Hard water is a problem that many of us deal with in our homes on a daily basis. You may be wondering how to solve this problem of hard water in your home. The first step is understanding what hard water is and how it impacts our homes.
What is hard water?
Hard water is water that has high mineral content. Hard water occurs when water penetrates through deposits of limestone, chalk or gypsum which contain calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbonates and sulfates. The harder the water, the more minerals it contains. Drinking hard water won’t kill you, but consuming this water daily may be bad for your health and cause damage to your body.
Now that you know what hard water is, it’s essential to understand how to identify the signs of hard water. Here are some of the key indicators to watch out for:
- Dry and brittle hair
- High energy costs
- Increased use of soap/detergents
- Scale buildup
- Dry and itchy skin
- Difficulty removing soap
- Mineral deposits
- Stiff, grimy laundry
Facts about hard water
Do you experience some of those signs mentioned above? If so, we’re here to share some facts about hard water and how it causes some of the symptoms you might be experiencing.
Hard water requires you to wash longer
When hard water is present in your home, you might notice that it takes longer than usual to get the soap off of your body, hands, hair, or laundry. Once you finish washing, you may even feel as if you didn’t get all of the product off. Several people who have hard water in their home begin to look at the products they are using, only to find out that this has nothing to do with the products that they have, but the water that’s in their home. This effect is caused by the soap reacting to the calcium that’s in the hard water which will ultimately cause that odd feeling on your hands.
Hard water won’t clean your dishes perfectly
Have you ever noticed that your dishes remain dirty after being put in the dishwasher? By dirty, we mean there is some sort of chalky residue sticking on your plates. If you notice this happening, you can blame hard water and deposits of calcium carbonate.
Hard water can reduce water pressure
There are several reasons for low water pressure in the home, and hard water just so happens to be a leading cause of low water pressure. This effect is because of the buildup of the residue in the pipes. This might be tricky for some homeowners because you can’t see the accumulation hiding inside, but it’s there in the pipes.
Hard water damages hair
Hair damage is caused by several things, which is why sometimes it’s hard to identify hard water as the culprit. If you have changed the hair products you’re using and still notice that your hair is dry and brittle after a good wash, you may have hard water in your home. The minerals such as calcium, lime and magnesium can leave your hair dull and brittle, making it more prone to breakage.
Hard water damages clothes
Have you ever washed your laundry and noticed that the detergent was still on your clothes? Washing your clothes in hard water can leave mineral deposits behind on your clothes that cause soiling to build up on your clothes and can also cause your white clothes to look discolored and dull.
Hard water is unpalatable
Whether you believe all water tastes the same or every water is different, one thing stands true about hard water and that it tastes funny. Those with hard water in their homes say that their water tastes like dirt. Others say that hard water can smell funny- sort of like rotten eggs, which could be from all the hydrogen sulfide gas or certain bacteria reacting with magnesium to form sulfates.
Signs of Soft Water
Now that you know some of the symptoms of hard water, you might want to know some of the signs of having soft water. Soft water is better for your home and your body. Here are some of the pleasant symptoms of soft water:
- A pure, natural lather occurs when washing clothes, dishes, hands, and body
- Clothes are clean and bright after doing laundry, with no mineral stains and less wear-and-tear damage
- Good water pressure in your home
- A slight sodium flavor in drinking water, even though many people can’t taste the difference.
So, if you have hard water in your home, you may be wondering what the next step is. First and foremost, it’s essential to have a free water test done. By doing so, you can determine if you do have hard water in your home.
If the water test shows that you do have hard water in your home, understand that you can resolve this with a water softener. Water softening is a technique that removes the ions in the water that causes it to be hard. Generally, this involves removing the calcium and magnesium ions.
Science of Water: Providing America with the clean water it deserves
The home is where we spend most of our time and create the most memories. In our home, we use water daily. Whether its to shower, bathe in, clean laundry, or wash dishes, the truth is water is a part of our daily use.
At the Science of Water, we are dedicated to providing America with the clean water it deserves, one home at a time. We are a proud authorized dealer for Puronics. Puronics has been providing pure water solutions since 1947.
With over 35 years of combined experience, the Science of water is proud to provide homeowners with healthy and safe water. If you are in the Gainesville or Jacksonville area, take advantage of our free water test! If you experience any of the signs of hard water that we mentioned above, do yourself a favor and find out for sure if hard water is present in your home.