Abstract: Salt composition and method for regenerating spent water softener cation exchange resins, to remove or prevent the accumulation of iron in its various forms, insolubles, and oily deposits. The dry composition comprises from about 10 ppm to about 400 ppm of an alkylated diphenyl oxide disulfonate surfactant, from about 500 ppm to about 8000 ppm of sodium citrate, and as the remainder of the composition sodium chloride. The composition is preferably provided and used in the form of compacted products. The method for regenerating the spent cation exchange resin bed comprises the step of contacting the resin bed with an aqueous brine solution containing from about 25 to about 1200 ppm sodium citrate and from about 0.5 to about 60 ppm of alkylated diphenyl oxide disulfonate surfactant. The method is conveniently practiced by dissolving the composition first set forth above in the water of a conventional brine tank, using known technology.