You’ve probably heard the terms “hard water” and “soft water.” You may wonder what determines the hardness or softness of water and whether one type of water is healthier or safer to drink than the other. Although water is typically crystal clear, it contains minerals and chemicals. The concentration of certain minerals is what creates the “hardness” of water. Hard water isn’t a danger to your health, but it can be a nuisance for your home. Ready to learn about common signs for hard water and the most effective ways to deal with hard water? Then let’s get right into it!
What is hard water?
Hard water refers to the amount of calcium and magnesium dissolved in water. It’s most common in groundwater and in places where limestone and gypsum are present. And although it’s not a health hazard and many people don’t have issues because of it, it can be a nuisance. It can make appliances and pipes run less efficiently, leave mineral deposits on drinking glasses, and stain sinks and toilet bowls.
Signs of hard water include:
Your family has skin irritation issues; washing in hard water will leave soap behind, it causes people’s skin to get dried out and itchy.
Mineral deposits left on the body can also suck the moisture right out of your skin.
Spots. These can appear on glasses and silverware coming out of the dishwasher. These are usually deposits of calcium carbonate. Ugly brown or reddish stains on the porcelain are a big embarrassment. You can blame hard water for that too – specifically iron.
Your clothes aren’t getting clean. Clothes washed in hard water often appear dingy and wear out faster. It can even make your towels scratchy and rough. These show up on clothes when they come out of the washing machine. Clothes can wear out faster because of the harshness of hard water.
Your pipes keep getting clogged: Mineral deposits can form in the pipes, essentially shrinking the interior diameter of the pipes and reducing water flow. It’s no coincidence those stains look a lot like rust spots. The iron in your water could be coming from rusty pipes.
How to deal with Hard Water
1. Use Homemade Ways
There are many natural, homemade ways to treat hard water stains.
Baking soda; Using washing soda is one of the best techniques for how to treat hard water for laundry purposes.
Vinegar paste; apply some distilled white vinegar to remove hard water stains
Remove soap scum using a hard water cleaning aid; Cleaners specifically made to remove soap scum and hard water build-up contain hydrochloric acid, which is a harsh chemical that should probably only be used as a last resort.
2. Use Water Softeners
The easiest, most convenient way to fix hard water is to use a water softener. To keep your installation costs low, you may choose to get a Kinetico Premier Quad Series water softener or Kinetico Premier Series water softener. Your toughest water issues are no match for these softeners. Powered by the kinetic energy of moving water—not electricity—these exceptional water softeners have different models to treat your hard water. Softening hard water generally involves the use of an ion-exchange water softener. In this process, the water passes through a bed of softening the material.
The best way to prevent hard water stains is to get a whole house water filtration system that will eliminate the hardness of your water before it comes into your house. This way, mineral build-up never has a chance to occur in your pipes or water heater.
Invest in a Whole House Reverse Osmosis System.
It purifies water straight from the tap. By forcing water through a semipermeable membrane. The reverse osmosis system traps contaminants, hardness and odor-causing impurities.
Kwater Treatment provides the best commercial and home water filtration systems that are tailored to your water needs. We are your local Authorized Dealer for Kinetico in Las Vegas, Nevada and Orlando, Daytona Beach, Leesburg, and Tampa, Florida. When you hear “Kinetico,” think “purified, clean water filtration.”
Give us a call at 1(888)420-2297 to schedule a FREE water test today!
