Hard Water Causes a Host of Problems

If you are among the estimated 85% of Americans who have hard water, you know what a pain it can be to deal with. Between the film on your skin after bathing, soap scum stains on your dishes, and your laundry just never quite getting clean, hard water is the bane of homeowners all over the country.

Hard water isn’t just a minor annoyance. Limescale buildup can clog shower heads and given enough time, it can destroy appliances including washing machines, water heaters, and dishwashers.

So what is to be done when hard water is giving you a headache? Let’s go through a few different things that can be done to address this annoyance.

Use Dishwashing Supplements

If soap scum has been driving you crazy, you can purchase hard water cleaning aids that will help your dishes look better when they come out of the wash. These cleaning products are specifically designed to attack the carbon and magnesium carbonate found in hard water and increase the effectiveness of your dishwashing detergent.

Use Vinegar for Tough Stains

If you have hard water, vinegar is your best friend for cleaning. Calcium carbonate specifically is very reactive to acids like vinegar, and as such is extremely useful for removing tough stains caused by hard water.

If you notice that any of your fixtures such as faucets and shower heads seem to be clogged with scale, soak them in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts filtered water. Within a couple of hours you should notice marked improvement.

Regularly Descale Your Pipes

If left untreated, hard water will cause limescale buildup in your pipes which has the potential to cause serious damage and flooding in your home. In order to address this issue, you will need to periodically pour a descaling agent down the drain followed by hot water. Descaling your pipes will prevent a minor annoyance from becoming a full-blown disaster.

Tabletop Water Filters

If the taste of hard water is bothering you, an affordable and workable solution is to use a countertop water filter pitcher. Though these water pitchers will not address scaling in pipes and appliances, they are able to remove a certain amount of the hard water taste.

Use Washing Soda in Your Laundry.

Similarly to how dishwasher detergent aids can help get rid of soap scum stains, washing soda is excellent at neutralizing calcium carbonate from water in your washing machine. If your laundry detergent just isn’t working the way it should be, use washing soda in the wash with your laundry.

Get a water softener

As you have likely noticed, most of the suggestions listed here are stop-gap measures and band-aid solutions that you’ll have to repeat every time you want to wash your laundry or do your dishes. It’s a lot of chores to keep up with that waste both time and money.

The Benefits of a Water Softener

The best solution by far is to have a water softener installed into your home directly. An in-line water softener removes calcium and magnesium carbonate from the water as it enters your home, and given proper maintenance it will protect your skin, dishes, and appliances from hard water for years to come. When it comes to combating the negative effects of hard water, there is nothing else that will come close to the preventative utility of a water softener.

If you are ready to finally combat the hard water in your home, give us a call. We can get you set up with a quality water softener that will remove the excess minerals that are making your life a pain right now.