Did you know that 90 percent of homes in the US have hard water? Hard water contains a high level of minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
Hard water is difficult to cope with within the home, even if it is safe to drink from a tap. Cleaning baths, sinks, leaves dishes streaky or spotty or having dry skin are all signs that there’s a problem with your water. It may be a sign that you need to soften your water.
What is a water softener anyway, and is it really that necessary for the water you use at home? Learn more about the benefits below.
What Is a Water Softener?
A water softener is a filtering device that removes high magnesium and calcium concentrations from hard water. As water passes into a Water Softener, it filters out the hard water mineral salts, and the softened water exits the pipe to give you soft water.
Facts About Hard Water
In fact, the hardened mineral deposits that this type of water left behind are how “hard water” was named.
To cut to the chase, hard water has long-term negative consequences on anything it comes into contact with, including you. Let’s learn more about hard water.
Hard Water Could Damage Your Hair
Although hard water isn’t dangerous itself, it can have some negative effects on your hair.
A 2016 study involving 15 women showed that their hair was affected by hard water after 30 days of washing hair samples in hard water and distilled water.
Plumbing Problems Caused by Hard Water
As scale accumulates within a pipe, it reduces the amount of available space for water to flow through. This means the water pressure has to increase to push through the pipes.
Using a water softener prevents scale buildup in your appliances. By preventing that buildup it increases their lifespan and efficiency.
Clothes and Dishes That Are Cleaner
Soft water dissolves soap more effectively than hard water, resulting in a more thorough cleaning of your clothing and dishes.
If you have hard water in your household, the mineral residue will likely be left on your clothes, resulting in fading colors and bland whites. Since soft water is more effective at dissolving detergent, the clothes will end up brighter and cleaner.
Similarly, if you wash your dishes in hard water, they will develop streaks that will remain on them until dry. A water softener resolves this issue by extracting minerals from the water, leaving no stain on your dishes. Additionally, since soft water more fully combines with soaps and detergents, the dishwashing routine produces more lather and cleaning activity.
Reduce the Time Spent Cleaning
If you have hard water in your home, you will spend more time rinsing chalky lime and soap residue from your bathroom tiles, sinks, toilets, and taps. Soft water causes less scale residue, allowing less time spent scrubbing and less need for harsh washing products to dissolve the scale.
Softly Does It!
Stop! Think how much water you use during the day! When you do, it’s easy to see why a water softener is such an important piece of equipment to have in your house.
Imagine being able to take a shower without your skin being itchy or washing your clothing without them being drab.
Be sure to check out the rest of our blog for other informative articles.