that can be extended to 5 years with regular purchases of EcoPure softener cleaner, if you register the system. The same guide says Whirlpool WHES30 and WHES40 softeners can extend their warranty with Whirlpool’s own cleanser, so Whirlpool owners should check which bottle their terms name.
- One bottle per treatment
- Clear 2-hour wait after recharge, per the maker
- Extends EcoPure softener warranty with registration, per the maker
- Universal fit, per the listing
- Fixed dose regardless of softener size
- No NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 claim on the pages we read
- Whirlpool warranty terms name Whirlpool’s cleanser
Verdict: The pick for an EcoPure softener owner who wants the 5-year warranty extension.
#ad Buying for a shop? Amazon Business (opens in a new tab) accounts are free to create, with business-only prices and bulk quantity discounts.
I send an occasional note when a new guide goes up — repairs worth doing yourself, and the parts that actually last. No spam, no course funnel; written by a licensed Georgia plumber.
Before You Buy
- Iron or not. On iron well water, Pro Products calls for Rust Out; otherwise a routine resin cleaner is enough.
- Drinking water certification. Res Care lists NSF/ANSI/CAN 60; the others we read do not.
- Warranty. Morton and EcoPure softener owners can extend their warranties with their own brand’s cleaner, per the makers; register the softener and keep the receipts.
- Know your resin volume before dosing Res Care by the cubic foot.
FAQ
Do I need to clean my water softener?
If it is fed iron or manganese, yes. Pro Products says salt handles hardness but does not remove iron, manganese, silt and metal buildup from the resin bed. Morton and EcoPure both recommend their cleaners every 4 months as routine maintenance.
How do you use water softener cleaner?
Pour it into the brine well, then start a manual regeneration. Morton says to pour the whole 16 oz bottle and regenerate right away; EcoPure says to hold Recharge for 3 seconds and wait 2 hours before using water. Res Care is dosed at 4 oz per cubic foot of resin, per Pro Products.
Which cleaner is best for iron in well water?
Pro Products Rust Out. Pro Products says it is formulated for high-iron well water and that all softeners on iron-bearing water need it as preventative maintenance, then suggests Res Care for ongoing upkeep. If iron is high, see our iron filter picks too.
Is water softener cleaner safe for drinking water?
Res Care is certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 for drinking water additives, per Pro Products. The Morton and EcoPure pages we read do not list that certification. Plumber’s note: whichever you use, run a cold soft-water tap for a few minutes after the regeneration finishes.
Will cleaner fix a softener that is not softening?
Only if the resin is fouled. A softener that is not regenerating, is out of salt or has a salt bridge needs a different fix; see our softener not regenerating guide.
Why Trust Plumbing Picks
Plumbing Picks is written by a licensed Georgia journeyman plumber. Every spec here comes from the maker documents linked below, or from the Amazon listings we link; nothing comes from hands-on testing. On October 7, 2026, every linked listing was in stock and sold by Amazon.com. If you buy through a link we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nobody pays to be included here. More on who writes this and how we pick.
Sources
- Pro Products: Res Care water softener cleaner
- Pro Products: Rust Out water softener cleaner (directions)
- Morton Water Softeners: Water Softener Cleanser (Model MWSC)
- EcoPure Home (Water Channel Partners): How to use water softener cleanser
- Amazon listings for each linked cleaner (linked above)
Bottom Line
Buy Res Care for routine cleaning on any softener, and Rust Out if your well water carries iron. If you own a Morton or EcoPure softener, use that brand’s cleaner every 4 months to keep the warranty extension. Pour into the brine well, regenerate right away, and rinse a cold tap before drinking.