What is the one thing we can’t live without? If water was the first thing to come to mind, you are right! Think about the ways we use water. Not only do we drink water to survive, but we use it for the functionality of other products within our homes. For instance, what would your washing machine be without water? Or how would we use soaps and detergents without water?
That said, not all water is the same, and hard water changes the way certain products work.
Hard water is water that is high in mineral content. It typically contains excess calcium and magnesium, which negatively impacts the way products function because of the mineral buildup on the product’s surfaces over time.
The issue being that people purchase everyday products only to be dissatisfied when using them, and it’s not actually the product’s fault, it’s that the hard water’s effects on that product prevent it from working as designed.
The good news is having hard water is a relatively straightforward fix. First, we recommend having a free water test done to determine if hard water is present in your home. If so, and it makes sense to take action, we can suggest an appropriate whole-home filter system to remove the hard water before it causes problems.
What benefits can you expect? Here are 9 everyday things that will be impacted once you install a whole-home filter in your house.
1. Dishes
When you wash your dishes with hard water, you will notice there is residue left on dishes and utensils. It might appear that the dishes are still dirty, but the truth is your dishes are not dirty, but they do have excess mineral deposits on them from the water. When you add a whole home water filter to your house, your dishes will appear clean and sparkly just as they are supposed to.
2. Clothes
Hard water is rough on your clothes because the calcium and mineral deposits in the water stay in the fabric which causes them to wear faster and fade. The excess minerals also trap dirt and soap in the fibers which causes your clothes to look yellow and dull, but just as with the other items we’re mentioning a whole home water filter will help your clothes to look clean and good as new after every wash.
3. Detergent
When people have hard water in their homes, they sometimes think the reason their detergent is not washing off materials properly is because of the detergent they are using. However, this is not the case. When soap is used in hard water, a thin film known as soap scum begins to build. This is because charged calcium and magnesium particles present in the water react with soap to form an insoluble substance which then sticks to surfaces on contact.
If you have been testing detergent after detergent and have not noticed a difference in your clothing or dishes after a wash, a whole home filter will solve the problem.
4. Hand Soap
When you wash your hands with hard water, you will notice that it is difficult to get soap to lather up as you wash. You will also notice that your hands feel dry and may even have some sort of residue on them which is caused by the excess minerals in hard water (same as mentioned above). Not surprisingly, when you have a whole home filter in your house, you will notice that your hands finally feel clean and are residue-free after washing.
5. Appliances
Hard water also contributes to the inefficient operation of your major water-using appliances, including dishwashers, water heaters, and refrigerators. Hard water causes the pipes and valves to become clogged with scale, reducing water pressure or causing leaks which may result in expensive replacements down the road, and over time it will shorten the lifespan of your major appliances, causing you to replace them sooner than normally needed.
6. Showerheads/Faucets
If you have a buildup of scum around your showerhead or faucet, you may have hard water in your home. Once hard water passes through a showerhead or a faucet dries, it leaves behind a mineral deposit. Not only is this unattractive for you and your guests, but it will eventually cause plumbing issues. A whole-home water filtration system will help to eliminate the residue that is left behind and prevent costly plumbing repairs.
7. Bedding
Everyone wants to lie down in a comfortable bed with silky, clean sheets. With hard water, your bedding becomes less comfortable. Your detergent might not completely rinse out during the wash, which causes your bedding to become stiff and dry. You may also notice that your skin negatively reacts to your bedding. This is because the detergent does not fully wash out. Once you install a whole-home filter, you will notice that your sheets feel clean and soft again.
8. Food and Beverages
Last but certainly not least, hard water impacts the food and water you consume. Specifically, it changes the way our drinks and food taste, and not surprisingly, it’s none for the better. Many people suffer from hard water containing sulfur which is attributed to a rotten egg taste and smell. As you can imagine, this is not ideal for consumption and isn’t healthy to consume long term.
The Science of Water: Keeping Your Water Clean and Safe
As you can see, hard water negatively impacts lots of products that you use on a daily basis, and some of these products such as appliances are expensive to replace.
That’s why we’re excited to be available to serve! The Science of Water is here to provide you with clean water that is safe for your home and family. If you think you have hard water in your home, we suggest a free water test. Identifying the problem of hard water in your home early on will prevent you from spending thousands of dollars down the road to replace products that have been impacted by harmful water.
Want to learn more about getting a whole-home filter to protect your abode? Just contact us today!