Many homeowners deal with the white, chalky build-up that gathers on faucets and the inside of tubs at some point. This substance is soap scum.
It occurs when hard water reacts with the chemicals in certain cleaning products. It looks gross, and it can cause your appliances to break down much faster.
This isn’t the only problem that people who live in a hard water area suffer from. It also leaves spots on the dishes, and it puts a huge toll on your clothes.
The good news is that there are ways that you can manage. Check out this guide to learn how to live with your hard water situation.
In this article
Boil Water
There are two types of hard water. The first is temporary. It’s water that contains a large amount of calcium bicarbonate.
You can deal with this problem by boiling your water before you use it. If you ask someone how to soften water, this is the method they’ll tell you because it’s so cheap and easy. The heat dissolves the calcium in a few minutes.
The second type of hard water is permanent. It contains calcium sulphate. You can’t get rid of that with boiling no matter how hard you try.
Use Washing Soda
Hard water is rough on clothes. It can break down the material and discolour the fabrics. The minerals in the water don’t allow your detergent to lather up as it should, so your favourite outfits don’t get as clean either.
Washing soda is the perfect solution to this problem. The sodium carbonate found in this product will dissolve the magnesium and calcium in the water, making it softer.
Removing Hard Water Stains
The most annoying part of dealing with hard water is that it stains everything. This includes your clothes and appliances. The high amount of acid in vinegar can cut through the stains.
It’s not a good water-softening method if you plan on pouring yourself a glass to drink, but you can spray the vinegar in your shower.
Invest in a Filtration System
If you want to know how to soften the water that you drink, look no further than a filtration system. Installing a whole-house softening mechanism is one of the best types of water softeners that you can use.
It uses ion exchange to remove calcium and magnesium from the water. If you want to keep your installation costs low, you can stick to using a small under-the-sink softener instead of a whole-house model.
Managing When You Live In a Hard Water Area
Living in a hard water area can be tough. The minerals will dull the colour of your favourite fabrics and cause your water heater and other appliances to take a dump.
The most common way to fix your problem is to invest in a softening method. If that’s something that you can’t afford, you’ll need to use washing soda and vinegar for all your cleaning.
If you’re looking for more ways to manage life with hard water, we have additional articles where this came from. Visit the Home Design section of our blog to learn more.
