Hard Water and You: What to Do About It
However, hard water does have advantages. It contains higher concentrations of magnesium and calcium. Both of these minerals are essential to our health.
Do You Have Hard Water?
You may already know if you have hard water. It creates a whitish build up on shower walls that ordinary bathroom cleaners don’t seem to touch. You may find yourself using more detergent than recommended to get your clothes clean.
If you aren’t sure, you can send your water out to get tested. All water contains some minerals, but in hard water the minerals are in greater quantities. If you have water supplied by your town or city, they may be able to tell you over the phone.
Homeowners who have well water will have to get it tested on their own. This is always a good idea anyway, because it can also be tested for toxins at the same time.
Cleaning
If you have a build-up on your shower walls and sinks, you should buy a cleaner made specifically for hard water stains. These types clean lime and calcium deposits. Limeaway and CLR are two brand names that spring to mind.
You have to use caution with these types of cleaners. Make sure your children and pets are safely out of the way and the room is well ventilated. The fumes can be dangerous if inhaled for too long.
These have both worked for me where other bathroom formulas have failed. Test products on a small area of your surface before using as they may cause some damage to certain materials.
There is also a homemade product you can use for hard water build-up. Vinegar diluted in water will help remove mineral deposits. Use one part vinegar and one part water. For cleaning chrome fixtures or stainless steel sinks, use a paste made with baking soda and water.
Clothing and Dishes
Hard water will lower the cleaning capacity of your laundry detergents and your soaps and shampoos. You will have to use a little extra to get the same clean you get with softer water. Do what you can to baby your clothes, because hard water is rough on fabrics. Your clothes won’t last as long when constantly washed in hard water.
You may notice a build up of white scale on your glasses after repeated washings in hard water. Try soaking your glasses in water and vinegar to get rid of the build-up. Vinegar and water will work for cleaning any glass surfaces in your home.
Your Appliances
Your biggest problem with hard water is its effect on the life span of appliances. Hard water deposits minerals on everything it touches. These deposits will settle on heating coils, making your hot water heater work harder to heat the water. This will shorten the life of the heater.
If you have heating coils in your dishwasher you can see this build up for yourself. All water pipes leading in and out of clothing washers, dishwashers, and water heaters will experience build-up.
Vinegar will help clear up some of the problem. Run vinegar through a slow coffee maker (use a filter to catch debris) and then run water through afterwards to clear out the vinegar. You will find your coffee maker will work much better after you do this. Depending on how often you use your coffeemaker, you should do this every three to six months. For clothes washers and dishwashers, run an empty cycle with vinegar to help clean away the hard water deposits.
Solutions
Magnetic water treatment is one option for your home. This entails the use of magnets to change the composition of the minerals in the water, leading to less build-up over time.
Mechanical water softeners are another option. These use ion exchange to soften the water. This essentially exchanges the hard minerals in the water for sodium. These are not a good idea for anyone who must watch his or her sodium intake, because it will add extra sodium to your water.
Final Thoughts
Hard water can be tough on your appliances, hair, skin, and clothing. Your first step should be to have your water tested to see how severe the problem is, and then weigh your options. Remember it will not harm your health, but it can cost you money. For further suggestions, call your local water company or home improvement store.
